Recipe: Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

As part of our Produce Box, we've been getting butternut squash the past few weeks. In searching for a way to turn it into a main course instead of a side dish, I found this recipe from Real Simple online. I wasn't sure I would love it, but amazingly I had all the ingredients in the house already.

Last night, I made it for dinner -- delicious! And I'm trusting the leftovers will be just as good. I actually made everything bit the couscous in the afternoon while Pippi was napping, so it was super easy to get it all on the table for dinner.

Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
• 1 32-ounce container vegetable broth
• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) almonds, chopped

Directions

1. Halve and peel the squash. Remove the seeds and cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. 
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Stir in the squash, tomatoes, raisins, broth, chickpeas, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the remaining cumin and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
6. Divide the couscous among individual bowls and ladle the squash mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the parsley [which I didn't have, so I skipped it] and almonds [which totally make the meal].

Photo from Real Simple.