Cleaning out the Pantry

I've been trying to get better about using the ingredients in my pantry.  I really have.  When I rummaged through them the other day I came across some refried black beans and garlic salsa that I pulled out and set on my counter to use.  A few days later I used them, along with some sauteed onions, zucchini and summer squash from my CSA to make delicious tacos for dinner!

Made even better by homemade spelt tortillas!  (Spelt flour being another thing I was apparently hoarding for a rainy day).   A fun project, these were soft and tasty, albeit a little tough to work with in my warm, humid apartment.  Some (ok, a lot of) extra flour and a little perseverance was all that was needed ;) 

I also uncovered a little bit of Israeli couscous from who knows when ;)  Really, I don't want to know.  When an eggplant arrived in my CSA I knew just what to make!

Don't let my sub-par photo deter you (I was exhausted and couldn't bring myself to get out my light box), the warm spices and creamy roasted eggplant totally won me over.  

Israeli Couscous w/Roasted Eggplant

slightly adapted from bon appetit

serves 2

This could be served as a side, or bulked up with some greens and chickpeas to serve as a vegetarian main dish.  Feel free to toast your own cumin seeds and grind them fresh as the original recipe suggests.  I was short on time, so opted to take the easy way out.

1- 1lb eggplant, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2c israeli couscous

2-3T extra virgin olive oil, divided

1T white balsamic vinegar
1t ground cumin

3/8t ground cinnamon

2T finely chopped shallot

2T golden raisins

4 cubes of fresh frozen cilantro (found at Trader Joe's, could also use 1-2T fresh chopped)

Preheat oven to 450deg.

In a bowl or on a baking sheet, add 1 1/2T olive oil, salt and pepper to the eggplant.  Toss to coat and then roast until tender and golden, 20-40min.  (Mine were done rather quickly, they may have been on the smaller side)

Meanwhile bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Cook Israeli couscous in salted, boiling water until just tender, a little over 5min.  Drain and then rinse with cold water.

After the couscous and eggplant are cooked, prepare the dressing.  In a medium bowl, add vinegar, 1-2T olive oil, cinnamon and cumin.  Whisk well, then add in onion and season with salt and pepper.  Once cooled to RT, add couscous, eggplant, raisins and cilantro.  Fold together, taste and adjust seasonings.



CSA items used:  4
Pantry items used: 6

I might have a ways to go, but I'm making progress!!

Do you have a tendency to stock up on ingredients you use normally or have a small pantry and have to pick up everything you need each week?