Couscous Stuffed Yams

This was a vegetarian meal that even my husband (who eats meat at every single meal) loved!  I personally could eat this every night.  It's filling, full of flavor, and it made me feel like I'd never get sick again because I had so many antioxidants in my body -- which is really exactly what I needed after a [fabulous!] weekend in Vegas :)

I got the idea from Leslie Durso's recipe (via Pinterest), and substituted Israeli couscous for quinoa because that's what I had in the cabinet, and made a couple other adjustments.  (Btw, how cute is Leslie Durso? And an LA girl at that!  Can we be bff's?)  

Here's the adapted recipe if you'd like to try it out!

Couscous Stuffed Yams

2 yams

2 T. butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 package (1 1/2 cups) Israeli couscous

1 3/4 vegetable broth

1 T. cinnamon

2 T. olive oil

2 cups kale, chopped

1/2 cup almond slivers

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Dash of salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

Zest of a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Poke yams all around with a fork, and when the oven is ready, put them in on a piece of foil or a baking sheet and set the timer to 50 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, chop 1/2 yellow onion.  Add the onion to a sauce pan with 2 T. butter and saute over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent.  Add the package of couscous (or 1 1/2 cups) and saute until it starts to turn golden brown.  Then add 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth and 1 T. cinnamon.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover.  Simmer until the liquid is dissolved (around 20 minutes).

While the couscous cooks, heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add in a couple handfuls of chopped kale, 1/2 cup almond slivers, and 1/4 cup dried cranberries.  Saute until the kale wilts.

Add kale mixture to the couscous once it's done, and season with a dash of salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp. cumin.  I also like to add the rind of a lemon for a little freshness.

Take the potatoes out of the oven, split them in half, and pile the couscous on top.  

Enjoy!