Whole Wheat Pearled Couscous with Artichoke Hearts, Portabello Mushroom and Seitan with Leek (No Added Fat)

A few days ago when shopping, my daughter suggested picking up some whole wheat pearled couscous. I had a portabello mushroom left over from yesterday's Food for Life class (Kickstart Your Health class 2, where I served oatmeal with apple, a chickpea - quinoa salad, and portabello fajitas). Here is the meal that I put together tonight.

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, finely (1/8") dieced
• 1/8 cup onion cut into 1/4" cubes
• Dozen artichoke heart quarters, frozen
• Medium carrot cut into 1/4" slices then quartered
• 2/3 cup whole wheat pearled couscous
• 1 cup water
• 1 vegan bouillon cube
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1T nutritional yeast
• 1t fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup leek, thoroughly washed (washed, cut into quarters, and carefully washed again) and cut into 3/8" cubes (most of the white portion of a medium leek)
• Portabello mushroom cut into 1/2" slices and then halved
• 8 ounces of seitan
• 1/2 t lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 t salt
• (optional) 1t jerk seasoning

Process

1. I put the garlic and onion into a small Saladmaster stock pan and cooked on medium, stirring, for 3-4 minutes till nicely fragrant.
2. I added the artichoke and carrot, and continued to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3-4 minutes.
3. I added the couscous, water, bouillon cube, and salt, and cooked, covered, for about 10 minutes.
4. While the couscous was cooking, I put the leek on a cast iron pan and started cooking over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. I then added the mushroom to the cast iron pan and continued cooking for another 2 minutes.
6. I added the seitan to the cast iron pan and continued to cook, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes.
7. When both dishes were done, I mixed in the garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and fennel seeds to the couscous. 

I served the seitan dish, sprinkling a few drops of lemon juice, a little salt, and, for my wife and me, jerk seasoning on top. I served the couscous as well, plus some thick slices of heirloom tomatoes.

Results

Dinner was very good, though the couscous was underspiced for my wife's taste. My daughter and I quite enjoyed it; I thought that the fennel, almost an afterthought, worked great. We all loved the seitan dish!

Ideas for the future

I should cook with whole wheat pearled couscous much more frequently; I think I have used it just a handful of times. I could make a soup with a rich broth or maybe cook an Italian-inspired dish with marinara sauce and couscous. I wonder what it would be like to mix the couscous with thin brown rice noodles and maybe shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and coconut aminos.

I should also cook with portabellos more often. I wonder what a 0-minute pressure cooked portabello would be like?