Pomegranate Mint Couscous

I know, I know... this is already (!) a bit of a divergence from my vegetable side dish fest. But I swear to you there is a reason! You see, winter is also pomegranate season, and despite the massive amount of work required and propensity to staining your favorite sweater (or your sister's... sorry Elizabeth!) I just love them. There is nothing like that sweet-tart, surprising burst of flavor when you bite into those tiny, gloriously red seeds. And pomegranates are super good for you, full of anti-oxidants. So you're getting healthier just by eating them (I make this argument to defend my red wine habit too, in case you are wondering).

Here is a wonderful, festively colored pasta side dish that is simple to make and can be prepared ahead of time. Serve it warm or cold, it is fabulous either way. I served it for dinner with a simple pan seared steak and caramelized shallots, but it was equally delicious on its own the next day for lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous, cooked and fluffed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 2 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

Dress couscous with olive oil and lemon, stir well. Add all remaining ingredients, stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Maple Cayenne Glazed Carrots

Poor carrots, often written off  as unwelcome at the dinner table due to their prevalence in sub-par steamed vegetable mixes. Their only other appearances are as a part of veggie trays served up with ranch dip. Ish. We can do so much better!

Here is a spin on the classic sweet glazed carrots that Christopher and I put together for Thanksgiving dinner this year. We were craving sweet and spicy, and this delivers.

Ingredients:

2 pounds carrots, sliced in rounds

2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

-In a large, heavy pan, sauté the carrots in the butter over medium high heat until they begin to soften.

-Add maple syrup and cayenne pepper, maintaining the heat. Watch the carrots carefully at this step, as you want to remove them from the heat just as they begin to caramelize, before the sugar has a chance to burn.

Side Dish Fest!

Help lovely readers!

Sorry I've taken such a long break from sharing new recipes. Life and the holidays got a *little* bit crazy there! But the break has provided me with some inspiration for a series of posts on side dishes. I realized at Thanksgiving this year just how routine some of our side dishes have gotten. Even the so-called "new" versions are things that we painstakingly re-create year after year. This year was the year we broke the mold, and the fabulous new dishes served with alongside our holiday turkey called attention to how predictable our holiday cuisine had gotten.

Not that there is anything wrong with predictable mind you. This Minnesota girl loves mashed potatoes as much as any midwesterner, and to serve turkey without them is definitely sacrilegious. But what about options? And more importantly, what about vegetables? It's fall, and we're coming off of all of the beautiful summer produce that has been at our fingertips for so many months. Garden season is over, the farmer's market is closed for the season, and the mass-market produce available at the local mega grocery is just too lackluster in comparison to get excited about, right? Wrong!

There are so many cold weather options that are still there, and bursting with flavor. Sure peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers taste like cardboard versions of themselves. But check out the squashes, carrots, brussels sprouts, winter greens, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and vaguely alien kohlrabi. For the next several posts I'm going to focus on sides that liven up your table, and feature some of these excellent seasonal options.