Pearl Couscous, Butternut Squash and Kale in a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce (Dairy Free )

Hey there everyone…….last night I made up something new for a recipe contest from godairyfree.org 

I had to use one of the So Delicious Products and I choose to use their Unsweetened Coconut Milk

The grand prize winner will get $500 to spend at William Sonoma which is one of my favorite foodie stores!  There are two specific requirements to follow with this submission: 

1.       Must be dairy-free

2.       Must me vegan

So here it is, my Dairy Free Vegan -Pearl Couscous, Butternut Squash and Kale in a Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

I am no stranger to dairy-free cooking due to the fact that my hubby is lactose intolerant. Im Not really sure what chemicals are in the milk these days, so I’m happy to join him in his “dairy-free” journey.  I used Israeli Pearl Couscous which contained no animal products, fresh veggies and finished it off with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce.  Unlike other couscous, pearl couscous has the consistence of pasta. I love pasta, but it’s not the best thing for you.  Israeli Couscous is high in fiber and contains a significant amount of vitamin C. 

Ingredients:

1 box Israeli Pearl Couscous

1 cup butternut squash-I baked my own and cut it up.  It’s much easier to buy it pre-cut and uncooked.

4 large pieces of Kale- make sure you remove the stems

1 small yellow onion

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste

6 larger pieces of jarred roasted red peppers

1/2 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk

Dash of cayenne pepper

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt to taste

Serves 2 to 3

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook time 15

Directions:

I used some already cooked cubed butternut squash I had handy in my freezer.  I would suggest cooking the squash alone a head of time for this recipe and then cut into cubes.  Be careful not to overcook the squash because it will get mushy.  I baked mine at 350 for 15 minutes, let it cool and cut it up.

First, follow the cooking instructions on the box of the couscous.  Drizzle a little olive oil in a small pot, add garlic and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the peppers and cook another 3 minutes.  Transfer to food processor and add in your coconut milk.  Puree until smooth and transfer back to pot, add cayenne, salt and simmer until couscous is done cooking.  At this point we are only about 10 minutes into our couscous cooking, which took about 12 to 15 minutes.  We can now sauté the onion, kale and butternut squash together with a little more olive oil and a pinch of salt.   Cover, and cook over medium low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.  Last step is to plate your food, couscous first, top with squash onions and kale, drizzle with your creamy roasted red pepper sauce.

Enjoy!