couscous with brown butter garlic toast

Still going on the same groceries, folks! I'm impressed with what we've come up with really... Somehow we've eaten at home every meal since we started this thing and we're beyond pleased with what we've come up with! (if you're behind, we've been doing a little series of "what we bought, what we made" to help show you what, how much and how to be creative with your weekly, monthly, bi-weekly, whatever grocery shop to make your food stretch!) So to continue...

You'll Need:

• chicken stock (we already had that from the last time we bought a chicken)
• cous cous
• garlic
• a lemon
• butter
• olive oil
• haricot verts or green beans
• corn
• onion
• salt
• pepper
• fresh herbs of your choice, i used oregano and sage
• fresh hummus
• sourdough, country Italian or whole wheat toast

Warm up your frozen chicken stock in your stock pot... (or just heat up the stuff you bought)

Once it's warmed up and actual liquid, start to season it a bit with salt and pepper. Slice up half or all of your onion, depending on size, in small, skinny bits. Toss those in and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Add in your minced or sliced garlic. You can use fresh corn or canned, but if you use the canned, go ahead and pour in that juice with it as well. (old habits die hard... my mom still used to open a can of peas and corn for tuna salad and drink the juice right out) In your honor, momma! ;) Then cut up your beans in nice small bits, toss those in and add your fresh herbs. Let it simmer.

yes, this would make a beautiful soup if you wanted to just leave it as such.

Once it's boiling, add in your couscous and cook according to instruction time. You're cooking it in broth instead of just plain water. WAY better. (not giving you measurements because i don't know how many you're cooking for. So just keep in mind that couscous is dense and puffs up) Remember: couscous requires regular stirring. Keep watch of it and stir every 5 minutes or so.

As it finishes cooking, stir in just a smidge of butter and season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and let it thicken a little while you make the brown butter garlic toast. I like it soupy, but if you don't, just strain it! (but don't strain it, it's really great soupy) ;)

Now toss some butter into a good pan and start to let it get melty. Then toss in some serious amount of minced garlic. When you're browning butter, you want to constantly be moving it with a spoon. Lift the pan, pooling the butter to one spot and spoon it around so as to not burn the butter and to keep the garlic from sticking.

yeah, I used that entire clove of garlic for one piece of toast.

When it starts to get bubbly and gorgeous like that, it's just starting to brown underneath so really keep the spooning happening. Once it browns, quickly remove the pan from heat, let the butter and garlic fill the entire bottom of the pan and put your toast in. Press it to really get it all in there! Then turn your heat back on low and let the toast get browned and a little toasty.

that's butter is beautiful, isn't it?

Then flip it and do the same to the other side.

At this point, I couldn't handle how amazing this SMELLED (can you only imagine?) and looked so I broke a piece off before adding it with my couscous. :) It was so worth it.

Now all you've gotta do is dish out your couscous, top with a healthy portion of hummus and fresh lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pair it with that delicious, golden toast!

I hope you enjoy this, I know it's a little oddball but it's really delicious! And feel free to play around with it a little! Add in chicken, serve it as a bed under some freshly grilled lemony salmon, whatever! And by all means, make that brown butter toast whenever toast is called for!

Lots of love you guys... are you enjoying this little series?

xox