Grilled Vegetables and Chickpeas with Couscous

This recipe has it all - a serving of veggies, protein from the chickpeas, and whole grain from the couscous - which also has a good amount of protein - for a complete one-dish meal.

Cut one zucchini (about 8 ounces) and one yellow squash (about 6 ounces) lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips. Quarter one small red bell pepper and one small green bell pepper. Slice one small, peeled onion into 1/2-inch thick slices (about half a cup).

Grill the vegetables either on a regular grill or a grill pan over medium-heat coated with cooking spray, for three minutes on each side until browned (work in batches if your grill pan is small). Let the vegetables cool, then chop into bite size pieces and transfer to a large bowl.

Bring one cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 3/4 cup uncooked couscous, 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (such as the one from Whole Foods' 365 brand), 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. cumin and a dash of cinnamon. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Add the couscous to the chopped vegetables, along with 3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, a tablespoon of olive oil and one 15-ounce can of chickpeas (drained). Stir to combine.

Place 1 and 3/4 cups of the couscous mixture on each of four plates. Top each serving with a tablespoon of crumbled vegan feta (such as the one from Sunergia). Each serving is 330 calories.

Cost:
yellow squash $0.87
green bell pepper $0.37
onion $0.24
couscous $5.99
cherry tomatoes $2.99
chickpeas $1.50
'feta' $3.69

Also, please note that I've added a new feature to my blog - some links along the sidebar to a collection of other vegan sites! Some are activist sites, some good spots to go for shoes, handbags, cosmetics etc. A special shout out to my friend Grace, who does awesome work with ROAR (Reaching Out for Animal Rights). Please visit the website soon!