Speedy Chickpea Couscous With Pesto Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the chickpeas for the stew: Put chickpeas in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add onion stuck with cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and carrot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for 45 minutes or so, until tender. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and let chickpeas cool in their broth. May be cooked a day or 2 ahead. Alternatively, use 2 cups canned chickpeas.
• Make the couscous: Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add corn kernels and season generously with salt and pepper, then sauté, stirring, for a minute or so. Add couscous, cinnamon, saffron (if using), turmeric and 3 cups water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 minute, stirring. Put the lid on and turn off heat. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes, then fluff. Taste and adjust salt, then keep warm. Or, for lighter, more tender couscous grains, follow step 3 (optional).
• Spread warm couscous on a baking sheet to let cool to room temperature, then rake with fingers to remove clumps. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cold water. Then place couscous in top compartment of a steamer and put water in bottom compartment. To steam, bring water to a boil, then reduce heat but leave at a rapid simmer. Steam for 15 minutes, covered. Keep warm.
• Make the stew: Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until somewhat softened. Add garlic, tomato paste, pimentón, red pepper flakes, cumin and coriander and stir to coat.
• Add sweet peppers, zucchini and tomatoes and season generously with salt. Add cooked chickpeas and 3 cups chickpea cooking liquid or water. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add okra, cover again and cook for 5 minutes more, until all vegetables are soft. Check seasoning of broth and adjust if necessary.
• Meanwhile, make the pesto: Put cilantro, serrano chile, garlic, cumin, olive oil and salt in a food processor and pulse to a rough purée. Transfer to a small serving bowl. To keep green color, add lime juice just before serving.
• To serve, ladle stew (with plenty of broth) into large wide bowls or deep plates. Nestle a large spoonful of couscous on the side. Pass the spicy pesto separately, telling everyone to add pesto to taste.

Steps:

• 1 Pour the broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the couscous, chickpeas, pesto, 2 tablespoons of the basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and let sit until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• 2 Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Fluff with two forks, sprinkle with the remaining 2 table-spoons basil, and serve right away.

Steps:

• Make the pesto:
• Combine the basil, oil, cheese, garlic, and pine nuts in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until a coarse paste forms, adding a tablespoon or two of water or more olive oil, if necessary to get a loose-enough consistency. Set aside 1/3 cup of pesto for this recipe; the remainder can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a week or so, or frozen for several months.
• Soak the chickpeas:
• In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in the water. Add the chickpeas and soak at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse.
• Sauté the onions:
• Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Sauté and adjust to More for high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion pieces separate and soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pressure cook:
• Add the drained chickpeas, carrots, tomatoes with their juice, stock, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid into place. Select Manual; adjust the pressure to High and the time to 10 minutes. After cooking, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid.
• Serve the chickpeas:
• Ladle the chickpeas into bowls and top each with a spoonful of pesto. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.