earth week: meatless monday

round 2 of the bauer meatless monday adventure included "chicken" pitas and moroccan couscous.
there's a restaurant in athens that i'm obsessed with - salaam - and they have the best couscous ever (and their food is pretty awesome, too). but, since beau isn't as adventurous with his food choices as i am (although he's gotten a lot better over the past six years), he had no idea what couscous was. this recipe turned out pretty delish. it reminded me of salaam's version...just not as good. [warning: this couscous recipe makes a TON].
to go with the couscous, i made "chicken" pitas with homemade tzatziki sauce. but, since it was meatless monday, i clearly didn't use chicken. instead, i used smart tenders - savory chick'n. it's a meat substitute (veggie protein tenders is what is on the front of the box) that, if seasoned right, tastes very similar to the real thing. in fact, i bet if it wasn't meatless monday beau wouldn't have been able to tell the difference ;) i found these amazing wraps to use in place of big, bulky pitas too (and they're only 100 calories!)

so, enjoy:

moroccan couscous

1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
salt/pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup raisins

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drain

1 (10oz) box couscous, cooked (i used instant couscous)
2 (8oz) cans mandarin orange segments (drain syrup)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

in a large sauce pan, heat spices over medium-low heat until warmed and fragrant. add the oil, pepper, zucchinis, and salt/pepper and saute for about five minutes. 

add veggie broth, orange juice, raisins and beans and bring to a boil. once boiling, remove from heat and add cooked couscous. mix together and let sit for five minutes. then, fold in orange segments, parsley and mint. 

we ate this warm, but salaam serves theirs cold. it's good either way :)

"chicken" pita with tzatziki sauce

1-2 boxes smart tenders - savory chick'n, cooked

whatever veggie toppings you want - i used red pepper, romaine lettuce and tomatoes

pita shells or flat out wraps

tzatziki sauce (recipe here)

1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles


cook smart tenders according to package directions (skillet method is preferred). remove tenders from skillet and pat dry with a paper towel. spread tzatziki sauce on one side of pita/wrap. lay lettuce, tomatoes, pepper and feta cheese crumbles on the other side. place tenders on top of veggies and cheese and fold together. super easy, right? and super yum :)