Cheesy Zucchini and Couscous Cake

This is a neat and different way to cook couscous. I am trying to explore all the grains out there, and couscous is one of the easiest and fastest to cook. I enjoy couscous, though its not my favorite. The benefits are the quick cooking time, and the taste is very mild, so it can be used with a lot of different recipes.

You can use a variety of vegetables in this dish. I used zucchini because thats what I had on hand, but you could use leeks, caramelized onions, butternut squash, the varieties are endless. I love when I find recipes that are easy to tweak.
This time around I wasn't thrilled with the outcome. It was good, but not great and thats what Im looking for. I want to crave a dish, and I think with a few tweaks it could be much better. I am posting what I made, but I want to make this dish again to see it I can improve it. Next time I will try using a little bit of vegetable broth to give the couscous some flavor. Also I want to cook the vegetables in garlic to give them a bit more flavor as well. Feel free to try this dish and let me know what you would change! Fun Times!

What the couscous cake looks like before you flip it:

After you flip it, slightly overcooked, but not by much. You want it a bit crispy:

Cheesy Zucchini and Couscous Cake

The Goods: Serves 4

11 oz/1 1/3 cups of couscous

3-4 small zucchinis, sliced lengthwise and then thinly sliced

1 cup good cheddar cheese grated

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

3 tbsp olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste

1 teaspoon pepper, more to taste

The Deal:

1. Place couscous in large heatproof bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in 9 inch frying pan. Add zucchini and cook over medium heat until soft and lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes.

3. Remove zucchini with a slotted spoon and stir them into couscous. Add the grated cheddar cheese and salt and pepper and stir well. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and pour couscous mixure. Pat down firmly to form a cake and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until bottom is crisp and golden brown.

4. Remove pan from heat and slide out the cake onto a place, then invert it back into the pan and cook on other side. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Once ready remove from heat, slide onto cutting board and cut into wedges. Top with parmesan cheese, and additional salt and pepper if desired.

This recipe is based off a recipe I found in the Three Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White.