What are your feelings about meatless meals?

I love them. In fact, some of my favorites {see Lauren’s Summer Favourite and Avocado Pasta} contain no meat at all. Give me a plate of veggies and grains over a slab of pork any day.

However, I live with a carnivore. While he has adjusted to only having meat with his dinner a few times a week, I am careful, when planning a meatless meal, to make sure that what I’m making will have the same staying power as meat.

While deceptively light, this incredibly versatile Greek CousCous packs a punch with its feta and walnuts in terms of staying power, and it’s a great week night meal because you can knock it out in less than 20 minutes. It’s also yummy cold, so it can be perfect for lunch the next day. If you absolutely must have meat, I bet it would be absolutely delicious with a side of lamb!

Greek CousCous with Zucchini

{adapted for two from The Fit Cook}

The Veg
1 tsp olive oil
½ of a zucchini, sliced and quartered
½ tsp cumin

The Grain
½ cup boiling water
½ cup cous cous
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
black pepper
2 tsp olive oil

The Goodies
¼ cup freshly shelled walnuts, chopped
2 ounces {50 grams} feta cheese, cubed
1/2 of a lemon

Heat the olive oil in small skillet. While that’s heating up, slice and quarter your zucchini. When the pan is nice and hot, throw the zucchini in there, sprinkle some cumin over it, and give it a stir.

Boil your jug {or for us Americans, bring your water to a boil in a small pot}. In a small pot, combine cous cous, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Make sure the olive oil it mixed in well and add your boiling water. {If you’re boiling your water in said pot, then mix your cous cous and spices in a separate bowl and add it to the boiling water. OR you could go buy a jug. Trust me—they make like so much easier!} Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Give the zucchini another stir and then get to cracking your walnuts. {insert “that’s what she said” joke here} By the time you get finished shelling the nuts, the cous cous should be finished. Take a fork and fluff the cous cous.

The zucchini will need about 10 minutes to get appropriately soft. When it’s finished, add it, the walnuts, and feta to the cous cous and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on the top. Toss well and serve it up!