Couscous with Eggplant-Harissa Sauce

(This is Anita, switching with Ari this week for Rosh Hashanah)

I know what you jerks are thinking, so I’m just going to come out and say it:  it looks like someone left a tiny little misdeed on top of my pile of couscous.

It’s supposed to be the sauce.  When picking a picture for this post, I frantically tried to find one that did not incorporate this terrible addition.  Somewhere between denial and grief, I decided to embrace the inevitable.  This is Part 1 in a series all about the opposite of food.

Should you be unfortunate enough to end up in the hospital as an inpatient, be prepared to talk about your movements.  All the time.  Doctors, nurses, and medical students will obsess over it and want to know about its frequency, color, size, and consistency. They’ll mark the time with a triumphant “1” in the electronic medical record.  They’ll point it out to each other on x-ray films of the intestines and nod academically.  They may even need to take a look at it once in a while.  Think of it like reading tea leaves.

Every morning when I check in on patients, I ask about movements as if I’m asking about the weather forecast.  And in a way, it is a forecast–angry or immobile bowels can portend undesirable events.  In 3.5 months it’s become almost natural for me to inquire.  So next time you meet me, you’ll have to wonder if I’m asking about your day but really, deep down, reflecting on your flux.

Ingredients

All joking aside, this recipe is pretty good.  The meat of the eggplant becomes part of the sauce, hand-in-hand with my favorite tomato paste, Harissa.

• 1 eggplant, split in half and rubbed with olive oil
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup broth or water
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 can harissa
• a little milk
• salt to taste

Heat the oven to 375 and place the eggplant halves face down on some foil on a cookie sheet.  Cook for 30-40 minutes until the eggplant meat is soft and the body is looking charred.  Take out the halves and cut a bowl out of the eggplant halves with a knife.  Scoop the meat into a food processor, and blend with the harissa.  Add some salt to taste, and some milk for a thinner consistency.  Heat the broth in a small pot over medium-high flame.  As soon as it comes to a boil, turn off the heat, add the couscous, stir, and cover for 5 minutes.  Uncover and fluff with a fork, stir in the pepper, then toss with the sauce.  Serve warm in the eggplant bowls.

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