Recipe: Roasted Harissa Veg Couscous Salad

What to do with 1 zucchini, 1 crook-neck yellow squash, 1 eggplant and 1 small pepper when it feels fall-ish outside?

Predictably, my mind immediately went to roasted vegetables. But, um, that's kinda boring, ya know? Not when you roast them with red onions and harissa! Harissa is a North African spice blend that includes chili peppers and garlic along with cumin, coriander and some other spices. It gives the vegetables a smoky, almost BBQ-like flavor.

Ingredients:
1 zucchini, cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 yellow squash, cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 eggplant, cubed into bite-sized pieces
1 small green peppers, cubed
1 red onion, in big pieces

olive oil
3 Tbsp harissa spice blend

1 box Israeli couscous (mine is from Trader Joe's)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*F.
   
2. Toss the vegetables in olive oil and harissa until thoroughly combined. Spread out on sheet pan(s).
   
3. Roast for 20 minutes, stir & rotate pans, and roast for another 20 minutes.
4. Optional: When the vegetables are done, turn off the oven & let the vegetables sit inside for a little bit of time (I let mine sit for hours.). This kind of dehydrates the vegetables a bit and concentrates their carmelized flavor.
   
5. Meanwhile, cook couscous according to the directions on the box.
6. When the couscous is done, toss everything to combine.
7. Eat with roasted meats or alone as a warm salad.