African Red Beans & Couscous

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried red beans
• 6 cups water
• 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (or white potato)
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• black pepper

Couscous

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups whole wheat couscous
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. 1

   Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse beans well. Place beans in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot with 6 cups water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender. Add more water during cooking if necessary, using just enough to make a gravylike sauce.

2. 2

   In a medium skillet, sauté onions, celery and potatoes in olive oil 15 minutes until potatoes are almost soft. Set aside.

3. 3

   Puree almonds and soymilk in a blender until smooth. Add sautéed vegetables, almond milk, salt, cayenne and black pepper to cooked beans and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. 4

   While beans simmer, bring 4 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous, 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt. Cover saucepan, remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.