For Rosh Hashanah this year, I will be featuring simanim in each of my recipes in order to achieve added blessing. Each dish allows the simanim to really shine and be the star of the given dish.
List of Simanim:
Beets
Apples in honey
Carrots
Dates
Black eyed peas
Gourds
Fish Head
Leeks
Pomegranate
I absolutely love this Roasted Beet Pearl Couscous I came up with for Rosh Hashanah. It has a very warm essence to it from the cumin and cinnamon that are in the dressing. It has a freshness from the orange zest and scallions and it’s perfect for fall with the addition of sweet potatoes.
I think my favorite part of this Roasted Beet Pearl Couscous is that the beets transform the color of the pearl couscous, making them look like tiny little pomegranates-perfect for Rosh Hashanah! This dish also features beets, which is one of the simanim we eat on this special holiday.
- 2 medium beets
- Oil
- 1 sweet potato, cut into 1 inch dice
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 6oz box pearled couscous, cooked and still warm
- 3 bunches scallions, sliced
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- For the Dressing
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wash each beet, scrubbing them well. Cut off the tips of the ends. Place each beet in a separate piece of foil and drizzle them with 1 teaspoon oil. Wrap and bake on a baking sheet for 60 minutes or until beets can easily be pierced with a knife.
- Place the sweet potato on a baking sheet and toss together with 2 tablespoons oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at the same time as the beets for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a knife.
- Once the sweet potatoes are ready, cool, and cut any large pieces into ½ inch in size. Set aside.
- When the beets are ready, set aside, unwrap and let cool slightly.
- Once the beets are cool enough to handle, but are still warm, peel off the skin with a knife and cut them into ½ inch dice. Mix into the cooked couscous. Let sit for a few minutes and then mix again. Continue this process until the beets have completely colored the couscous.
- Add the scallions, chickpeas, cranberries and sweet potatoes to the couscous.
- To prepare the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until combined.
- Pour the dressing over the couscous and serve warm or at room temperature.
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