Tomato couscous with capers

I was going to cook myself something new from my Veganomicon cookbook today, but I only found out the recipe I wanted to make needed beans which have been soaked overnight. I only read this after I had gone out to the shops and bought all of the ingredients. The recipe specifically said that canned beans wouldn't work. 

But not to worry, I will get my hands on some dried beans and you'll be seeing a post for Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms soon enough. I did however, buy the ingredients to make Tomato Couscous with Capers.

I went and bought some wholemeal couscous at the shops. I didn't even know such a couscous existed. So what is couscous you ask? It is tiny granules of durum wheat called semolina. It's generally prepared by steaming and is usually served with vegetables, legumes (especially chick peas) and/or meat. 

Before I went vegan, I changed my diet to include mainly low GI foods. A lengthy explaination of the Glycemic Index will come another day when I have more time (sorry!). What I will say though is that low GI foods are great for sustained energy and to keep you feeling fuller for longer.A lot of the white frefined carbohydrates are very high GI, meaning that they'll raise the blood sugar up high and after a short 1 or 2 hours, you'll "crash" and start feeling hungry again. Another thing I don't like about white carbohydrates is that it doesn't offer much nutritional value.

So why is whole wheat couscous better than normal couscous? Regular couscous is more refined, and so during the refining process, parts of the grain of wheat is removed. Whole wheat couscous is less refined and so some of that nutrient is retained, for example fibre. There is generally more fibre in whole wheat and wholemeal carbohydrates than the white carbohydrate equivalent.

The Tomato Couscous and Capers recipe was super easy and very tasty. It was simple and could easily be paired with a vegetable and legume dish. 

On a side note, I'm really glad that I'm not completely hopeless at cooking. If I were a super bad cook, I don't think I'd be able to maintain a vegan lifestyle. I don't have anyone to cook vegan meals for me and there aren't many vegan restaurants in Australia. So being able to cook is one of the blessings I'm counting for today. 

Take a minute and think of something you're grateful for too :)