African Red Beans & Couscous Serves 4
If you've always thought beans were boring, try this extraordinary recipe flavored with almonds. The beans are served over couscous, a grain popular in Northern Africa.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours

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 potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup almonds
1  1/2 cups soymilk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste

Couscous:

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

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

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. 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.

Recipe excerpted with permission from Shoshoni Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes from the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat (The Book Publishing Co.) by Anne Saks and Faith Stone.