Tomatoes and Couscous en Papillote with Sherry and Cilantro Recipe

How to make it

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• Blanch the fresh tomatoes by immersing them in boiling water 1-2 minutes. Immediately plunge them into cold water. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Cut out and discard the stem ends, and chop them coarsely retaining their juices. Set the tomatoes aside in a bowl. (Alternatively, briefly drain the canned tomatoes, reserving the juice for another use, such as soup stock. Chop the tomatoes to measure 1 1/3 cups and, without draining further, set them aside in a bowl.)
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the sherry, ¼ cup water, garlic, cumin, and chilli powder in a small bowl and set aside.
• Fold each piece of parchment in half and crease to create 8 x 12-inch rectangles. Use scissors to cut each folded rectangle into a large half-heart shape.
• Open out one of the hearts and rub one side of it with ¼ teaspoon of the oil. Place 3 tablespoons of the couscous near the center of the crease on the oiled side of the parchment. Top with 1/3 cup of the chopped tomatoes with juice, then with ¼ cup of the peas. Distribute one-quarter of the cilantro and onions over the top, then pour 2 tablespoons of the sherry mixture over the vegetables and couscous. Close the heart so that the edges of the paper meet. Working carefully to avoid losing any of the liquid, fold over ½ inch of the paper at the round end and press firmly to crease. Work your way around the shape of the heart, folding in the edges and creasing sharply in overlapping pleats. Twist the pointy end tightly to seal everything inside the paper packet. Repeat this process to fill and sear the remaining packets.
• Place the packets in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mintues. Place each packet on a warmed serving plate and instruct your guests to pinch and tear the paper to release the aromatic steam. The contents may then be lifted out onto the plate and the paper removed from the table and discarded
• Each serving provides: 218 calories, 8 g protein, 2g fat, 4g dietary fiber, 42g carbohydrate, 55 mg sodium, 9mg cholesterol
• Source: “The Vegan Gourmet”, Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay