Starting Out: Roasted Ambercup Squash and Couscous

I am a 24 year old teacher living in an expensive city. I just moved out of my family home so I am suddenly much more broke, and paying for food on my own. I am also a foodie with expensive tastes, so I need to figure out a way to keep eating delicious and fresh meals without breaking the bank!

Tonight's meal:
Roasted Ambercup Squash and Garlic, Parsley and Corn Couscous

Ingredients:
Couscous:
1 cup cooked Whole Wheat Couscous- Free! (leftovers from dinner at my parents', but it's cheap)
1 tbsp of chopped parsley- a few cents, let's say 7
1 tbsp olive oil- 12 cents
3 cloves of chopped garlic- $1 for the whole head, so about 15 cents
1 small diced onion- 35 cents
1 corn cob- 50 cents
Salt & pepper

1. Mix couscous with parsley.

2. Boil a pan of water, add corn and cook on each side for 45 seconds until yellow and shiny.

 3. Take out the corn and then remove corn by slicing with knife down cob, add to couscous.

 4. Put oil in sauté pan and cook garlic and onion until shiny and a bit caramelized.

5. Add garlic and onion to couscous, then salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Ambercup Squash:

2 1/2 pounds Ambercup Squash- $2.45 at the Farmers' Market

2 tbsp olive oil- 24 cents

Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375. 

2. Clean outside of squash very well. Slice in half along stem line (I recommend a big knife), then scoop out guts and seeds.

3. Slice into half moons about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place in a bowl with oil and salt and pepper.

4. Place pieces on baking sheet in single layer, and bake for about 15 minutes or until browned and soft and then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes.

The Ambercup Squash is meaty and delicious, it has a fantastic texture and it's my favorite color flesh of any squash right now. The couscous is textured and sweetened by the corn. They are so great together!

Total price: $4.51 for 3 meals! That's $1.50 a dinner. :D And I have lunch tomorrow! Win.







BONUS SNACK:
My squash had a bunch of seeds in it, so I decided to make sweet roasted squash seeds to go on my yogurt for breakfast. All ingredients were scavenged from my kitchen's communal shelf.
3/4 cup of seeds (washed of all squash bits)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat on low until every seed is coated in honey spiced goodness.

3. Transfer to baking pan, and put in oven for 15 minutes.

4. Serve on yogurt for breakfast!