Sirloin Skewers with Grilled Vegetable Couscous and Fiery Pepper Sauce

According to Cooking Light: "A spicy North African-style pepper sauce amps up the flavor in these beef kebabs. Prepare the sauce up to one day ahead."  We made quinoa instead of couscous but followed the rest of the recipe posted here.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 skewers, about 1 1/3 cups couscous mixture, and about 1/4 cup sauce)

Total: 1 Hour, 11 Minutes 

Ingredients:

Pepper sauce:

• 4 red bell peppers 
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

Couscous:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups uncooked couscous
• 8 ounces eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 
• 8 ounces squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 
• 8 ounces zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 
• 4 green onions, trimmed
• Cooking spray

Skewers:

• 1 1/2 pounds top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare pepper sauce, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag, and fold to close tightly. Let stand for 20 minutes. Peel. Place peppers and the next 8 ingredients (through red pepper) in a blender, and process until smooth.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
4. To prepare couscous, combine 1 cup water, broth, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork; discard bay leaf.
5. Arrange eggplant and the next 3 ingredients (though green onions) on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until vegetables are tender and well marked. Remove from heat; coarsely chop vegetables. Combine 1/2 cup pepper sauce, couscous, and chopped vegetables in a large bowl; toss gently. Keep warm.
6. To prepare skewers, thread beef onto 12 (7-inch) skewers. Lightly coat beef with cooking spray, and sprinkle with black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning once. Serve with couscous mixture and remaining sauce.

Nutritional Information:

• Calories: 526
• Fat: 15.4g
• Saturated fat: 3.3g
• Monounsaturated fat: 9.3g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g
• Protein: 36.7g
• Carbohydrate: 58.5g
• Fiber: 8.2g
• Cholesterol: 49mg
• Iron: 3.7mg
• Sodium: 461mg
• Calcium: 75mg