Red Miso Braised Butternut Squash Over Cauliflower Couscous

This might be one of my favourite dishes of all time. A touch of heat, hearty enough to feel good in your stomach without being so heavy that you wish you hadn't eaten the whole plate. Topped with cilantro, green onion, and Fuji apple, the flavours all come together in a beautiful harmony that leaves you wishing there were leftovers somewhere in the house.
I originally got the idea from Food52 with their recipe for red cooked butternut squash. Have I mentioned that I love Food52? Because they have some awesome stuff going on over there. I love a food community, where everyone works together to share and create awesome things.
Anyway, I made two separate batches of the braising sauce and then, when everything was pretty well done, I combined them, added some flour and thickened it up before warming the chicken back up in the sauce. It goes so nicely with everything that I wanted to eat it all day. Rich threw it all down like food was going out of style. Needless to say, it was a success.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 red chiles, hot ones
1 tsp red miso paste
Butternut squash rounds, from the neck of 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
Boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bitesize pieces
1 tbsp flour
sesame seeds, scallions, cilantro, and Fuji apple for garnish

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, place garlic, broth, sesame oil and chile. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for three minutes.
Add squash and miso Bring to a boil and simmer until tender (between 20-30 minutes).
Do the same process for chicken, using a separate supply of sauce.
When chicken and butternut squash are cooked, set aside. Combine sauces, increase heat, and add flour, whisking constantly until thickened. Add chicken and squash and warm in sauce.

Meanwhile, prepare cauliflower couscous by processing 2 cups of florets in food processor until it resembles rice. Add cauliflower to heat wok with small amount of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, red chili flakes, and cumin, to taste. Warm through.
Serve chicken and butternut squash over couscous. Add garnish.

It's a little technical as far as a dish goes, but it's totally worth the time it takes to make this magic happen. And you should make it happen.