Carmelized Onion & Artichoke Yellow Quiche in Cous Cous Crust

I was stewing over how to use this massive amount of  leftover Couscous, and found a couple different recipes that looked interesting, then I added some a bunch of vegetables I had in the fridge, and WOW - this was a PHENOMENAL dish!   The saffron gives the Couscous a nice yellow color and aroma, and I love the sweetness of the carmelized onions mixed with the tart artichokes, beautiful yellow tomatoes (you could use red tomatoes too) and mix of pungent cheeses. Try it, it's wonderful!

Our family eats completely meat-free at least two days per week, and this will be a new regular for us on our vegetarian (ovo-vegetarian, if you want to get specific) days.  We ate ours fresh out of the oven with steamed vegetables, but you could also let it cool and serve it for brunch or as a side to a big salad. 

2 cups leftover Couscous (I prepared mine in vegetable stock)
1 tsp. ground saffron (optional, this just adds color and aroma to your crust)
1 TBS. lemon juice
1 TBS. butter
1 lg. thinly sliced sweet onion
1 TBS. finely minced garlic
1 TBS. olive oil
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped artichoke (I used it from a can of artichokes in water NOT oil)
1/4 c. chopped mushrooms
1 TBS. Dijon mustard
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 oz. shredded Swiss
1/4 cup Mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan (divided)
several thin slices of yellow on-vine tomato
1 TBS. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Mix 1 tbsp butter and lemon juice with leftover Couscous, add saffron and mix well.

2. Dump the couscous into a buttered 8" pie plate. Press it down and up the sides of the dish.

3. Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil, sprinkle with sugar and continue to saute until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.

4. Spoon onions and garlic into the couscous crust.  Top with artichokes and mushrooms.

5. Mix together the milk, eggs, Dijon, Swiss cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Pour over the pie.

6. Top with tomato slices, then sprinkle tomatoes with a bit of salt & pepper (optional) remaining Parmesan, Mozzarella and cilantro. Bake at 350F for 45 -50 minutes, or until set and the edges have started to brown.