Cheat's Easy Spiced Couscous With Fruit and Nuts - in a Jar! |
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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A Brilliant and easy accompaniment to a Fragrant Tagine, Stew or Curry. It's a cheat's recipe as you can pre-mix all the dry ingredients together & store in a jar ready for use at the drop of a hat. Just add hot water or hot stock and voila, a wonderful fruity, spiced couscous! It can be used cold for picnic & buffet salads - cold cuts of meat, such as diced cooked chicken breast can be added too. Also a great veggie main course - just add chargrilled vegetables and mix through - serve with flatbreads, pitta bread & harissa dressing for an extra kick! Ingredients:
250 g couscous |
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or 4 ounces melted butter |
4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix or 1 teaspoon ground cumin |
1 teaspoon ground coriander, cilantro |
1 teaspoon ground paprika |
1 teaspoon ground turmeric |
1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted under a grill |
6 -8 soft dried apricots, chopped finely |
2 tablespoons golden sultana raisins |
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes |
1 tablespoon garlic granules, not salt |
300 ml hot vegetable stock, made with salt free cube if possible such as marigold swiss vegetable |
1 ounce butter (to garnish) |
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, cilantro |
Directions:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. (The amounts can be doubled or even quadrupled for long term storage of up to 6 -9 months.).
3. When you are ready to prepare the couscous, measure out the correct serving of dry ingredients into a large bowl, preferably the one you will be serving it from. The dry & wet combination is given above in the ingredients.
4. Add the olive oil or butter & mix thoroughly.
5. Add the boiling stock and mix thoroughly - place a clean tea towel over the top of the bowl and leave for 5 minutes.
6. Fluff up the couscous after 5 minutes & add more liquid if needed.
7. Add a knob of butter or a teaspoon of live oil - mix & sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander - cilantro before serving.
8. You could also add more nuts or fruit as a garnish if you wish.
9. This is a basic recipe - all kinds of dried fruit and nuts can be used such as: almonds, cashew nuts, dried cherries or cranberries, dried banana or coconut. It will depend on what you will be serving it with!
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