Moroccan Couscous Recipe

With vibrant flavours, aromatic spices, and crunchy textures, Middle Eastern influences on food can be seen around the globe. This week, our handcrafted lamb koftas are on offer. These free-range and expertly-seasoned kebabs can be grilled, baked, or pan-fried, and are absolutely bursting with the flavours of garlic, cumin, coriander, and parsley, inspired by the traditional flavours of this much-loved meat. For a perfectly on-theme side dish, look no further than Morocco’s national dish: Couscous. A staple in North-African and Middle-Eastern cooking, couscous is great for summery salads, providing a blank canvas for strong flavours and dressings. Combining crunchy and colourful veg with pomegranate seeds and dried apricots, this recipe delivers sweet-and-savoury freshness which is perfect for sharing.

INGREDIENTS

210g butternut squash (bitesize cubes)

2 small red onions (cut into quarters)

1 medium red bell pepper (seeds and pith removed then cut into small bitesize pieces)

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 medium courgette (bitesize pieces)

7 or 8 dried apricots (roughly chopped)

250g couscous

300ml vegetable stock

1 lemon, (zest and juice)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

400g/ drained weight 240g of cooked chickpeas

salt and pepper to season

1 small handful of flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

⅓ cup blanched flaked almonds 

METHOD

1.     Preheat the oven to 200C.

2.     Add the butternut squash, red onions and pepper to a large baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over 1 and a half tablespoons of olive oil.

3.     Toss the vegetables then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

4.     After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven then add the courgette. Toss all the vegetables together then return the tray to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and slightly charred on the edges.

5.     While the veggies are roasting, make the couscous.

6.     Add the couscous to a large bowl, pour in the vegetable stock, stir, then cover the bowl with cling film or something similar. Leave for 10 minutes

7.     While the couscous is doing its magic and the veggies are roasting, make the dressing.

8.     Add all the spices, lemon zest and lemon juice to a bowl, whisk in the ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Set aside until you are ready to use it.

9.     When the couscous is ready, use a fork and scrape the couscous to loosen it up. It should be nice and fluffy.

10.  Now add the chickpeas and the dressing to the couscous, stir well.

11.  Add the veggies and the chopped apricots and stir again.

12.  Finally, add the herbs and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13.  Serve with blanched almond and pomegranate.

Recipe originally found at: https://www.thelastfoodblog.com/moroccan-couscous-recipe/#recipe