Pasta: Couscous by Recipe Cottage

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	Couscous

		Spread 2 pounds of couscous on a tray and sprinkle with enough water to moisten them. Rake through the couscous with your fingers until all are moistened. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then rake through them again. Continue sprinkling with water and rubbing the pellets between your palms until all are saturated and have doubled in size. Drain 1 cup chick peas that have soaked in water overnight, and simmer them in fresh water for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until they are tender. Drain and setr aside. Cut up a chicken and a lamb shoulder into large pieces. Chop an onion. Peel 4 carrots and 2 turnips and cut them into large chunks. Rinse a bunch of coriander leaves. Fill the bottom section of a couscoussier about halfway with cold water and drop in the prepared meat, vegetables and coriander leaves. Add a pinch each of ground saffron and cinnamon, and stir in a teaspoon or two of harissa sauce. [Harissa sauce -- Soak a few dried hot chilies in cold water for an hour. Split the chilies and remove the stems and seeds. Pound in a mortar with 2 or 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds, a garlic clove and some coarse salt until it forms a paste. Mix in enough olive oil to make the paste fluid. Refrigerate.] Bring the water slowly to a boil; remove any scum from its surface and cook the stew at a bare simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Heap the couscous lightly in the top section of the couscoussier. Set the top section on the lower one and cover the couscoussier with its lid. Raise the heat so the liquid boils and produces steam to cook the couscous. After about 30 minutes, the pellets will lump together. To separate them, lift off the top section, leaving the stew to cook in the bottom. Tip out the couscous onto a tray. Sprinkle cold water over the couscous. Gently rake through pellet with your fingers to break up any lumps. Set aside. Peel and slice 1 pound of pumpkin into chunks. Cook them separately as not to over cook them. Put the pumpkin chunks into a small pan and cover them with liquid ladled from the stew. Set pan aside. Broil 2 red bell peppers until the skins blister. Let cool, covered by a damp cloth, then peel and seed them. Immerse 4 small tomatoes in boiling water; peel halve and seed them. Cut 5 small zucchini into large pieces. Add these vegetables to the stew. Return the couscous to the top section of the couscoussier, replace the top section on the lower one. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the peppers and zucchini are tender and the couscous is soft and fluffy. Meanwhile, simmer the pumpkin gently for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. To serve, pile the couscous on a serving platter, arrange the meat and vegetables on top and around the couscous. Ladle broth over. Serve with the rest of the broth and harissa sauce. Couscous and Ground Turkey (serves 4) 1 lb Grnd Turkey Brown the meat, and add spices to taste dash(es) of ground allspice dash(es) of ground cinnamon 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped carrots, sliced lenghtwise, and ~3 in long green onions Steam the veggies, then saute briefly in asparagus butter and oil butter olive oil 5+ C prepared couscous Double Mustard Sauce * I made this by making up a thick white sauce, replacing about 1/2 the milk with a grey mustard, and adding mustard powder to taste. I then adjusted the thickness with milk. I found the timing worked best if I started the couscous and sauce ahead of time, then did the meat and veggies almost simulatneously, since they both go fairly quickly. Serve by putting a bed of couscous on the plate, pour a line of sauce down the center, and meat over the sauce. The veggies go on either side of the plate. I think I ended up using between one and two cups of couscous (cooked) per serving. Depends on how hungry you are I guess. Chicken in Broth with Couscous and Vegetables 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed to white center or 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 3 cups chicken stock 2 small onions, thinly sliced 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced 1 large garlic clove, minced 4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned and cut into 1-in pieces 16 4-inch asparagus spears 2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 tablespoons unsalted butter salt and freshely ground pepper 1/4 cup quick-cooking couscous, cooked according to package directions 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves Mince lemongrass in processor. Wrap in cheesecloth. Combine stock, lemongrass, onions, chilies and garlic in 2 1/2-quart squcepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove lemongrass. Add chicken and asparagus and cook until chicken is tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes. Whisk in butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Divide couscous among shallow soup bowls, mounding in center. Arrange asparagus spears around couscous. Ladle chicken, vegetables and broth over. Top with cilantro and serve. COUSCOUS STUFFING WITH GOLDEN RAISINS and PISTACHIOS 2 c finely chopped onion 1/2 c finely chopped carrot 1/2 c finely chopped celery 1 large minced garlic clove 1/4 c + 2 T olive oil 2/3 c finely chopped red bell pepper 1/3 c finely chopped pistachios 1/2 c golden raisins 3 T finely chopped parsley leaves 1/4 t cinnamon 1 t cumin 1 1/2 t ground coriander seed 1/4 t dried thyme 1/3 c thinly sliced scallion 2 1/4 c water 1 2/3c (10 oz box) couscous If baking the stuffing separately: 1/4 c chicken broth 2 T unsalted butter Cook onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in 1/4 of oil over moderately low heat until veggies are soft. Add bell peper and cook 3 more minutes. Add pistachios, raisins, parsley, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, thyme, scallion. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir for another minute, then put in a large bowl. Combine water and remaining olive oil, add salt to taste. Bring to boil. Stir in couscous and let stand covered for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork. Add to veggie mixture, salt and pepper it, and combine everything GENTLY. Let cool, then stuff 12-14 lb turkey. If baking separately, put stuffing into buttered 3-4 qt casserole, drizzle with broth, dot top with butter. Bakd in middle of 325 degree oven for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered. Couscous 1 lb Ground turkey 2-3 med -small carrots asparagas butter or olive oil cinnamon ground allspice 4-6 cups cooked couscous 1 C. double mustard sauce Sorry, but a lot of this is very approximate. Brown the turkey, drain, add spices to taste and mix, simmer 2-3 min. For me "to taste" is uasually about 1/8th tsp. allspice, 1/4-1/3 tsp cinnamon. Cut the veggies into ~3" pieces, slice the carrots into 1/4s length wise. Steam the veggies, then saute briefly in olive oil or butter. Double mustard Sauce: A standard thick white sauce, with 1/2 the normal amount of milk replaced the same amount of grey mustard, plus about 1 Tbs. mustard powder (adjusted to taste, of course.) This makes 4 servings. Spread cous cous (1 to 1 1/2 C) on a plate, dribble mustard sauce in a think line down the center. put the ground turkey over that. Veggies go on either side of the plate, and your ready to eat. Couscous salad Cook the couscous as directed. baby yellow squash, sliced thinly green pepper, finely chopped tiny bits of broccoli green onion, sliced carrots, sliced Add them all together. Dressing: 2 TBS olive oil 3 TBS white wine vinegar sugar to taste (I use about a tablespoon) cardomom, ground (1 tsp) coriander, ground (1 tsp) curry, 1 tsp This mixed together and allowed to sit for a few hours to absorb the various flavors, is a wonderful side dish. I am very liberal with the spices and don't stick to this recipe. CASABLANCA COUSCOUS 1 c. couscous 1 c. sliced carrots 1.5 c. water 1 c. sliced celery 1.5 lb. tofu;, cubed 1 can chickpeas 1 can tomato sauce 1/2 c. raisins 1 onion, chopped 2 tsp. curry powder 1 c. sliced mushrooms 1/4 tsp.cayenne 1/2 c. chopped walnut 1 tsp. ea. paprika, salt Vegetable mixture: In large pan, brown tofu, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, nuts in 3 T. oil. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, cover andsimmer for 40 minutes. Couscous: Boil 1.5 c. water with 2 T. oil. Pour over couscous, stir, cover, let stand for 5 min. or until water is absorbed. Serve vegetables over steaming couscous. Couscous 1 box couscous 2 cups chicken broth, canned or fresh 2 small zucchini/courgettes handful of cherry tomatoes garlic olive oil 1 can minestrone soup Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan. Add the couscous, stir. Cover. Turn off heat. Saute garlic in olive oil in a frying pan. Add zucchini/courgette,saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sliced tomatoes. Blend. Add minestrone, heat through. Place couscous in a bowl, add vegetables. Add left over meat, if desired (leftover buffalo chicken wings, sliced, is especially good. Enjoy.