Couscous with Apricots & Pine Nuts
Did you know that couscous isn’t a grain? It’s a pasta! It is just the perfect canvas that you can almost add anything to it. In this recipe, we are cooking it by leaving it out in a baking dish and then covering it with boiling water and plastic wrap. This seals in the steam, which cooks the couscous into little soft puffs of goodness. Apricots, golden raisins, and toasted pine nuts add color, crunch, and sweetness, providing a nice contrast to the spiciness of the meat and the tanginess of the sauce. You can add different dried fruits and nuts, or make a couscous salad and add one of my favorite cheeses: feta cheese. Another great idea is to add leftover cooked veggies and meat to the couscous. Couscous is so versatile that it can be an elegant side or elevated to a hearty main dish
Ingredients
- 3 cups Couscous
- 4½ cups Boiling Water
- ½ cup Golden Raisins
- 1 cup Dried Apricots cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup Pine Nuts toasted
- *2 T Flat Parsley chopped
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- In a large 9×11 baking dish, spread out the couscous into a thin layer. Pour the boiling water on top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the raisins, apricots, pine nuts, and parsley. Toss together.
- Remove the plastic wrap. Fluff the couscous with a fork, and then gently stir in the raisin mixture. Season with salt & pepper.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
– To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully, they burn very quickly! Once cooled, the roasted nuts can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks. – There are so many combinations of dried fruits and nuts to add to create multiple spins on this dish. I love adding figs, dates, currents, almonds, and hazelnuts, too. – You can add a drizzle of olive oil to add a yummy richness to the dish. – It’s a great way to “clean out” the fridge. Use all of your left over bits of veggies, meats, and cheese and add them to the cooked couscous. – It’s also fantastic as a salad. Just toss it with a nice vinaigrette!
– To roast nuts: preheat oven 350º F. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully, they burn very quickly! Once cooled, the roasted nuts can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks. – There are so many combinations of dried fruits and nuts to add to create multiple spins on this dish. I love adding figs, dates, currents, almonds, and hazelnuts, too. – You can add a drizzle of olive oil to add a yummy richness to the dish. – It’s a great way to “clean out” the fridge. Use all of your left over bits of veggies, meats, and cheese and add them to the cooked couscous. – It’s also fantastic as a salad. Just toss it with a nice vinaigrette!