Well it’s almost October and it’s time to gear up for colder weather and warmer food! This stew is perfect for the time of year since it’s hearty, spicy, and a perfect belly warmer. The stew is seasoned with coriander, turmeric, cumin, fresh thyme, fenugreek and cinnamon which makes a lovely blend of spices. I used Israeli couscous for this dish and it has a pretty great texture. It almost reminds me of a smaller, savory version of those tapioca balls in bubble tea. The lamb I chose was ground lamb which breaks apart in tender pieces. If desired the lamb can be rolled into meatballs as well. Preserved lemons also add a bit of savory sweetness that enhances the flavor of the lamb and curry. The nice thing about this dish is that it is filling but doesn’t sit too heavy either. This stew goes great with a generous spoon of plain yogurt, chopped cilantro and lemon for garnish.
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Couscous
Moroccan Couscous with Figs, Dates, and Apricots
Couscous is a tasty dish that is a great accompaniment to proteins like lamb, chicken, and beef. What makes couscous great is its versatility. You can pretty much add anything to it and make it your own. Couscous is great spicy or sweet but I prefer a little bit of both to give it a good balance. This recipe is sweet from the fruit and has just the right amount of heat that comes from the aromatic spices. This may not be quite traditional, but I like couscous to be a little more saucy and not so dry. It all depends on how much liquid goes into the pot so reducing the amount of beef stock by 1/2 cup would do the trick. Since couscous only takes a few minutes to cook, I steamed the dried fruit separately to soften before I added it to the couscous.
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Curried Orange Couscous
I had some leftover Moroccan chicken and I wanted to make something different than the roasted potatoes or the Moroccan couscous that I have made before. I decided to go with a fruity, sweet couscous and it ended up tasting great with the chicken. The orange juice and the clove/cinnamon spices in the garam masala were also good together.
Couscous can be pretty plain if you don’t salt it or add enough honey and spices. What I’ve found is that a boring recipe can be made better by adding more fat, salt, or sweetness. Aren’t those the three reasons why anything ever tastes good? So, if you find the recipe needing something more, add one of those three and you won’t go wrong.
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Moroccan Couscous
I never really liked couscous as a kid. It always tasted really bland and just didn’t look as appetizing as rice or pasta. This couscous, however, tasted great and was super easy to make. It was spicy and sweet and made a good side for the Moroccan tagine I made today.
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