Couscous with Cranberries
If you are bored with the same old rice side dish, then you need to try this! It literally takes 30 minutes max to make!
I first had couscous at my husband’s boss’s place for a Christmas dinner years ago. I was always sceptical about buying this to try for myself because I wasn’t sure how it would taste. So I was very glad that his wife decided to make it. After tasting it there, I always have this on hand at my home as a quick-cooking side dish. So thank you, Nicole!
Some of you are probably asking: What is couscous? Well, there are 3 main types of couscous; Moroccan which is the smallest, Israeli, and Lebanese which is the largest. They are all made from semolina and are basically the same constituents of pasta. I usually find the Israeli and Moroccan types in the local grocery. The Israeli couscous is multicoloured, small and pearl-shaped, and the Moroccan type is pre-cooked by steaming and then dried. Oh! and by the way, couscous is not a grain!
For this recipe, I used the whole wheat version of the Moroccan couscous, which I think does not taste any different from the original one. You can use either version, however, the whole wheat version has more fibre in it and thus is slightly better for you, health-wise. You can also replace the carrots and zucchini with whatever vegetables you like! You can use pimentos, bell peppers, corn, anything! If cranberries are not your thing, then go with raisins. I am not a fan of raisins, and I like the sweetness mixed with the tanginess of the cranberries in this recipe. I love serving this with roasted leg of lamb, roasted chicken, baked chicken and anything smoked.
Ingredients
2 cups pre-cooked wholewheat couscous. You can use the original type instead
2 cups boiling water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes OR 2 cups hot chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries plus 1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tabkespoons olive oil
salt to taste
1 medium chive or green onion, sliced
1 medium Trinidad celery/ parsley, chopped
Veges all prepped.
Method
Place the couscous, hot water and bouillon cubes in a large bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. While you wait you can prepare the other ingredients.
Place the chopped cranberries in a small bowl with the 1/2 cup of hot water to rehydrate. Meanwhile place a saucepan with the olive oil on medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until fragrant. Add the carrots , zucchini, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and saute until softened. Allow to cool, slightly.
Strain the cranberries, gently squeeze them to remove any excess water and add them to the couscous. Add the cooked vegetables, black pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir until combined. Finish off by adding your chive and celery, adjust salt and enjoy!
