Best Spiced Couscous Recipes

GRILLED HALLOUMI WITH SPICED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Firstly, put the kettle on then cut broccoli into florets and thickly slice stalk. Pour boiling water into a steamer, steam broccoli for 6 mins, add the peas and steam for 2 mins more.
• Meanwhile, mix the couscous with the spices in a bowl, pour over the hot stock, then cover and leave to stand for 5 mins.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan or griddle pan. Cut halloumi into 6-8 slices and cook quickly on each side for 2 mins until lightly tinged brown.
• Mix vegetables and tomatoes into couscous, fork in the lemon juice, oil and coriander. Pile onto plates and top with halloumi.

COUSCOUS WITH SPICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• To prepare the almonds, heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat until it is melted and bubbling. Add the almonds, cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, and salt. Saute until the almonds start to brown and the spices smell very fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
• To prepare the couscous, heat the stock in a saucepan over high heat until boiling, then season with salt and pepper. Place the couscous in a large bowl, pour the hot stock over the couscous, and cover with foil. Let stand until the stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop the cooled almonds. When the couscous has absorbed the stock, fluff with a fork, add the almonds, and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPICED LAMB CHOPS ON SAUTEED PEPPERS AND ONIONS WITH GARLIC AND MINT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Cover the chops with waxed paper or plastic and whack each chop with the heel of your palm to flatten it out. Season chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Combine cumin, coriander and paprika and sprinkle the mixture evenly over chops. Pat the spices in place and wash up. Let chops stand 15 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add peppers and onions. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and cook together 5 minutes, then add grape tomatoes and continue to cook until skins begin to burst on tomatoes. Add half the flat-leaf parsley to the skillet and toss. Transfer vegetables to a platter and cover with loose foil to hold heat.
• Place a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a small pot for couscous, just eyeball the amount. Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. Saute garlic 1 minute then add the pine nuts to toast a little. Add chicken stock to the pot and bring it up to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat, and cover the pot. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Return skillet to stove and add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add lamb chops to skillet and sear 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, cook 4 minutes on each side for medium well chops. Place chops on top of the peppers and onions.
• Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in mint and the remaining parsley. Pass couscous at the table. It makes a nice bed for the veggies and lamb to catch all the juices.

SPICED COUSCOUS WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups hot water and raisins in small bowl. Soak raisins until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain water into large saucepan; reserve raisins. Add 2 tablespoons butter, wine, and saffron to pan; bring to boil. Stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion; cover and cook until translucent and tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix onion, reserved raisins, almonds, and cinnamon into couscous. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

SPICED SEARED EGGPLANT WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Heat a heavy pot (2 to 3 quarts) with a tight-fitting lid over medium until hot but not smoking. Add couscous and toast, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer toasted couscous to a bowl.
• Add oil to pot and raise heat to medium-high. When it shimmers, add eggplant, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and golden and the eggplant is browned and slightly shrunken, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant.
• Add tomato paste and the prepared spice mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in toasted couscous, tomato and 1 1/2 cups water, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, 8 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest 2 minutes. Uncover, stir in paprika and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately and dollop with yogurt, if desired.

SPICED COUSCOUS WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups hot water and raisins in small bowl. Soak raisins until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain water into large saucepan; reserve raisins. Add 2 tablespoons butter, wine, and saffron to pan; bring to boil. Stir in couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion; cover and cook until translucent and tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Mix onion, reserved raisins, almonds, and cinnamon into couscous. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

SPICED COUSCOUS AND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the ginger, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the carrots and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the carrots, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Put the couscous and chicken in a medium bowl; pour 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid on top. Stir, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, raisins, scallions and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the nuts are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.
• Divide the couscous and chicken among bowls. Top with the carrots and more of the cooking liquid. Sprinkle with the almond mixture and more cilantro. Top with yogurt and/or harissa.
• Per serving: Calories 441; Fat 20 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 91 mg; Sodium 853 mg; Carbohydrate 42 g; Fiber 8 g; Protein 28 g

GRILLED MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH COUSCOUS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In small bowl, place couscous; set aside.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat broth, butter, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the turmeric to boiling.
• Pour hot broth over couscous, stir well and cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes to allow liquid to be absorbed. Uncover and fluff couscous with fork. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, cranberries, pine nuts and pepper sauce; set aside.
• Meanwhile, place 1 chicken breast on work surface. Notice it has a thick end and a thin end. To create a pocket for the stuffing, insert long, thin knife (a boning knife is ideal) into middle of thick end, parallel to work surface. Slide knife in until it reaches middle of chicken. Move knife up and down within the chicken to form a pocket. You want to have a smaller opening where knife entered the chicken and a larger pocket within the chicken to stuff with couscous mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
• Spray grill rack with cooking spray or brush with oil. Heat coals or gas grill for medium heat. (Check the temperature of the coals by placing your hand, palm side down, near but not touching the cooking grill rack. If you can keep your hand there for two seconds [one-thousand one, one-thousand two], the temperature is high; three seconds is medium-high; four seconds is medium; five seconds is low.)
• Use one hand to hold chicken with thick end up. With other hand, stuff 1/4 cup of the couscous into pocket. Repeat with remaining chicken. Brush chicken with oil.
• In small bowl, mix 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and the pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over chicken breasts.
• Grill chicken covered 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest part is cut (170°F) and stuffing is hot. To serve, slice each breast and layer on plate so stuffing is visible.

MOROCCAN-SPICED PORK CHOPS AND FRUITY COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine harissa, cumin, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a resealable plastic bag. (Use a non-metal container if you prefer.) Add chops to bag, seal and shake until well-coated. Marinate the meat for 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chops until cooked through, about eight minutes per side.
• Bring broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, turmeric and couscous. Turn heat down to lowest possible setting, cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Fluff couscous and mix in the apricots and cilantro.
• Serve chops on top of the couscous.
• Cooking time includes the time to marinade the meat.

SKILLET PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SPICED CARROTS AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Mix together the pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix all over the pork tenderloin.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the pork tenderloin down the center of the skillet. Cook the pork, flipping occasionally and keeping it in the center of the skillet, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
• While the pork cooks, toss together the ginger, carrots, lemons, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to one side of the pork tenderloin in the skillet and then add the carrot mixture, spreading it out in an even layer. (Leave the other side of the pork empty.) Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook until the carrots are bright orange and just start to become tender, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the couscous, apricots and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Add the couscous mixture and 1 1/2 cups water to the empty side of the skillet. Pile the spinach on top of the carrots, cover the skillet and cook until the couscous is fluffy and tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork has reached about 150 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Remove the pork to a cutting board and slice. Serve with the carrots and couscous.

COUSCOUS WITH SPICED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Bring broth with 1/4 teaspoon salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over couscous in a bowl and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then stir in coriander, chili powder, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Gently stir zucchini mixture into couscous and cool to warm or room temperature. Just before serving, stir in mint and lemon juice.

MOROCCAN-SPICED PORK CHOPS & FRUITY COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, hot pepper sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a resealable plastic bag. Add pork loin chops to the bag; seal and shake until well-coated. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated pork loin chops and cook until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous, dried apricots, green onions, turmeric, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Turn heat to low; cover and let simmer until liquid has been absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in cilantro.

SPICED HERB & ALMOND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat some oil in a roasting tray and then add the onions and fry for about 5 mins until just softened. While you're frying, add the saffron strands to the stock if using, so the flavour and colour infuses. (If you are making the Fragrant chicken too (see 'Goes well with') use the same pan to add flavour to this dish and leave the juices in there, but you can tip out some of the chicken fat if you like).
• Tip the chilli into the tray, fry for 1 min more, then take off the heat. Add the couscous and stock, then cover with cling film for 10 mins. Once the couscous has absorbed all the stock, quickly chop the coriander (if you chop it too soon it will start to wilt), then fork it through the couscous with the almonds, dates and lemon juice and serve straight away. To serve cold, leave to cool, then add the chopped coriander just before eating.

SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and spices and cook until the cinnamon stick unfurls and the tomatoes are cooked down, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, chickpeas, broth, lemon zest, and raisins and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the squash is fork tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season, to taste.
• Meanwhile, make the couscous. Bring the broth to a boil with the salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, pull the saucepan off the heat, cover, and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is plump, about 5 minutes.
• Fluff the couscous with a fork and mound it in 4 soup bowls. Spoon some butternut squash stew over each portion, top with almonds, and serve.

MOROCCAN-SPICED COUSCOUS WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ras el hanout and toast, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and remove from the heat. Let sit until the couscous is tender, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and heavy cream in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Whisk 1 tablespoon lime juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; add the cilantro and cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the yogurt and remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lime juice in a separate bowl; season with salt.
• Fluff the couscous with a fork and return to medium heat. Add the egg mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula, bringing the eggs and couscous from the sides to the center of the skillet. Cook, stirring, until no longer wet and the egg starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the couscous and eggs among shallow bowls. Drizzle with the yogurt and top with the cucumber salad.

SPICED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Toast and chop cashews or pistachios.
• Melt 1/4 c butter in medium saucepan over low heat.
• Add spices and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add stock and currants.
• Can be prepared 4 hours ahead, bring to boil.
• Mix in couscous and 2 tbsps.
• butter.
• Cover and remove from heat.
• Let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff with fork; season with salt.
• Transfer couscous to bowl, add nuts and toss well.

SPICED PORK CHOP WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium; add garlic, and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add couscous and raisins; cook, stirring, until couscous is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, season pork with paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. In a small nonstick skillet, heat remaining teaspoon oil over medium-low. Cook pork until browned and interior is opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
• Remove couscous from heat; stir in broccoli, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; let stand, covered, until broccoli is warmed through, 2 minutes. Serve pork with couscous.

SPICED LAMB KEBABS WITH PEA & HERB COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Soak 6 wooden skewers in water for 30 mins (this prevents them burning when cooking on the griddle or barbecue). Put the lamb cubes in a large bowl with the spices and olive oil. Toss everything together well and season.
• Thread a piece of lamb onto a skewer, followed by a cherry tomato. Repeat, adding about 4 pieces of lamb and 4 cherry tomatoes to each skewer, until all are used up.
• Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large bowl, pour over the hot vegetable stock and add the peas. Stir, then cover with cling film and leave to soak, about 5 mins.
• Heat a griddle pan. When all the liquid has soaked into the couscous, gently fluff up the grains using a fork, and stir in the carrot, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix everything together well, season and set aside.
• Place the skewers on the hot griddle pan and cook for 5-6 mins, then turn and cook for a further 5-6 mins until the meat and tomatoes are charred and cooked through. Serve the skewers with the couscous.

SPICED COUSCOUS WITH SHRIMP AND CHERMOULA

Steps:

• For the Spice Blend, mix all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.
• For the Chermoula, place cilantro, garlic and lemon juice in blender container; cover. Blend until almost smooth. Gradually add oil with machine running. Blend until smooth. Mix in 1 1/4 teaspoons of the Spice Blend. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• For the Couscous, bring water to boil in small saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients and another 1 1/4 teaspoons of the Spice Blend. Cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
• For the Shrimp, toss shrimp with remaining Spice Blend in medium bowl until evenly coated. Heat oil in medium skillet on high heat. Add shrimp; cook 1 minute per side or just until shrimp turn pink.
• To serve, spoon Chermoula into serving bowl. Top with couscous and shrimp. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

MOROCCAN SPICED COUSCOUS WITH FRUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F/200C/400°F Put the couscous in an ovenproof dish. Mix the stock, saffron, apricots, dates and raisins in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot stock and fruit over the couscous. Add just enough boiling water to cover the grains, but do not flood them. Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Fluff up the couscous with a fork and season it with salt, pepper and chili powder to taste. Drizzle the lemon or olive oil and lemon juice over and add the chickpeas. Mix the ingredients well, then cover the dish.
• Bake the couscous for 15 minutes. Fluff up the grains, stir in the mint and coriander and return the couscous to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, dry fry the almonds in a heavy based frying pan over a moderate heat, turning or stirring frequently for 5 minutes until they are golden. Scatter almonds over the couscous and serve immediately.