Apricot Couscous Recipes

APRICOT-CRANBERRY ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add Israeli couscous and stir occasionally until lightly browned and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over couscous and add orange juice. Stir in apricots, dried cranberries, and ginger. Bring back to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, 10 to 11 minutes. Fluff with a fork, garnish with chopped mint, and serve.

CURRIED APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter. Stir in the broth, apricots and curry powder. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. , Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan add 1 TBL extra-virgin olive oil, when it is hot add the red onion, almonds and apricots and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant.
• Add the couscous then dump in the warm chicken broth. Stir with a fork to combine. Add lemon zest and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork again.
• Coarsely chop the green onions, mint and cilantro; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium-size baking dish, stir together couscous and apricots. Mix boiling water and salt in a measuring cup. Pour over couscous, and immediately cover the dish with foil. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove foil, and fluff couscous with a fork. If you need to keep it warm, place couscous in a low oven until ready to serve.

BRICK CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Toast cumin, coriander and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant. In a clean spice grinder or coffee grinder, blend spices until fine. Add the toasted spices to a bowl with paprika and cayenne. Season with kosher salt. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice.
• Prepare chicken by splitting it down the back and removing the backbone, breast bone and rib cage. Lay the chicken out flat and rub the blended spices all over. Marinate for up to 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet (or other heavy oven-proof pan) over medium-high heat. When hot, add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil and place the chicken skin side down in the pan. Cover it with a second cast iron pan (you could also use a more traditional foil-wrapped brick) immediately so the skin doesn't have time to contract. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken is golden brown and has a nice crust. Finish cooking in the oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes. Internal temperature between the leg and thigh should register 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, when cooked through. Serve with Mint Yogurt Dressing and Apricot Couscous.
• While chicken is cooking, combine yogurt, cilantro, mint, green onions, honey, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a blender. Blend until mixture is fully combined and has a smooth consistency.
• In a medium saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red onion, apricots and almonds and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant. Add the couscous then dump in the warm chicken broth. Stir with a fork to combine, add lemon zest and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, then uncover and add the scallions, mint, and cilantro. Fluff again with a fork. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• Serve family-style on a large platter and garnish with fresh cilantro.

COUSCOUS WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the hot stock over it and stir to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Add the apricots, scallions, and orange juice; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Garnish with chopped parsley.

PORK WITH CUCUMBER & APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the coriander in a small bowl with the garlic, sumac, oil and 2 tbsp water, then blitz using a hand blender until smooth. Rub a quarter of it all over the pork, then put the pork on a large baking tray and sprinkle over the paprika.
• For the couscous, rub a drop of oil over the red onions and aubergine, then scatter around the pork. (If your tray isn't large enough, use two.) Roast for 25 mins. Check the pork and if it isn't cooked but the vegetables are, take the vegetables out of the oven and cook the pork for another 10-15 mins until the juices run clear.
• Meanwhile, cook the couscous following pack instructions, then drain and tip into a bowl with the remaining garlicky herb mixture. Add the spring onions, cucumber, lemon zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil and mint. Quarter and stone the apricots. If ripe, add the apricots to the salad bowl, but if a little firm, add them to the tray in the oven first to cook for 10 mins until softened.
• Set the pork aside to rest. Add the roasted red onions, aubergine, apricots and almonds to the couscous and toss everything together. Slice the pork, serve half with half the couscous, and chill the rest for another day to eat cold. Will keep chilled for two to three days.

GOLDEN COUSCOUS WITH APRICOTS & CRISPY ONIONS

Steps:

• Boil a kettle. Tip the couscous into a large bowl, crumble in the stock cube, then add the turmeric, cinnamon and apricots, and season well. Pour over 500ml boiling water, give everything a quick stir, then cover with cling film and leave for 5 mins.
• Put half the sliced onions in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and the sugar, pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave to steep for 10 mins. (This will remove some of the onions' acidity and turn them a beautiful bright pink colour.)
• Heat enough oil to come about 5cm up the side of a deep saucepan. Once hot, fry the remaining onions in batches for 1-2 mins until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
• Use a fork to fluff up the couscous. Drain the steeped onions and stir through the couscous with the lemon zest and juice, olive oil and herbs. Tip onto a serving platter or bowl and scatter with the crispy onions and mint leaves.