Buttered Couscous With Pomegranate And Almonds Recipes

JEWELED COUSCOUS RECIPE WITH POMEGRANATE AND LENTILS

Steps:

• Wash the lentils under cold running water. Drain.
• Place the lentils in a saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils cook through (they should absorb all the water). Add a pinch of salt and remove from heat.
• While the lentils are cooking, make the couscous. In a saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Remove from heat then stir in couscous, turmeric, pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Cover and let sit 5 minutes to finish cooking. Fluff with a fork and give it a try. If needed, stir in just a little more boiled vegetable broth.
• In a large cast iron skillet like this one, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 4 minutes on high, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to gain color. Reduce heat to medium-high, and stir the onions and garlic and cook a couple more minutes.
• In the same skillet, add in the cooked lentils and couscous. Add salt, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, coriander, and black pepper. Mix the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice with 1 tbsp olive oil, and add the liquid to the skillet with the couscous and lentil mixture. Toss to combine. Cook on medium, stirring regularly until warmed through.
• Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. You can transfer to a larger mixing bowl, and using a large wooden spoon, mix to combine. Transfer the couscous to a serving platter and garnish with more pomegranate seeds and nuts.

COUSCOUS WITH POMEGRANATE, MINT AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, fresh mint, fennel, pine nuts and za'atar if available. Add couscous and gently incorporate dressing and couscous with a fork. Add pomegranate seeds and again gently fold through but this time with a spoon. Allow salad to remain at room temperature for a half an hour so that flavors can blossom

BUTTERED COUSCOUS WITH POMEGRANATE AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Halve the pomegranates and pick out the seeds. Divide the couscous between two large mixing bowls and pour 570ml (1 pint) boiling water into each one. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and add the almonds. Cook them until they are golden, stirring now and then. This will only take a few minutes. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quite easily.
• Season the cousous and fluff with a fork. Divide the buttery almonds, pomegranate seeds and herbs between the bowls of couscous and stir.

YVONNE MAFFEI'S ROAST CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS, DATES AND BUTTERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof dish or pot with a tight lid, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, the ginger, the pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and rub it around in the mixture until evenly coated. Turn chicken breast side down and roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine couscous, 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 5 to 15 minutes to soak.
• In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add almonds and cook, stirring constantly, just until toasted and golden; adjust heat so almonds and butter do not scorch. Turn off heat and stir in dates.
• Add almond-date mixture to couscous, along with any butter left in pan, and mix, fluffing the grains with a fork. Mix in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the sugar, the cinnamon and the orange blossom water (if using).
• Drizzle or paint honey over top of chicken (leave chicken breast-side down in pot). Add couscous mixture to the pot, arranging it around the chicken. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and return to the oven for 30 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken and carve into serving pieces. Stir and fluff couscous, scraping up any chicken skin stuck to bottom of pan, and place chicken pieces back on top of couscous. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve immediately.

POMEGRANATE CHICKEN WITH ALMOND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Boil the kettle and heat the oil in a large frying pan. Put the couscous in a bowl with some seasoning and crumble in half the stock cube. Add the onion to the pan and fry for a few mins to soften. Pour boiling water over the couscous to just cover, then cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside.
• Push the onion to one side of the pan, add the chicken fillets and brown on all sides. Stir in the tagine paste or harissa and the pomegranate juice, then crumble in the rest of the stock cube and season well. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the pomegranate seeds, saving a few to scatter over before serving.
• After 5 mins, fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir through the almonds and mint. Serve the chicken on the couscous with the sauce spooned over.

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.

BUTTERY COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Soak the couscous in the warm water with the salt for 10-15 mins, until it's been absorbed. Gently break up the grains with a fork and add sunflower oil. Rub the oil into the grains to break them up. Aerate by lifting them up in your fingers and letting them fall.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the couscous into an ovenproof dish and dot with little bits of butter. Soak a piece of greaseproof paper in water and squeeze out the excess before laying it over the top of the couscous. Place in the oven for 15-20 mins.