Couscous With Spiced Chickpeas And Figs Food

COUSCOUS WITH SPICED RED SAUCE, CHICKPEAS, AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Place couscous in a small bowl. Cover with 1 cup boiling water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let couscous sit 10 minutes to soften. Fluff with a fork, and set aside.
• Heat sauce, cinnamon, and cumin in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chickpeas, raisins, and almonds, and heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve couscous topped with sauce, and garnish with parsley, if using.

COUSCOUS WITH CHICKPEAS, SPINACH AND MINT

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes, and stir in a generous pinch of salt, the garlic and the spices. Stir together for about half a minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and add the drained chickpeas, 2 quarts water and the bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add the tomato paste, the harissa and salt to taste. Bring back to a simmer and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, until the chickpeas are tender. Remove 1 cup of the broth to flavor the couscous.
• Reconstituting and steaming the couscous: In a large microwave-safe bowl combine the couscous and salt to taste. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the couscous and add the cup of broth you removed from the stew. Stir well, or moisten your fingers and rub the couscous with them to evenly distribute the oil and broth. Add enough water to cover by 1/2 inch and let sit for 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir every 5 minutes with a wooden spoon or rub the couscous between your moistened thumbs and fingers, so that the couscous doesn't lump. The couscous will now be fairly soft; fluff it with a fork or with your hands. The traditional way to finish reconstituting the couscous is to place it above the simmering stew for 45 minutes. I find, however, that steaming it in a microwave results in perfectly fluffy couscous. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic and pierce the plastic with the tip of a paring knife. Heat at 100 percent power for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave carefully and allow to sit for 1 minute. Carefully remove the plastic and fluff with forks or a spoon. Cover again with plastic and microwave for 2 to 3 more minutes. Be very careful when you remove the plastic as the couscous will be steamy. You can reconstitute the couscous a day ahead and reheat in the microwave shortly before serving.
• Shortly before serving, stir in the spinach and the mint. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. The stew should be spicy and flavorful. Serve the couscous in wide bowls or mound onto plates and top with the stew. Pass more harissa at the table.

CHICKPEA COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine chickpeas, raisins, oil, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, and cover pot; remove from heat. Set aside (5 minutes). Fluff couscous gently with a fork before serving.

CURRIED COUSCOUS WITH SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sun-dried tomato, dill, and garlic; cook and stir until onions start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, increase heat to medium high, and cook until spinach begins to wilt, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Pour in sherry and cook until most liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cayenne pepper, chickpeas, and 1 cup of the vegetable broth; cook for about 5 minutes. Add remaining broth and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in couscous, and cover until couscous absorbs all the liquid, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.

PEARL COUSCOUS WITH CREAMY FETA AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-inch baking dish, cake pan or gratin dish, toss together tomatoes, scallions, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and oregano sprigs. Roast until tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• While tomatoes roast, heat the stock until it boils, then stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt, adding more to taste. (You want a well-seasoned broth here to flavor the couscous.) Stir in cilantro, lemon zest and cumin.
• Remove tomatoes from oven and fold in couscous, chickpeas and hot stock mixture. Cover pan tightly with foil, and return to oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove foil and fold in about 3/4ths of the feta (save the rest for garnish) and Parmesan. Bake uncovered until feta starts to melt, another 5 minutes.
• To serve, pull out and discard herb sprigs if you like, and spoon couscous into bowls. Top with remaining feta, lots more herbs, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

COUSCOUS WITH SPICED CHICKPEAS AND FIGS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, spice mix and some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft.
• Stir in chickpeas, tomato and stock. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the zucchini, beans and figs and cook for a further 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over 2 cups boiling water.
• Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel. Set aside for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.
• Divide couscous and vegetables among plates, garnish with coriander then serve with harissa, if desired.
• For Moroccan spice mix, these are sold commercially or you can mix your own with the above ingredients.

SWEET COUSCOUS WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Warm the milk with the butter, figs, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form at the rim and it just begins to approach a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove form the heat. Let the couscous stand for about five minutes. Spoon into bowls and pass additional sugar at the table, along with milk if you wish.

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS WITH CHICKPEAS & PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• For the broth, bring the stock to a simmer in a large pan. Add the harissa and vegetables, bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins. Add the figs and continue to cook for 5 mins more until the veg is tender.
• Meanwhile, put the couscous and half the chickpeas into a bowl, add the butter, and season. Pour 350ml boiling water over the couscous, cover with cling film, leave aside for 10 mins, then fluff up with a fork.
• In a separate bowl, combine the red onion, spring onions, harissa, olive oil, remaining chickpeas, lemon juice and coriander, then mix into the couscous. Pile onto a large deep serving dish, ladle over the braised vegetables and broth, and sprinkle with the preserved lemons and chopped mint.

COUSCOUS & ROASTED SPICED CHICKPEAS & PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Combine first seven ingredients (1 tablespoon oil) and mix thoroughly.
• Place on parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes shaking pan as needed till crispy.
• Combine the couscous of your choice as directed on the package.
• Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, mint, and shake well.
• Add arugula or spinach to the hot couscous.
• Mix the vinaigrette with the couscous mixture.
• Divide among bowls,.
• Sprinkle on the chick peas over top and also the pine nuts.
• Enjoy!

SPICY COUSCOUS AND CHICKPEA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook couscous in water with 1/4 teaspoon salt as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix Chickpeas, tomatoes, soybeans and cilantro. In small bowl, mix dressing ingredients until well blended.
• Add cooked couscous to salad; mix well. Pour dressing over salad; stir gently to mix. Spoon salad mixture into halved bell peppers. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.