Traditional Vegetable Stew For Couscous Food

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the carrots, celery, onion and peppers in oil for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the next five ingredients. , Stir in couscous. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5-8 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

HEARTY VEGETARIAN STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in the hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, squash, beans, tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, cumin, and coriander; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash and potatoes are soft enough to eat, 30 to 50 minutes.
• Ten minutes before the stew is finished cooking, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous; cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, then season with salt and stir in butter.
• Remove stew from the heat and stir in lime zest, 1/2 of the cilantro, and 1/2 of the mint.
• Serve stew next to couscous on a plate with a tablespoon of yogurt. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and mint and serve with a lime wedge.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.
• Add carrots, squash, and onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in garbanzo beans, stewed tomatoes, prunes, cinnamon, salt, crushed red pepper, and 1 and 1/2 cups water.
• Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
• Meanwhile, prepare couscous as label directs, but use vegetable broth in place of the water called for on label.
• Stir cilantro into stew.
• Spoon stew over couscous to serve.

VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook squash and onion with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until browned lightly, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, or until squash is almost tender.
• While squash mixture is cooking, in a small saucepan bring water to a boil. Stir in couscous and let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and salt to taste and keep warm, covered.
• Add mushrooms to squash mixture and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden. In a large measuring cup stir together broth, cider or juice, and flour. Stir broth mixture and raisins into vegetable mixture and simmer over moderate heat until sauce is thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Place mustard greens or chard on top of stew and add salt to taste. Simmer stew, covered, 1 minute, or until greens are wilted.
• Serve stew with couscous.

CHICKEN AND SUMMER VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• For the chicken stew: Put the garlic, carrots, onion, cinnamon, raisins, ginger, cumin, paprika, sugar, turmeric, 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large saucepan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots start to get tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes and zucchini and stir to combine. Return to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the stew is slightly thickened and fragrant and the vegetables are tender enough to cut with the side of a fork, but still hold their shapes, about 15 minutes. (If the vegetables are fork-tender a bit sooner, remove them to a bowl while the liquid reduces then return them to the pot when ready to serve.) Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks.
• For the couscous: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil with the butter and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, cover and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is plump, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
• For the topping: Combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds, pistachios and raisins in a medium bowl.
• To serve, divide the couscous among bowls, top with the stew and sprinkle with the herb topping. Serve with harissa and yogurt on the side.

MOROCCAN CHICKPEA AND VEGETABLE STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.
• Add the zucchini, onion, carrot and garlic.
• Saute 5 minutes.
• (For a time-saver, use the matchstick carrots from the produce department) Stir in the broth, and the next 9 ingredients, and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 8 minutes or until tender.
• Stir occasionally.
• While the stew simmers, bring the 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, stir in couscous, and remove from heat.
• Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Serve stew over couscous.

COOKING COUSCOUS: STEAMING TRADITIONAL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• The grain must cook only in the steam. It must not touch the broth throughout the steaming. The couscoussier, the pot traditionally used, is made of glazed earthenware or tinned copper, and, more recently, of aluminum or stainless steel, and has two parts-the bottom is a large round pot in which the stew is cooked, the top consists of a colander to hold the couscous. If you cannot get an authentic couscoussier, you can improvise with a metal colander with small holes that fits snugly over a large pan. It is important that steam can escape only from the top, so seal the join with a band of wet cloth (it is most effective if the wet cloth is steeped in a flour-and-water paste) or with aluminum foil.
• When the stew in the bottom part of the couscoussier is well on the way (about 1 hour before the end of cooking), start preparing the grain. Wash 3 cups couscous in plenty of water and drain in a sieve. Put in a wide bowl and let the grain absorb the moisture for 10 minutes. Then rub between your hands to break up any lumps and to air the grain. Turn it into the sieve part of the couscoussier, sprinkling the grain lightly in layers and not pressing it down. Do not cover the sieve with a lid. After the couscous begins to give off steam, continue to steam for 15 minutes.
• Now turn the couscous out back into the bowl. Sprinkle 1 cup of cold water mixed with 1 teaspoon salt over the couscous, then turn and rake the grain with a serving spoon, and, when it is cool enough to handle, rub it between the palms of your hands to break up any lumps and separate and air the grains. The water will make the grains swell. Leave the couscous for 10 minutes, then sprinkle on more water (about 1 cup), until it becomes swollen and tender. Return to the top of the couscoussier, and when the steam emerges, let it steam for a further 10 minutes.
• Turn out the couscous again. Rub 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in with your hands, and air the grain again. Steam a third time, for 5 minutes. (This can be done much later, just before serving.)
• Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces.
• The grain can also be steamed over boiling water.