Couscous With Dried Apricots, Currants, and Pistachios
photo by I'mPat
- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Serves:
-
16
ingredients
- 4 1⁄2 cups water
- 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cinnamon sticks, halved
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 1⁄2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 cup chopped dried apricot
- two 10-ounce boxes couscous (about 3 1/4 cups)
- 3⁄4 cup dried currant
- 1 cup shelled natural pistachios, toasted lightly, cooled, and chopped coarse
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
directions
- In each of two 3-quart saucepans bring half of water, oil, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and apricots to a boil. Stir 1 box couscous into each pan and let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to 2 shallow baking pans to cool as quickly as possible. Cool couscous completely and with your fingers break up any large lumps. Couscous may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring couscous to room temperature before proceeding.
- Fluff couscous with fork again and stir in currants, pistachios, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.
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Reviews
-
I scaled for 4 serves and used 3/4 cups couscous to 1 cup water and left all other ingredients the same but found myself without cinnamon sticks so used 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and also used sultanas in place of the currants which all worked well for us and was thoroughly enjoyed, thank you CaliforniaJan, made for ZAAR Stars.
-
Enjoying this for lunch this week. Love the pistachios, apricots, and mint in this! I felt that the cumin was a bit strong and the cinnamon not strong enough, so next time I will play around with it and probably use ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks. Also, I would cook the couscous in chicken broth instead of water to up the flavor even more. Thanks for sharing! Made for ZWT6.
see 2 more reviews
Tweaks
-
I scaled for 4 serves and used 3/4 cups couscous to 1 cup water and left all other ingredients the same but found myself without cinnamon sticks so used 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and also used sultanas in place of the currants which all worked well for us and was thoroughly enjoyed, thank you CaliforniaJan, made for ZAAR Stars.
-
Enjoying this for lunch this week. Love the pistachios, apricots, and mint in this! I felt that the cumin was a bit strong and the cinnamon not strong enough, so next time I will play around with it and probably use ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks. Also, I would cook the couscous in chicken broth instead of water to up the flavor even more. Thanks for sharing! Made for ZWT6.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am a native Californian, born in the Los
Angeles area, college in far northern California and now living in southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area.
I love kids and animals. I am an active volunteer at my two teenage daughters' high school as well as a Girl Scout leader. We have two guinea pigs, one Dalmatian, one cockatiel, and one quarter-horse to keep us busy. I had a career as a marketing writer before I became a full-time mom and volunteer, but I still write all the time as well as participate in a monthly book club.
I stay active and have Jazzercized for over 25 years on a regular basis. I also am trying to do some yoga now and ride horses for fun.
I have loved getting involved in the RecipeZaar games and learning how to post the photos. I am currently playing on the Zaar World Tour and it is lots of fun!
Have been a sports fan since childhood and definitely have enjoyed getting to know about hockey since we have a very successful NHL franchise in our area: Go Sharks!
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