Quinoa-Couscous "risotto"

Mikekey's Note:

This has the creamy texture of risotto without the constant stirring. Use only ISRAELI couscous, which is larger than regular couscous. (Can usually be found in ethnic section of grocery store)

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped (with some of the green part)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup israeli couscous
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 1/8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup slivered almond, toasted
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in high-sided skillet (with lid) over medium-high heat. Sauté red onion for 2 minutes. Add garlic and green onion and continue sautéing for 1 minute.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients (except almonds, salt and pepper).
3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove lid and stir in almonds. Mixture should be "creamy". Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve.

Reviews

[Chicagoland Chef du Jour]

This was my first time using both Israeli couscous and Quinoa. I rinsed and toasted the Quinoa using Quinoa-Toasted. I really loved the textures. I did not care for the sweet flavor of the orange juice. Adding salt at the end help to balance the flavors. I will make this again but will use less OJ and more chicken stock to give it a more savory taste. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

[Happy Harry #2]

Oh Boy, was this gooood! I just love quinoa and keep coming up with different ways to use it. And.....this was different in the most delightful way. I had bought a bag of Israeli couscous a while back and everything else was already in my home. I did change things up just a bit, used 3 cloves of roasted garlic, homemade vegetable broth, 1/2 tsp gr. cumin and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. My quinoa was already toasted and I tosated the almonds and couscous together. I also had a half of red sweet pepper to use up and diced that in also. It was a big hit, even with the meat "only" eaters in the house.

[Boomette]

It was my first time trying quinoa. I really liked it. I used 1 red onion and no green onion. I had regular couscous and it worked also. I used unsweetened orange juice. And at the end, I decided to omit the almonds. It's yummy like that. I love the taste of it. Thanks Mikekey. Made for Gimme 5 tag game