Mintea Couscous (Vegan)

I found this recipe on the inside cover of a box of Morrocan Mint Tea from the Numi company. The other day I made up a small batch of this: Saffron Salt and it worked well in the recipe. Moroccan Mint is spearmint, by the way. Skip the butter (which is one of only a few minor changes) to keep this vegan.

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 -3  moroccan  mint tea bags (I used two but I'm confident that 3 would not overpower the dish)
• 1⁄2 cup boiling water
• 2  tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter)
• 1  medium yellow onion, finely minced
• 1  garlic clove, finely minced
• 3⁄4 teaspoon sugar (optional but will help the onions to caramelize)
• 1  large tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped (good quality canned tomatoes will definitely work!)
• 2  tablespoons  black raisins (I used half flame raisins and half golden raisins)
• 1⁄2 cup  cooked chickpeas (I used about 3/4 cup and they were freshly cooked) or 1⁄2 canned chick-peas (I used about 3/4 cup and they were freshly cooked)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  cups  cooked couscous (Israeli or pearl couscous, rice, quinoa are all good substitutes)
•  fresh dill (my addition but optional) or  dried dill, to garnish (my addition but optional)

Directions

1. Steep 2-3 tea bags in boiling water. Set aside.
2. Prepare the couscous and set aside (or heat up leftover couscous, rice, quinoa, etc.).
3. Sauté onions and garlic in oil or oil/butter over medium heat until golden brown and crispy (I added about 3/4 teaspoon of sugar to help caramelize the onions a bit).
4. Stir in the tomato, raisins, chick peas, cinnamon, saffron, and salt. Cook 5 minutes.
5. Add strained mint tisane and simmer another 3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Combine mixture with couscous (or substitute) and serve warm. Garnish with fresh dill or dried dill if desired.