Grilled Mussels With Simmered Tomatoes Over Couscous Recipes

COUSCOUS WITH GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLES AND LOADS OF HERBS

Steps:

• Place the couscous in a bowl with the cold water. This will start to soften the couscous and you will see the water disappear as its soaks in. While the couscous is softening, we need to blacken the peppers. I do this by placing the peppers directly on the naked flame of my gas burner. If you don't have gas, then blacken under the grill. Both ways you need to blacken the peppers on all sides, so turn when need be. When fully blackened, place in a sandwich bag, wrap in plastic wrap or cover in a bowl for 5 minutes until cool. This will steam the skins and make peeling and deseeding easier. Remove the skins and seeds and roughly chop. On a very hot ridged grill pan, lightly char the asparagus and patty pans on both sides then toss them into the bowl of couscous with the peppers, spring onions, chilies and torn or chopped herbs. Mix well. Add the olive oil and lemon juice dressing and toss well. Finally, taste and season with salt and pepper and a couple of dribbles of red wine vinegar for a slight twang. It's a beautiful thing.
• Mix together all the ingredients

MUSSELS WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous and cook as the label directs. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 cups water, the mussels and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes (discard any that do not open). Remove with a slotted spoon and divide among bowls. Add the couscous and spinach to the liquid in the pot and heat through, about 1 minute; season with salt. Add the couscous mixture to the bowls and sprinkle with the basil.

TUNISIAN GRILLED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Grill peppers over a hot grill or a gas flame, or under a broiler, until charred. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate or with plastic. Allow to cool.
• Grill tomatoes over a hot grill or under a broiler for about 3 minutes, until skins split and char. If tomatoes are large, turn over and grill on the other side. Small tomatoes needn't be turned. You do not want to cook them until they're overly soft. Remove from heat, place in a bowl and allow to cool until you can handle them.
• When peppers are cool enough, stem and peel. Holding them over the bowl to catch juices, seed and cut in 2-inch long strips. Transfer to another bowl and strain in juices. Peel, core and slice tomatoes. Cut slices into strips and transfer, with juices, to bowl with peppers.
• In a mortar and pestle, purée garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Add caraway, coriander and cayenne if using. Work in the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with vegetables. Add half the parsley and toss together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Warm couscous if desired and divide among plates or wide bowls. Spoon on pepper and tomato salad with juices in bowl. Sprinkle more parsley on top and serve.

MUSSELS WITH SPICY TOMATO OIL AND GRILLED BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a small bowl. Increase heat to medium-high and add tomatoes to oil. Cook, pressing down on tomatoes using a wooden spoon until they are very soft and broken down, 8-10 minutes; pluck out peels. Stir in chili oil and fennel seeds; season with salt. Add mussels, cover, and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until mussels open, 5-8 minutes (discard any mussels that don't open). Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to shallow bowls.
• Add butter to tomato oil and stir until melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle oil over mussels and top with chives and fried garlic. Serve with grilled bread.

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH CURRY BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high medium-heat and lightly oil grate.
• Whisk together the butter, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and salt in a small bowl.
• Arrange four large sheets of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Divide the mussels into four even portions and place one portion on each piece of foil. Dot the mussels with the curry mixture. Sprinkle the red bell pepper and parsley over the top of each portion. Top each with lime slices. Wrap foil tightly around the portions.
• Cook the packets on the preheated grill until the mussels have opened, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any mussels which do not open.
• Transfer the mussels to small bowls and garnish each with a lime wedge to serve.

GRILLED VEGGIES OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Lightly brush peppers, onions, tomatoes and eggplant with the 1 Tbs. olive oil. Place all but tomatoes on the greased grill rack directly over med. coals. Place tomatoes in 2 foli pie plates, place on grill over coals.
• Grill onion slices uncovered for 10-15 minutes, sweet peppers 8-10 minutes, and eggplant for about 8 minutes or until veggies are tender turning occasionally. Grill tomatoes for 10-15 minutes or till heated through turning once. Remove veggies from grill cut into bite sized pieces.
• Meanwhile, bring water to boil in med. pan. Add basil or oregano, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and salt. Add couscous. remove from heat cover, let stand 5 minutes or till liquid is absorbed.
• To serve fluff couscous with fork. Spoon into serving platter, top with grilled veggies.

GRILLED MUSSELS

Steps:

• Scrub the mussels under cold water, trim off the beards.
• Place the mussels in a large pot, add the wine, cover and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.
• Steam until the shells open, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; discard any mussels that did not open.
• In a medium bowl, blend 1-1/2 sticks of the butter with 2 TB of the garlic, 2 TB of the parsley, the chervil, and 1/4 tsp of the pepper.
• In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter.
• In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 TB garlic, 3 TB parsley, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
• Add the cheese and stir in the melted butter to moisten the crumbs.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Pull off half of each mussel shell.
• Spread about 1/2 tsp of the garlic butter over each mussel and sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs, pressing down gently so they adhere.
• Place the mussels on a baking sheet in a single layer and broil until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Serve hot.

GRILLED MUSSELS WITH SIMMERED TOMATOES OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Position a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Holding the tomatoes over the strainer, scoop out the seeds, letting the juice and seeds fall into the strainer. Press the seeds with a ladle to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the seeds and set the juice aside. Halve the tomato quarters and set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Add the wine and tomato juice and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Set the tomato mixture aside, covered.
• Put the couscous in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then cover and set aside.
• Just before cooking, clean the mussels. Gently tap any open shells against a countertop and wait a minute for the shell to close. If the shell stays open, the mussel is dead and must be discarded. Remove the little thistle of fiber, called the beard, that sticks out of the shell by yanking it toward the narrow end of the mussel. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and stir in a handful of salt. Soak the mussels in the water for 30 minutes, then lift them out, leaving the debris behind, and set them in a colander.
• Heat a grill and place the mussels between the grates. Grill until the mussels are open and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
• To serve, put a scoop of couscous on a plate, followed by the tomatoes, then the mussels. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. Garnish with the parsley.