Lemon Pistachio Couscous Recipes

LEMON-PISTACHIO ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• 1. Trim the stem end from the lemon and cut it into quarters. Scoop out the pulp and press it through a strainer into a medium-sized bowl to extract the juices; discard the pulp. Finely dice the preserved lemon rind and add it to the bowl along with the parsley, butter, dried fruit, pistachios, salt, and cinnamon.
• 2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the couscous and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and add it to the bowl of fruits and nuts, stirring until the butter is melted and all the ingredients are well mixed. Season with black pepper and serve.

PISTACHIO, GARLIC AND MINT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Toast the nuts in a saucepot suitable for rice. Remove to a food processor and finely chop. Reserve.
• Add the EVOO and garlic to the pot and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover the pot, turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse-chop the mint in food processor very fine. Stir the mint and reserved ground nuts into the couscous as you fluff with a fork.

LEMON COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Stir chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, and salt together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add couscous to the liquid and stir to coat completely. Place a cover on the saucepan, remove from heat, and let couscous soak in hot liquid until the moisture is mostly absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Fluff couscous with a fork. Stir pimento peppers, pine nuts, and parsley into the couscous.

COUSCOUS WITH PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add white part of scallion; season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, 1 minute.
• Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for at least 5 minutes. Add pistachios and remaining scallion. Season with salt and pepper; fluff with a fork, and serve.

PISTACHIO COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• On a baking sheet in middle of oven toast pistachios in one layer until golden, about 10 minutes. Once pistachios have cooled, coarsely chop.
• In each of two 3-quart saucepans bring 2 1/4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir 1 box couscous into each pan and let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes.
• Chop mint leaves. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Stir in pistachios, mint, oil, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

PISTACHIO-CRUSTED MOROCCAN RACK OF LAMB WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Rinse rack of lamb under cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits between the bones and into the meat. (This will allow some of the spice blend to penetrate into the meat) Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with Ras el hanout and paprika. Allow to stand at room temperature while preparing the couscous.
• Rinse cilantro, parsley, and mint leaves. (Amounts listed above in ingredients are approximate, since I use a handful of each) Dry in paper towels, then roughly chop. Also roughly chop preserved lemon and dried apricot. **For most recipes that call for preserved lemon, thoroughly rinse off the salt and remove the pulp and seeds, using only the rind.** If you do not have preserved lemon, zest a whole lemon to add later while combining couscous ingredients.
• Grind pistachio nuts and combine with bread crumbs. (If your pistachios are salted, there is no need to add salt to the lamb before searing it).
• To prepare the Israeli couscous, melt butter in saucepan and sauté chopped onion until soft. Add the couscous and cook with the sautéed onion, then add the stock. If you do not have stock, use water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Cover and continue simmering about 8 minutes, until couscous is soft. Not all of the liquid will be absorbed. Empty contents into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water, rinsing off the starch that was released during simmering. Return the rinsed and drained couscous back into the saucepan and reheat slightly.
• Prepare your lamb: Preheat oven to 375. If your pistachio nuts are unsalted, sprinkle rack of lamb with salt. Using an oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil over moderately high heat. When oil is hot, sear the lamb rack until browned, about 5 minutes per side.
• Remove pan from heat. Slather both sides of lamb rack with pomegranate molasses. Then with meaty side of lamb rack up, pack nut crumb mixture on top. Place skillet in oven and roast until internal temp reaches 140 degrees F for rare, about 15-20 minutes. Then allow to stand a few minutes before carving.
• Combine couscous, preserved lemon or zest, apricot, pomegranate seeds, and chopped mint, cilantro, and parsley. If desired toss couscous with a splash of olive oil and a small amount of lemon juice from the zested lemon.
• Carve rack into 8 chops. Spoon couscous onto plate and arrange chops on top.
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• Preserved lemon: You will need a glass jar with an air-tight seal. Combine ~ a tablespoon of coriander seed with ~ a tablespoon of fennel seed. Place 1 bay leaf and 1 cinnamon stick in the bottom of glass jar. Have a small bowl of Kosher salt nearby. Slice lemons in quarters ALMOST down to stem end, but leave intact. Place coriander and fennel seed inside lemon and also fill with salt. Place cut side down into glass jar, squeezing as many into the jar as you can. As you squeeze them, some of the lemon juice is released, but not enough to fill the jar. Just continue packing in as many lemons as you can and add additional salt between layers of lemon. Top off with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Then refrigerate for a month. I think this is Jamie Oliver's technique, but there are many out there. He has also suggested doing this with other citrus, like limes and mandarin oranges. Meyer lemons work nicely. Some techniques suggest a layer of olive oil on top, and this works well, too.

LEMON PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• FOR THE COOKIE ~ Preheat oven to 375 degrees F & lightly grease several cookie sheets or 1 LARGE one.
• In large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add sugar, baking powder & salt, beating to cimbine & scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
• Beat in eggs & vanilla until combined.
• Beat in lemon zest & as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.
• Using a wooden spoon or your hands, stir or knead in remaining flour & pistachio nuts.
• On lightly floured surface, divide dough into 3 equal portions.
• Shape each portion into an 8-inch-long loaf.
• Flatten loaves to about 2 1/2 inches wide, & place them at least 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet(s).
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown & tops are cracked. (Loaves will spread slightly.).
• Cool on cookie sheet for 30 minutes,
• When cooled, preheat oven to 325 degrees F, then transfer loaves to a cutting board to cut each loaf into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Place slices, cut sides down on previously used cookie sheet(s), & bake 8 minutes.
• Turn slices over & bake 8-10 minutes more or until dry & crisp.
• Transfer to wire rack & cool.
• FOR THE ICING ~ In a small mixing bowl, stir together sifted powdered sugar & 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
• Stir in enough lemon juice (or milk) to make icing of drizzling consistency.
• Either dip 1/4 of one end of each cookie into icing OR drizzle each with icing.