Pistachio Currant Couscous Recipes

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.

COUSCOUS WITH PISTACHIOS, SCALLIONS AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cover currants with hot water. Let sit and plump for 15 minutes. In a saucepan heat the chicken broth and butter to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk together the lemon juice, cinnamon and olive oil. When the couscous is done, transfer it to a bowl and break up the lumps with a fork. Drain currants and add to the couscous. Stir in the scallions, pistachios and parsley. Toss the couscous with the dressing 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.

COUSCOUS WITH DRIED APRICOTS, CURRANTS, AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• 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.

SAFFRON COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine warm water and saffron together in a bowl.
• Mix couscous and vegetable broth together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat, cover saucepan, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a bowl.
• Stir saffron mixture, celery, currants, olive oil, lemon juice, harissa, cumin, and sea salt into couscous. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

COUSCOUS WITH DRIED APRICOTS, CURRANTS, AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• 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.

COUSCOUS TIMBALES WITH PISTACHIOS, SCALLIONS, AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the butter and the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and stir in the couscous. Remove the pan from the heat, let the mixture stand, covered, for 5 minutes, and transfer it to a bowl. Break up any lumps with a fork and stir in the currants, the scallion, the pistachios, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, the cinnamon, and the oil. Toss the couscous mixture with the dressing and season it with salt and pepper. Pack the mixture into two 3/4-cup timbales and unmold the timbales onto 2 plates.