Spiced Seared Eggplant With Pearl Couscous Recipes

SPICED SEARED EGGPLANT WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Heat a heavy pot (2 to 3 quarts) with a tight-fitting lid over medium until hot but not smoking. Add couscous and toast, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer toasted couscous to a bowl.
• Add oil to pot and raise heat to medium-high. When it shimmers, add eggplant, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and golden and the eggplant is browned and slightly shrunken, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant.
• Add tomato paste and the prepared spice mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in toasted couscous, tomato and 1 1/2 cups water, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, 8 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest 2 minutes. Uncover, stir in paprika and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately and dollop with yogurt, if desired.

SPICED SEARED EGGPLANT WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Heat a heavy pot (2 to 3 quarts) with a tight-fitting lid over medium until hot but not smoking. Add couscous and toast, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer toasted couscous to a bowl.
• Add oil to pot and raise heat to medium-high. When it shimmers, add eggplant, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and golden and the eggplant is browned and slightly shrunken, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant.
• Add tomato paste and the prepared spice mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in toasted couscous, tomato and 1 1/2 cups water, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, 8 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest 2 minutes. Uncover, stir in paprika and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve immediately and dollop with yogurt, if desired.

PAD SEE EW

Steps:

• Prepare the noodles: Place dried noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients, allowing the water to cool, and stirring and separating the noodles occasionally with your hands. (This will take 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the brand.) When ready, noodles will be white, limp and bouncy, almost soft to the bite. (They will cook a little more later.) Pour off and discard all the water, fluff noodles with your hands and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the meat with the soy sauce and let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, whisk the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and white pepper to combine.
• Place the remaining noodle ingredients in bowls and line them up in the order they'll be added to the pan: garlic, gai lan, eggs, noodles and sugar, then the sauce. When ready to cook, put 1 cup of hot tap water near the stove, and drain and discard any liquid in the bowl with the meat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 14-inch wok or a heavy 12-inch skillet or a large Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. (If using a smaller pan, cook in 2 batches.) Add the meat to the hot pan in a single layer. Let cook, undisturbed, until well browned, about 1 minute, then stir-fry until just cooked through, about 1 minute more, pressing it against the pan to sear. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Wipe out the pan and heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium until shimmering. Stir in the garlic, then immediately add the greens and stir-fry just until bright and beginning to wilt, 30 to 45 seconds.
• Push greens to one side of the pan, add just enough oil to lightly coat the other side and add the eggs. Use the spatula to scramble the eggs, stirring and scraping until cooked through and just dry, about 1 minute.
• Raise the heat to high. Add the noodles, spreading them around the pan, then tossing and separating them with a wok turner, tongs or both. When noodles are sizzling, add the sugar and 3 tablespoons sauce, and toss to coat and cook through. Keep cooking, leaving noodles undisturbed for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, so they sear and caramelize.
• Add the meat back to the pan, along with any liquids in the dish, and toss everything together.
• Add a few dashes of black soy sauce, and taste for doneness and seasoning. Keep cooking, adding more sugar, black soy sauce or pad see ew sauce a little at a time, until the dish is very savory and a little sweet. Add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if noodles are not quite soft.
• When the noodles have absorbed all the liquid and the flavors are balanced, serve immediately.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT AND CINNAMON-CUMIN DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place eggplant cubes on sheet; drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until tender, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook couscous in boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water until cool; drain again. Place in large bowl.
• Toast cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darkened, about 4 minutes. Grind seeds in spice mill; place in small bowl. Add vinegar, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons oil. Whisk to blend; season with salt and pepper. Mix in onion.
• Add raisins, cilantro, eggplant cubes, and dressing to couscous. Toss to coat.

STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, wrap each half in a sheet of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Roast the eggplants until the centers are soft and tender, about 30 minutes. Unwrap the eggplants and scoop out the center pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges of each eggplant. Roughly chop the reserved pulp and set it aside.
• Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute, then add the couscous, allspice, bay leaves and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the mixture to a simmer, cover the saucepan, and cook the couscous until it is tender and the liquid has absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Stir in the reserved eggplant, parsley and feta cheese, then divide the couscous mixture evenly among the eggplants.
• Arrange the stuffed eggplants on a foil-lined baking sheet and return them to the oven, uncovered, and bake until they are warmed throughout, about 5 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven, top them with pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.