Heretical Angel Orange Crush Couscous
A word about this couscous -- it is heretical. The Moroccans would no sooner tart up their couscous than they would sell their mamas. They serve couscous, their national dish, fluffy and unadorned, to serve as foil for the subtly spiced tagines. Nevertheless, I have turned couscous into a stand-alone salad that demands and deserves its own attention. Apologies to any offended parties.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole grain couscous
- 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 good pinch of saffron
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or other red pepper flakes
- grated rind of 1 orange about 2 teapoons
- juice of 1 orange
- 4 scallions chopped
- 3 handfuls fresh herbs chopped, including parsley, mint and cilantro
- 3 handfuls arugula or spinach
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios
- Feta would be a nice addition for those who goat
Instructions
- Pour orange juice and white wine into a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Add saffron and couscous. Turn off heat and cover pot. Let stand for about 8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, Fluff couscous with fork. This is fun.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, spices, orange rind and orange juice. Pour over couscous. You may add the scallions, herbs, greens and chopped nuts now, but the couscous is exponentially better the next day. Even this scribbling, which seemed entirely scattered yesterday came together neatly and swiftly this afternoon (note to self -- be patient, sometimes things improve over time).