Last Updated on June 2, 2015 by Chef Mireille
When I selected this week’s BM theme of National Dishes, I thought it would be great to discover these dishes of various countries. However, when I started to do them, it was more challenging to make a decision because I’ve made so many of them already like Aruba’s Keshi Yena, Ireland’s Colcannon & Harissa, which is listed as the national dish for Armenia.
According to Wikipedia, couscous is the national dish of Tunisia, Algeria & Morocco. Serving plain couscous is like serving plain rice with nothing. Couscous is sometimes served as a one pot meal with vegetables and/or meat cooked in it or it is served on the side with vegetable dishes, meat dishes or tagine’s. By using the Tunisian spice blend, Raz el Hanout, I made a Tunisian scented Vegetable Saute to accompany the couscous.
This is a great recipe to use up all those little bit of leftover veggies you may have taking up space in the refrigerator.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat couscous
- salt, to taste
- 2 1/2 cups water
- a pinch of saffron
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 5 very small parsnips, sliced (about 4″ in length)
- 4 small carrots, sliced
- 20 green beans, trimmed
- 1 cup green cabbage, sliced
- 1 tablespoon raz el hanout
- 7 pitted dates, chopped
- 5 dried apricots, chopped
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
In a dry skillet, toast the almonds until golden and fragrant. As soon as they are done, immediately transfer the almonds to a bowl.
In a saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute until softened.
Add parsnips, carrots and green beans. Add raz el hanout and 2 tablespoons water. Cook on high for 3 minutes.
Add cabbage, dates and apricots, along with 1 more tablespoon of water. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add almonds and salt. Toss to combine.
To make couscous, combine salt, saffron and water and bring to a boil. Add couscous. Stir.
Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.
Serve couscous with vegetables and a little harissa.
By serving the harissa on the side, the spice level is completely customizable.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#37
…linking to African Diaspora Recipes, Flavours of the World Grand Finale, No Waste Food Challenge hosted by Fiona & Simple & In Season,
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Chef Mireille
Healthy & flavorful salad…
its too healthy..shall try this fr lunch today… thanx fr ths one..i'm dieting these days nd this sounds perfect
colorful and love the second shot.Love the way watermarking the images Mir:)
The entire bowl looks so inviting!
looks so hearty and beautiful
So very tasty I am loving all your contribution to flavours of the world grande finale event.
thanks. I just added one more 🙂
Roasted vegetables are inviting. Couscous must have tasted good with all those veggies
very healthy and yummy platter !!
That looks so colourful and healthy.
The plate looks so appetizing! I had never heard of the spice you used. Must look it up.
That is one amazing plate of food. All those veggies look so colorful and yummy. What does the spice raz el hanout taste like?
it's like a mild curry powder
A very tempting platter.
I was also thinking of making it, but became lazy and then quit! Looks yum…
This looks both beautiful and healthy! far too good to be a leftovers dish! thank you for entering the No Waste Food Challenge again!
A beautiful and bright recipe, so full of flavour and seasonal veg. Thank you for entering Simple and in Season, round up posted today