Curried Couscous

I found this recipe in my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and was excited to try something different. Kurt wasn't that fond of couscous (I think he'd only had it plain), but he loved it. Now he insists I make enough to be sure there's leftovers. It's really simple (why I love so many of her recipes; simple ingredients, easy to make, yet so delicious). It's really fast, the most time consuming thing is chopping the veggies.

You can’t go wrong simply following one of Ina Garten’s recipes, but below is the recipe with my changes.  You could easily make it ahead of time and keep refrigerated until it’s time to eat. Just mix in the almonds right before serving or they will not be as crisp -that doesn’t really bother us though, we like it as left overs too!

We often just buy a Costco rotisserie chicken to eat with it or just eat it plain! I tried a recipe for Moroccan chicken once, but I'm not very good at cooking poultry, always turns out tough and dry. A meat thermometer would probably help, any other tips?

Curried Couscous

1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous 

1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces 

1 1/2 cups boiling water 

1/2 cup grated carrots 

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley 

1/2 cup dried Crasins

2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts) 

1/4 cup small-diced red onion

1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

For the dressing:

1/4 cup plain yogurt 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 teaspoon vinegar 

1 teaspoon curry powder 

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (if you don't have this that's fine)

3/4 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

Place the couscous and butter in a large bowl and pour boiling water over the couscous, stirring just to make sure the butter melts. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let soak for a few minutes while you chop the veggies. Toss in the carrots, parsley, Crasins, scallions, red onions and almonds, if using. Whisk together dressing, pour over salad and mix well. 

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Curried Couscous. I use whole wheat couscous, Craisins in place of currants, grate the carrots instead of dice them, use salted butter and rice vinegar, and make the almonds optional.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-couscous-recipe.html