Sunday 18 December 2011

December 2011 - Couscous salad with Honey & Saffron Dressing

So, I have had a bit of a crazy weekend. Have done a lot of stuff over the past couple of days and now I am really tired. There is still some stuff I want to get done but it is not going to happen this evening. Hopefully I will get it done tomorrow after work. 

I am going to be honest and tell you that I really haven't looked at this issue that closely. I have flicked through it and saw some lovely food. While flicking through I marked two recipes to make. Both were part of a Moroccan menu by David Morgan. 

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a full lamb along with some pork and beef to fill up my freezer and because meat is so much cheaper if you can buy it in bulk. I picked it up last Wednesday and invited by grandparents up for a meal. I decided to do the Moroccan menu for them and it was a big hit. I made the Chermoula Lamb with yoghurt dressing. I made some changes. I marinated it and but used a on the bone roast instead of boned & butterflied. I also slow roasted instead of doing it on the barbecue. I also didn't have any preserved lemon for the yoghurt dressing (at least I couldn't find the jar I am sure that I have)  so I used some fresh lemon zest in it instead. 

To go with it I made the Couscous salad with Honey & Saffron Dressing. This was so good. My grandmother was really impressed with it. I did make some changes. I added in some capsicum when roasting the other vegetables.  I used craisins in place of the sultanas and omitted the green olives. I didn't have enough oranges so I used grapefruit juice in the dressing instead. I will definitely make this one again. 

Couscous salad with honey and saffron dressing

Serves 8 (actually I think it would feed an army...lol) 

1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 red onions, cut in wedges
1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups couscous
200 grams of chopped apricots
100 g craisins
1 3/4 to 2 cups vegetable stock, hot
2 oranges, peeled and segmented

For the dressing
100 ml grapefruit juice
1 tbsp honey
a pinch of saffron threads
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees°C. Mix the pumpkin, onion and capsicum with the olive oil and roast this for 25- 30 minutes or until cooked. Let cool slightly and then peel capsicum and slice into strips.

Combine couscous, apricots, craisins and stock in a bowl and cover with glad wrap or a tight fitting lid until all liquid is absorbed.

Mix the pumpkin and onion with the couscous, apricots, sultanas and orange segments

For the dressing,

Heat the juice, honey and saffron in a small pan until it comes to a boil, then set aside to cool. Whisk in the oil and season to taste. Stir the dressing into the salad and serve.

The photograph here is from the following night when I served some of the left over salad with some lamb cutlets that had be marinated in olive oil and sumac. 

7 comments:

  1. Wow, that sounds like a gorgeous combo of flavours. I know what you mean about it feeding an army though - however much couscous you eat there always seems to be as much there again!

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  2. Is there any possibility that you still have this magazine? I am desperate to cook a specific recipe from it, but stupidly threw it out this week - just before I want it for Christmas! Looking for the recipe everywhere with no luck.

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    1. Hi Rochelle, no sorry. I got rid of my collection when I moved again recently. But I did keep some recipes, which one is it?

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    2. Thanks so much for the reply. It was the brussel sprout and mozarella rotolo from the Jamie Oliver vegetarian Christmas section. I'm just kicking myself for keeping it for so long only to toss it out now!

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    3. Sorry, I wouldn't have that one. Brussels aren't something I enjoy. I do get the frustration though. I do regret not keeping a few of the magazines. Hope you find the recipe.

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    4. Hi Rochelle, a friend sent these, hope it is clear enough for you
      https://flic.kr/p/21nVJPg
      https://flic.kr/p/EA8yNw

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    5. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am so grateful! I would probably have tried to wing it, and the proportions would have been terrible - this is excellent! I really, really appreciate your efforts. And thank you for the blog, too! I cook from it surprisingly often!

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