Spiced Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

Made this meal last night - holy crap! I've never tasted couscous like this before, it was delicious and pretty healthy as well. Enjoy!

1 cup whole wheat couscous
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
pinch of saffron (optional - this is an expensive spice!)
1/2 onion, sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons Moroccan spice mix (La Kama, see below)
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1 red bell pepper
1-2 zucchinis
1 carrot
(the veggies can be varied for different flavors, eggplant would also be delicious)


1. Set oven to broil or 500 degrees F.


2. Boil together the chicken stock, raisins, saffron, and white wine. Once the liquid is boiling, add in the couscous. Turn off the heat, stir the couscous, cover and let sit for about 10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.


3. While waiting, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small pan and add in the onion. Add in 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for spice and the 2 teaspoons of La Kama spice mix. Saute the onion until slightly crispy.


4. Cut the vegetables in slices that are all about the same size (this ensures that the veggies are cooked evenly). Place them on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Salt to taste.


5. Place the veggies in the oven about 6-8 inches from the top. Keep an eye on the veggies so that they don't burn. We broiled ours for about 10-15 minutes. They should be lightly browned (this adds great flavor to the dish). 


6. Once the veggies and couscous are ready, mix the remaining ingredients (onions, almonds, veggies, cinnamon) together and enjoy!




La Kama Spice Mix:


This is a great spice mix to have on hand. I like to add it to vegetables and meat! Yummm


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons black peppercorns (ground)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground turmeric (I was out of turmeric so I used yellow curry powder instead)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice