Couscous Cakes With Tomato Garlic Ragout Recipes

PEARL COUSCOUS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook 1 1/2 cups pearl couscous in boiling salted water, 4 to 5 minutes; drain. Cook 1 small diced red onion, 3 chopped garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until softened, 4 minutes. Add 1 cup packaged strained tomatoes, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer until thick, 5 minutes. Stir in the couscous and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; season with salt and pepper. Top with more parsley.

COUSCOUS CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the couscous, cilantro, egg, egg yolk, coriander, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Mix until combined.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Form 1/4 cupfuls of the mixture into 8 patties. Add 4 of the patties to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining couscous mixture.
• Serve the couscous cakes with mango chutney.

COUSCOUS CAKES WITH TOMATO-GARLIC RAGOUT

Steps:

• Put the water into a saucepan over high heat.
• When the water comes to a boil, add the salt, pepper, and couscous.
• Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
• Fluff the couscous by lightly running a fork or whisk back and forth in the pan, starting with the top layer and gradually working your way down.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs; slowly whisk in the flour.
• With a spoon, stir in the parsley and the blue cheese.
• Add the couscous and chill the batter for 30 minutes.
• SAUCE:.
• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil; add the onion.
• Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the garlic and sauté for 5 minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, white wine, and water.
• Let the ragout simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it has the consistency of a thick sauce.
• Season it with salt and pepper and keep it warm.
• When the couscous mixture has cooled, heat a large skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
• When the oil is hot, drop couscous batter onto the skillet to form 3-inch cakes.
• Sear them on one side for about 3 minutes, or until the undersides are golden brown.
• Flip them with a spatula and sear them on the other side, for about 3 minutes.
• Remove the cakes to a plate and add more batter to the pan.
• Continue making cakes until all the couscous batter is used.
• You should have 3 cakes per person.
• Serve the cakes hot on top of the warmed tomato-garlic ragout.

COUSCOUS CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, salt 1 1/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Whisk in the couscous. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked couscous to a bowl and mix in the nuts, parsley and egg. Season with salt and pepper. With damp hands, form the couscous into 4 patties, about 1-inch thick (about the same thickness of your first thumb joint).
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick pan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Carefully place the couscous cakes in the pan and cook until golden, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and serve.
• BYOC: The thing I love about making cakes is I can really throw anything in there. Sticking with the Middle Eastern theme, dates would add a nice texture to these. Plus, you can break up leftovers in a pan for an alternative to fried rice. You can throw any herb in here - basil, thyme or oregano.

PEARL COUSCOUS WITH SAUTéED CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add couscous. Toast couscous, shaking pan or stirring often, until it colors very lightly and smells aromatic and toasty, a bit like popcorn. Immediately add 2 quarts water and salt to taste (be generous, as if you are cooking pasta) and boil 10 minutes, until couscous is al dente; it should not be mushy, and there should still be plenty of water in the pot. Drain through a strainer and rinse with cold water. Tap strainer against sink to drain well, then return couscous to the pot, cover pot with a kitchen towel, and return lid. Let sit for 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
• In a wide, heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic. As soon as it begins to sizzle and smell fragrant, usually in about 30 seconds, add cherry tomatoes and turn heat up to medium-high. Add sugar, salt and basil sprig and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes collapse and skins shrivel. Some of the tomato pulp will be in the pan, and should thicken and caramelize slightly, but there should still be pulp inside the skins. This should only take about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and remove basil sprig. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a little fresh pepper if desired.
• Add couscous to the pan along with slivered basil, stir together, and serve.

HALLOUMI AND COUSCOUS CAKES

Steps:

• Place the couscous, haloumi, lemon zest and parsley in a food processor and process for 1 minute or until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs; then shape 1/4 cups of the couscous mixture into round cakes.
• Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat; add the oil; cook the cakes in batches for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden; transfer the finished cakes onto a plate lined with absorbent paper towelling, and keep warm while you cook the remaining cakes.
• SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve the haloumi and couscous cakes with baby spinach leaves and slices of smoked salmon with lemon slices. If you like a dressing on your salad, Donna Hay combines 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and tosses the smoked salmon slices and baby spinach leaves in the dressing to combine, and serves it with lemon wedges.
• NOTES: Suggested quantities - in the original recipe - for the side salad: 7 ounces (200g) smoked salmon slices, 21/2 (70g) ounces baby spinach leaves. On Donna Hay's website - http://www.donnahay.com.au/ - is a conversion table and a list of commonly used ingredients - and what they are generally called in Australia and America. In many cases, I think we actually use what she has said is the American name and in some cases, the recipes on Zaar use what she has said is the Australian name! Curious! But some of these "translations" of terms and names could well be useful!

COUSCOUS DATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the Cake: With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter and flour a 20-cm (8-inch) springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a saucepan, bring the water, dates, butter and baking soda to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate until lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, couscous and baking powder. Set aside.
• In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture turns pale, triples in volume and falls from the beaters in a ribbon, about 10 minutes. Using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients then the date mixture.
• Pour into the springform pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 65 minutes.
• Let cool. Run the blade of a thin knife around the inside of the pan. Unmould and let cool on a rack.
• For the Icing: In a bowl, beat the sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

HARISSA ROASTED TOMATOES WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the tomatoes in harissa and 2 tbsp of the oil. Season and spread in a roasting tin, cut-side up, and bake for 40-45 mins.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Tip in the onions and sizzle for a couple of mins. Turn down the heat, season and cook for 15 mins or until golden and caramelised. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, tahini and garlic with some seasoning. Set aside.
• Tip the couscous into a large bowl. Pour over 400ml boiling water. Cover with cling film and leave to stand for 10 mins or until all the water has been absorbed. Fork though the herbs, almonds, chickpeas and half the onions. Top with the tomatoes and the remaining onions, and serve with a dollop of the yogurt sauce.

GIANT COUSCOUS CAKE WITH ROASTED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
• Prepare the pepper sauce: Add the bell peppers and tomato to a baking sheet (tray) and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Drizzle the garlic heads with a little oil, wrap tightly in foil and place them to one side of the baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes or until the pepper skins are well charred and the garlic has softened.
• When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the pepper and tomato skins. (Don't worry if you can't remove all the skin.) Add the peeled vegetables to a food processor. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their papery skins (discarding the skins) and add them to the blender along with the vinegar, maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Blitz for a few seconds, then, with the machine running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil until incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Set aside pepper sauce.
• Meanwhile, prepare the couscous cake: Add the couscous, 1/2 teaspoon salt and boiling water to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Toss the scallions (spring onions) with 1/2 tablespoon oil, then add to the pan and fry until softened and charred, turning halfway through, about 4 minutes. Set the scallions aside.
• Turn the heat down to medium-high, then add another 1/2 tablespoon oil and the spinach to the pan. Cook until wilted, about 90 seconds, then transfer to a large bowl. Roughly chop the scallions and add two-thirds to the bowl with the spinach. Add the couscous, yogurt, both cheeses, flour, eggs, garlic, coriander, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper to the bowl and mix everything to combine.
• Wipe out the skillet and heat 5 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Once hot, add the couscous mixture, and use a spoon to evenly distribute and smooth out the top. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes; the edges will be golden, the cake will start to set in the center and you should be able to loosen the cake from the base.
• Use a spatula to gently separate the cake from the sides of the pan, running it under the cake as well to try to loosen it from the bottom. Remove the pan from the heat and, very gently, invert the whole thing onto a large plate. Return the pan to the heat and slide the cake back into it, crispy-side up, to brown the other side. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat, then transfer the cake to a large wooden board or serving platter.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining scallions with the extra basil leaves and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle the cake all over with the extra pecorino and top with the scallion mixture. Serve with the pepper sauce in a bowl alongside.

COUSCOUS WITH TOMATO AND GARLIC

Steps:

• In small pot, melt the butter and saute the garlic until fragrant.
• Add stock and bring to a boil.
• Add couscous and stir.
• Take off the heat and let stand 10 minutes.
• Fluff with fork and then combine with the tomato along with the pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.