Moroccan food by its nature is rich & complex, delivering layers of flavour with incredible depth. But it doesn’t always have to be time-consuming to prepare.
Using our Ras-el-hanout spice blend is a great way to cut down on the time it takes, so this meal can be both a midweek staple or a weekend treat.
Served either hot or even cold as a side at a BBQ, this dish will undoubtably become a firm favourite in your repertoire.
We’ve used chicken this time but lamb also works brilliantly with spice as it takes the flavour deep inside. If you can, marinade overnight in a fridge but even 20-30 minutes will work well enough as the spice is so rich.
We like to mix it up a bit with micro grains such as Quinoa, wheatberries or even wild rice. We cook the sweet potato separately & stir it in at the end to give extra texture & flavour with a touch of warmth.
Replace the chicken with a tin of chickpeas & more roasted veg for a meat-free day.
A quick note about couscous: either make it yourself, it’s incredibly quick & simple, or use one of the pre-cooked packets that are in the supermarkets now which are a great way to save time. Just tweak with a few added extras, lots of fresh herbs & drizzle with a zingy balsamic dressing to take them to the next level.
Serves 2
-
- 1 large chicken breast, cut into 2cm chunks
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled & cut into 2cm chunks
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- good pinch of chilli flakes
- 100g couscous
- juice of half a lemon
- roasting veg: aubergine, courgette & peppers (quick cheat: use a jar of pre-roasted veg or antipasti for speed)
- a few olives & cubes of feta cheese (optional)
- 2 tsp Ras-el-hanout
- splash of Rapeseed Oil
- White Aged Balsamic, Pomegranate & Fig Balsamic or your favourite
- 3-4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
- handful of mint leaves & coriander leaves, finely chopped
For the Dressing:
- 2 tsp Mediterranean Rub
- juice of half a lemon
- small pot of natural yoghurt
- add Ras-el-hanout to a bowl with a splash of oil & mix to a marinade; add chicken cubes & marinade for 20-30 mins, overnight in the fridge if possible
- add sweet potato cubes & roasting veg to a bowl, drizzle with a splash of oil, the ground coriander & chilli flakes, then roast in an oven for 30-40 mins at 200c
- add couscous to a bowl with lemon juice & a good pinch of the Ras-el-hanout & just cover with boiling water; cover with a tea towel & leave for 10 mins
- cook the chicken in a hot pan until done, around 8-10 mins
- fluff up the couscous with a fork, add the roasted veg, sweet potato, sundried tomatoes, chopped mint & chopped coriander & olives; drizzle with White Aged Balsamic or Pomegranate & Fig Balsamic vinegar & mix well
- serve the couscous with the chicken, crumble over the feta cheese & a drizzle of the Mediterranean yoghurt dressing
It so easy to tweak this according to taste:
- dried apricots, chopped & mixed into the couscous
- quinoa or other micro grains mixed into the couscous
- a jar of pre-roasted veg or antipasti for speed
- Tandoori Rub or Harissa Rub instead of the Ras-el-hanout
This is a perfect base recipe to tweak with different ingredients to make it your own
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