moroccan-inspired couscous

This recipe was a riff off a lunch a friend of mine let me taste years ago. It was a Moroccan-esque couscous, pairing vegetables, nuts with some spice and dried fruit. I had picked up some harissa (a North African chili paste), and marinated some beef cutlets, so figured I'd empty out my fridge a bit and make a healthy, colorful side dish.

I cooked up the couscous with stock to give it a bit more flavor, then mixed in some pre-cooked sweet potatoes, semi-toasted chickpeas for protein, and added some dried apricots. Add a bit of cumin, some of the harissa (only a little bit, it's potent stuff), and a dash of white wine to help plump the dried fruit, and voila - a marvelously easy dish to prepare packed with flavor, antioxidants, protein, etc. Topped with some pistachios and you have all the sweet, spicy, and texture you need.

And evidenced by the lack of photos ... the harissa marinated steak was divine. I gobbled it up before snapping a photo. Sorry, gang. Next time. If you like spice, I highly recommend playing around with harissa. It's also killer on steak sandwiches, either on its own, or mixed with some greek yogurt / mayonnaise.

Happy eating!