moroccan spiced homemade couscous

Sometimes I get in this mood where I’m ready to pack it all up and keep travelling. 

It certainly has nothing to do with not being completely happy and satisfied with my life at the moment, but more that I love living and experiencing all that the world has to offer.

Not to mention I love travelling with Joel; creating new memories, expanding our views on the world, planning life and dreaming together.

There is so much to see in the world and I feel we could live a thousand times over and still not truly absorb the cultures of the globe.

At the moment I am dreaming of Morocco. We were so close to getting there when we were in southern Spain, but with visa constraints, we had to be careful not to cross in and out of the EU.

So, this dish is Moroccan inspired.

I love the intense spices of the Moroccan cuisine, and teamed with a good couscous - yum!

Couscous is really easy to make from scratch, even quicker than the instant kind that you get in a packet.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

1 c course semolina

1/4 c chilled water

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 star anise, ground in a mortar and pestle

1/2 c pistachios, shelled

2 medjool dates, finely chopped

1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 c fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated

1 lemon, juiced

Place semolina and chilled water in a food processor and process until crumbled.

Bring a medium sized pot to the boil.

Simultaneously, heat a saucepan on dry heat and toss cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, anise, nuts and dates for flavours to release.

Drop crumbled semolina into boiling water and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes. 

Remove from heat, drain and rinse through with cool water.

Add the drained couscous to spices, warm through and turn off heat.

Toss through parsley, mint, rind and juice.

Serve.