Orange and Apricot Couscous ~ Thank you Andrea!

Yesterday, while I was visiting sweet Andrea's blog:

Cooking Books

I found yet another of her recipes that I wanted to try.

It's a recipe Andrea adapted from from Jessica Porter's "The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics".

It is delicious! The fragrance and flavors are delightful; and not as sweet as you might expect. The added ingredients provide an interesting and welcome change from plain cous cous.

I changed the recipe just a little bit; here are the changes I made:

I used butter instead of olive oil (I would have used olive oil, but I had a little melted butter on hand from another recipe and wanted to use it up.)

• Added a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest
• Used Golden Raisins
• Reduced the red wine vinegar to 1 1/2 teaspoons (I misread the recipe!) It could use the full amount.
• Just before serving I stirred in some finely diced fresh orange pieces.

You can find the recipe on Andrea's recipe by clicking the link above. Besides the cous cous (you can use regular or whole wheat), the ingredients are water, orange juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, dried apricots, raisins, fresh ginger, red onion, and toasted pine nuts.

I could eat this as a main course, but it also would be wonderful as a side dish for fish, chicken or lamb.

The recipe received thumbs up at my house, and is one that I look forward to making again and again.

I love Andrea's blog, she always has something interesting and healthful cooking ~ I hope you'll go visit. I'm quite sure her blog will become one of your favorites, too.

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Notes on the dishes:

I am really fond of cream soup bowls, especially the antique, or vintage ones. I find they are the perfect size for so many things besides soup.

These are vintage Homer Laughlin (USA), made in 1945. The style is Georgian ~ Eggshell. I find the floral patterns of the 30's and 40's especially charming. These are not fine China pieces, rather they were mass produced as everyday dishes and most likely distributed through stores such as Sears-Roebuck and JC Penney, etc.

The underplates are not matching pieces, but bread & butter, or small salad or dessert plates also from the same period. The only backstamp is a single rose, with the name "Tea Rose", USA.

The fact that they have survived the years, despite apparent daily use facinates me.