Tuesday

Orange and Apricot Couscous ~ Thank you Andrea!


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


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.



9 comments:

  1. oh its so pretty and i am sure delish! looks light as a feather and lots of my favorite flavors~

    as always, pretty dishes and pics~

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  2. I never think of cous cous, for some reason, but I am now. :-)
    Your dishes are divine.

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  3. I think I'm going to try this recipe out tonight! I like how colorful and fresh it looks.

    http://ruby--slippers.blogspot.com/

    Check out my blog, I'm having an apron giveaway!

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  4. That does look good and healthy, Mary..
    I love your cream soup bowls, they are so delicate...

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  5. Mari, I was SO excited to read to read this! At lunch a couple of weeks ago I had a wheat berry salad that had oranges and (I think) a red wine vinaigrette, and I've been searching for similar recipes so I could get some ideas for recreating it at home. This recipe comes the closest so I am going to adapt your adaptation!

    And I share your fondness for cream soup bowls! I have a collection of about 9 sets...some modern, some antique-y, and they're all different (well, I have a few sets of twins)...

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  6. the link to my penquins...
    http://lusarytole.blogspot.com/2009/02/here-we-go-steelers-here-we-go.html
    I'm really enjoying your blog, it is beautiful...

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  7. I LOVE couscous..especially warm and cold:)

    In those bowls.. so perfect.
    I wish we could just eat all the time and never worry:)

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  8. Thank you so much for your comments everyone! :)

    Leezard, thanks! Will do.

    Audrey, I HOPE it's similar to the recipe you are looking for. How terrific that you collect cream-soups, too!

    Welcome Lynn!

    Monique, yes ~ I wish we could eat it all the time, too. :)

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Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

A Sampling of my food . . .

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