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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Couscous and Shrimp

Over the weekend, we tried a recipe using couscous which is a pasta made from semolina flour mixed with water. The process of making it used to be labor-intensive, but now most is machine-produced. It's steamed and then dried and all that's needed is to "plump" it up with boiling water. It's nutritional value is similar to white pasta.


Couscous and Shrimp 

This is an easy dish that can be made within 30 minutes from start to finish. Many of the ingredients may already be in your pantry. Luckily, we usually have several varieties of nuts, including pistachios. 
(Recipe serves 4, so we had leftovers.)
  • 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • ¼ C raisins
  • 1 C dry couscous
  • 2 C chicken broth
  • ½ C frozen peas
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ C shopped pistachios
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Parsley for garnish 
  1. Season shrimp with cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in large skillet. When oil is hot, add shrimp and cook for a minute on each side until pink, then remove from skillet.
  3. Add chopped onion and pepper and sauté until onion is translucent. Add garlic and raisins and cook for a minute.
  4. Add couscous and chicken broth to skillet and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and cook couscous for 10-12 minutes until broth is absorbed.
  5. Add frozen peas and cook for additional 2 minutes, until peas are defrosted.
  6. Remove skillet from heat and add shrimp. Garnish with pistachios and parsley.
While this dish was flavorful, we're planning to return to our favorites of wild and brown rice for future meal plans. That said, Grenville gave couscous two forks down.

If you've tried couscous, did you enjoy it and would you try it again ? 

11 comments:

mamasmercantile said...

I have tried couscous but I find it a little boring, I much prefer rice.

MadSnapper said...

I have never tried it and never heard of it until now. it sounds good to me, except i don't eat pasta right now, have not for the last year.

William Kendall said...

No, I haven't tried couscous.

Valerie said...

I don't think I've tried couscous but I'm a great one for sticking with food I know.

Christina said...

We all like couscous but it can be a bit boring. I guess, just like with pasta it is the sauce/other ingredients that make it special. There is a slightly larger variant, bulgur, which I prefer because it keeps a bit of bite. I imagine this would nice with the shrimp recipe.

Lynn said...

That sounds so good! Thank you for sharing.

I always have couscous on hand, but mainly use it for cold salads in the warmer months.

Ginnie said...


I have tried couscous but agree with Grenville ... thumbs down.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Thanks Everyone for your comments. Lorraine (mamasmercantile) we are definitely going with rice next time. We agree with Valerie about sticking with foods we enjoy, especially wild rice. Christina, we have to agree with your comment about it being a bit boring, despite the added ingredients. And, Ginnie this was definitely a thumbs down for us. Lynn, glad you enjoy it. William you might want to avoid couscous.

Connie said...

This sounds good to me. I have tried couscous and I liked it, but my family members did not.

My name is Erika. said...

Sounds good. I never knew exactly what couscous was. I know it tastes good, and your recipe sounds like a good one to try. I'm hoping to find a few new everyday recipes to add to my repertoire. Same old meals get a little worn out after awhile. Hugs-Erika

baili said...

this is unfamiliar though sounds great through your incredible description my friend!

very less timie it takes too cook how interesting