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 ?