NuM NuM

The other night lobster and I had his family over and we served our new favorite dish Kefta...num! Since we had company over I made the meal a bit more fancy and served hummus and this couscous recipe. The hummus turned out okay but I can't really give an honest rating since I made an error with the directions again - surprise, surprise :D If you want to give it a whirl, you can find the recipe here. Others who have made the dish enjoyed it so I'll have to try again another day. But, this couscous dish was a nice side to accompany the kefta. It had a beautiful vibrant yellow hue from the saffron and had the tiniest bit of a lingering spicyness as well. I enjoyed it very much and it was nice to serve something completely different then the usual suspects - grilled veggies. With the leftovers, this would be a great meal in itself served over grilled fish.

Zucchini couscous
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
6 to 8 servings

• 1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 2 zucchini, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced & 1/4 of a red onion, small dice
• 1 1/2 cups couscous (10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Directions
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan, and turn off the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and saffron threads and allow to steep for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and saute onions and garlic in pan. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not overcook since the zucchini will continue to cook in the couscous mixture. Bring the chicken stock just back to a boil. Place the couscous in a large bowl and add the cooked zucchini. Pour the hot chicken stock over them. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Add the basil and parsley. Toss the couscous and herbs with a fork, season with S&P and serve warm or at room temperature.