A fruity couscous for springtime dining

By Jim Bailey
theyankeechef.blogspot.com

I  know, I know! It has been four full months since Christmas, and I still have leftover dried fruit in the cupboard.Yankee Chef logo That’s the beauty of not only dried fruit but of being a Yankee.

Not only does dried fruit seemingly last forever, but I will only throw out food if it doesn’t resemble food anymore. So I decided to incorporate some of my leftovers with one of my favorite pastas, couscous. What resulted was the delicious taste of salty and sweet that makes me hoping for more gifts of dried fruit again next Christmas.

You might be asking, what on Earth could this recipe pair well with? If you are having a spiced sausage dish, this is your side. If you are enjoying grilled chicken, this is your side. Any type of bold, meaty, spicy protein would only be enhanced by this super simple, sweet recipe.

Dried fruit cooked in couscous makes a light, sweet side pasta.

Dried fruit cooked in couscous makes a light, sweet side pasta.

1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup dried fruit of your choice, chopped
2 cups couscous
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Add all ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan, except butter, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to keep sugar from burning on bottom and to blend all ingredients well. Cover with tight-fitting lid and remove from heat. Let sit for 6-8 minutes, or until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid. Remove lid and toss with the butter until melted and combined well. Serve hot.

Yankee Chef book coverSchiffer Books of Pennsylvania has released Jim Bailey’s new book The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen. It contains more than 550 traditional New England comfort-food recipes tweaked for today’s palates with hundreds of kitchen tips and food facts. The hardback book is 312 pages and contains 200 color images. Its ISBN is 978-0-7643-4191-5 and the cost is $34.99. The book can be ordered through Misty Valley Books, 802-875-3400.

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Filed Under: Community and Arts LifeThe Yankee Chef

About the Author: Jim Bailey is a third generation Yankee Chef, New England food historian and newspaper columnist. His first cookbook, simply titled The Yankee Chef, has been published. He welcomes all feedback, questions or comments at theyankeechef@aol.com.

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