Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Alexandrian Sauce

Recipe Source: Anonymous.  The Treasure of Useful Advice for the Composition of a Varied Table.  Thirteenth century AD, probably Egyptian.  Published by Lilia Zaouali in Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World, M. B. DeBevoise trans., University of California Press, Berkeley, 2007 p. 130

Just to make it clear, this recipe is for a sauce whose origins are in Alexandria, not a sauce made from Alexandrians, okay? That would be a very different website and probably would involve law enforcement in some way.

So, the main course for the big medieval feast we prepared up in Maine was roast beef with two sauces. This is not the way it was intended. I intended to serve three sauces. Unfortunately for me, I left one at home: the Alexandrian sauce. The two sauces I brought were certainly adequate and delicious, so I don't know that we needed this sauce, but I was kind of looking forward to it. I said a lot of bad words in the privacy of my tent that night.

So this recipe didn't get tasted that night, but I did sample a little of this in my kitchen before packing it up and putting it in the wrong place. This is a really simple sauce – really, really simple. I made the first version of the recipe. For the hot spices I used ground ginger and pepper. I probably could have included something else here too, but my brain was pretty fried by this point. In flavor it kind of reminded me of my husband's Lemon Sunshine Sauce. It would have been fine on roast beef, but I definitely think that this would go better on chicken or possibly even some kind of vegetable. It would probably make a decent salad dressing if you were so inclined. If you're not trying to be historically accurate, some kind of crushed red pepper would go really nicely here.

Alexandrian Sauce (makes about 1 cup; approx. $0.22/ounce)

4 ounces olive oil

8 ounces lemon juice

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground ginger

Equipment:

• Whisk
• Small bowl

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Whisk well to emulsify.
3. Re-whisk just before serving to ensure that the liquid and the oil have not separated.

Recipe: Spicy Shrimp

Recipe Source: Mallos, Tess. Cooking Moroccan. Thunder Bay Press, San Diego, 2005 p. 65

I made this a while ago for a weeknight meal. It fit all my criteria for weeknight meals at that point. It was something that I could make quickly ahead of time, would reheat easily, was relatively healthy and had flavor. (Weeknight dinners don't have to be spicy but it helps.) In construction it kind of reminded me a bit of a curry, although in flavor it was completely different. I did make a few changes, of course. I increased the shrimp (not needing to have 3 ounces shrimp lying around the house), increased the garlic, increased the cumin, omitted the whole cumin seeds (because I was out), decreased the oil, used chili powder (extra hot) for the paprika and used a habanero for the red chile. The result was pretty darned tasty. We both really enjoyed this dish.

Spicy Shrimp (serves 4; approx. $4.21/serving)

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 habanero, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, crushed

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon chili powder (extra hot if you have it)

¼ bunch finely chopped cilantro

¼ cup water

Equipment:

• Large sauté pan

1. Heat the oil in the sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the cumin, ginger and habanero. Sauté 1 minute.
3. Add the garlic, turmeric and chili powder. Stir and cook until just fragrant. (This will be quick. Do not walk away or it will burn, which will both smell and taste awful.)
4. Add the shrimp. Cook until they turn pink.
5. Add the water and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
6. Serve.

Recipe: Saffron Fish Balls in Tomato Sauce

Recipe Source: Mallos, Tess.  Cooking Moroccan.  Thunder Bay Press, San Diego, 2005 p. 69

This recipe was another battle in my campaign to make our meals ahead of time so we can enjoy more time with our daughter during the week.  So far (knock wood) it's been pretty successful.  Anyway, this recipe looked perfectly suited to what I was trying to accomplish.  It was reasonably healthy and was very likely to keep well. 

I made a few changes.  In hindsight they all seem kind of minor.  I used hake for the fish fillets because it was the cheapest boneless white fish fillet they had that day.  I used canned, fire-roasted tomatoes for the tomatoes because tomatoes are not yet in season.  If I'm going to use a canned product, why shouldn't I use something that brings some flavor to the dish?  I reduced the amount of oil, increased the amount of garlic (as well as harissa and cumin), and omitted the sugar.  The result was an incredibly delicious dish that even my husband liked, despite his misgivings about "fish balls." 

Saffron Fish Balls in Tomato Sauce (serves 4; approx. $4.36/serving)

Generous 1 pound boneless white fish fillets, cut in pieces

1 egg

2 scallions, roughly chopped

4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads

1 28-ounce can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

1 onion, grated

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon harissa

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 bay leaf

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Large, deep saute pan or wok

1. Combine the fish, egg, scallions, parsley, cilantro, breadcrumbs and saffron in the food processor.  Process to a paste. 
2. Shape the fish paste into balls about the size of walnuts.  Set aside. 
3. Heat the oil in the pan.  Add the onion and a pinch of kosher salt.  Cook about five minutes, until the onion softens and begins to brown a bit.
4. Add the garlic, paprika, harissa and cumin.  Cook a few seconds, until fragrant.
5. Add the tomatoes with their juices.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes. 
6. Add the fish balls to the tomato sauce.  Return to a "gentle boil" over medium heat.
7. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 20 minutes. 

Recipe: Six-Hour Moroccan Leg of Lamb (Guest Post from Fearless Grill)

Recipe Source: Perry Lang, Adam. Serious Barbeque. Hyperion, New York, 2009 pp. 228-229

We recently had some friends over for dinner to celebrate one of their birthdays. She is a big fan of smoked meat, and I decided to try something new from this cookbook, which I recently acquired and have thoroughly enjoyed. I settled on this Moroccan 'Mechoui' lamb dish, as I knew everyone attending likes lamb, and it sounded pretty interesting.

I really didn't make many changes to the recipe except to substitute store-bought orange juice for the fresh-squeezed called for in the book, as I realized we forgot to buy oranges when I started cooking. I had some trouble making a foil packet to hold the dried apricots and orange juice as the recipe called for. I couldn't quite get the foil to seal, and the orange juice kept leaking out. Finally, I grabbed a disposable aluminum loaf pan we had on hand, put the mixture in there, and sealed the top with foil. This ended up working fine. Also, I used less than the half cup of olive oil recommended for dressing the cutting board, as I didn't think the meat needed the extra fat.

Everyone really liked this dish a lot. The lamb came out extremely tender, with nice smoke flavor blending with the mix of Moroccan spices. The apricot preserves combined with the dried apricots added a touch of sweetness that nicely complimented the spices and the flavor of the meat itself. We had almost none left over, despite serving 7 lbs of lamb for 5 people. Sure sign of a winner.

Six Hour Moroccan Leg of Lamb (Serves 6-8)

Equipment Required

• Big Green Egg or other smoker
• Food-safe spray bottle
• Heavy duty tin foil
• Disposable aluminum loaf or pie pan (optional but recommended)

One 7 to 7.5 lb leg of lamb, bone removed

10 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thirds

Seasoning Blend

2 tablespoons mild chile powder (I used chipotle)

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Apple Juice Spray

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup apple juice

Wrapping Mixture

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup honey

1 cup water

Apricots

1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2" slices

3/4 cup orange juice

Preserve Blend

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Finishing Dressing

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Coarsely ground salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Using the point of a paring knife, make a series of evenly spaced incisions on the surface of the meat and insert the garlic.
2. Combine the seasoning blend ingredients. Moisten the lamb with water, and rub the seasoning blend into the meat. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours.
3. Prepare your smoker for indirect cooking at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. In my large Big Green Egg, I set up with my plate setter legs up, and a drip pan between the legs. I used chunks of hickory for smoke.
4. Remove the meat from the plastic, place over the drip pan, and smoke for 4 hours. Spray with the apple juice spray once per hour.
5. Combine the wrapping mixture ingredients. Lay out a double sheet of aluminum foil big enough to wrap the lamb. Remove the lamb from the smoker and place in the center of the foil. Turn up the sides of the foil, pour the wrapping mixture over the lamb, and securely wrap with the foil. Return to the smoker for one hour.
6. Put the dried apricots and orange juice into a disposable aluminum dish (or attempt making a foil packet to hold them), and cover with foil.
7. Remove the lamb from the smoker and allow to rest, still wrapped, for 30 minutes.
8. Unwrap the lamb. Stir together the preserves and lemon juice, and reserve half for the cutting board. Brush the entire surface of the lamb with the rest.
9. If using a ceramic smoker like a Big Green Egg, carefully remove the grid and drip pan. Put the packet containing the apricots and orange juice directly on the plate setter, then replace the grid and put the lamb back in the smoker. If you are using another type of cooker, put the packet in the hottest part of your cooker. Cook the lamb for another 30 minutes.
10. Brush the reserved preserve blend onto your cutting board, drizzle on some olive oil, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Top with the lamb. Spray again with the apple juice, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
11. Slice the lamb against the grain into 1/4" thick slices, dredging to coat with the blend on the cutting board. Add additional preserve blend as needed. Season with salt and pepper, and arrange the apricots from the packet on the board. Serve directly from the board.

Recipe: Moroccan Fish Soup (Chorba Bil Hout)

Recipe Source: Mallos, Tess.  The Food of Morocco.  Murdoch Books, Millers Point, 2008 p. 206

I love fish.  Unfortunately, neither my mother nor my sister share my love for the produce of the sea, so it rarely made an appearance on the dinner table growing up.  My father fly fishes, so we'd sometimes have trout, and I could order fish if we went out to eat.  My mother would eat fried fish on Good Friday as a form of penance, although I have to say that the kind of deep-fried, overcooked stuff that she would get would constitute a penance in just about any religion.  Anyway, now that I have my own kitchen, I like to cook with fish. 

This recipe was astoundingly easy to make.  The most difficult part was roasting the peppers.  I made it easier by using ground tomatoes and omitting the pureeing step, which didn't seem to have a negative effect on the dish at all.

Chorba Bil Hout (serves 6; approx. $3.81/serving)

2 red bell peppers

1 habanero chile

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon harissa

8 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 1/2 cup water

3 cups Spiced Herb Tea

14 ounces ground tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 3/4" cubes

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment:

• Broiler pan
• Paper bag
• Large saucepan

1. Quarter the red bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes.
2. Halve the habanero.
3. Put both peppers on the broiler pan and broil until the skin blackens. 
4. Remove the peppers and put them in a plastic bag.  Tuck the end of the bag underneath the bag and wait until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
5. Peel the peppers.  Cut the bell peppers into strips.  Set aside.
6. Heat the oil in the saucepan and gently cook the onion until softened, about 5 minutes.  Season with kosher salt.
7. Add the tomato paste, harissa, garlic, cumin and water.  Stir to combine.
8. Add the spiced herb tea, 2 more cups water, and the ground tomatoes. 
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add the fish and bay leaves. 
10. Simmer 7 - 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. 
11. Garnish with the cilantro and serve. 

Recipe: Tunisian Cheese Pies (Samboosak)

Recipe Source: Kremezi, Aglaia.  Mediterranean Hot and Spicy.  Broadway Books, New York 2009 pp. 73 - 5

I know I mentioned recently that we decided to host one of our Green Egg Nights for a few friends.  I told my husband, who was responsible for the main dish, that dinner was at 7.  The day of the party he asked me again what time I told people.  I said "7."  He said, "So dinner at nine, nine thirty, right?"  We discussed the meaning of "seven," and to make a long story short I needed to make a couple of appetizers to tide people over.  I didn't have time (or the inclination - my temper was already foul from having to "discuss" the meaning of seven) to go to the store, so everything had to be made from what I had on hand.  It had to be easy, because I had plenty of other dishes to make.  And it had to be tasty.  I was already making a dish from this book, so I had it in the kitchen when I went to cook.  (I apologize to Ms. Kremezi for posting two of her recipes so close to each other.) 

I didn't need to make any changes to this recipe, which seems nothing short of astonishing as I look back.  The results were delicious.  I felt the dough was kind of tough, but I probably overworked it in an effort to minimize waste.  Someone who normally hates goat cheese certainly enjoyed them, which is generally the mark of a keeper recipe. 

Samboosak (makes about 30 pies; approx. $0.30/pie)

3 1/2 cups semolina flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup warm water

7 ounces fresh goat cheese

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 pinch Aleppo pepper

2 eggs

Equipment:

• Stand mixer
• Bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Rolling pin
• Round pastry cutter
• Baking sheets

1. Combine the semolina and the salt in the stand mixer bowl.
2. Add the olive oil and mix briefly to combine.
3. Add the warm water and knead 2 minutes.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
5. Knead again 2 minutes, then cover again and let rest 1 hour.
6. Meanwhile, combine the cheese, olives, cilantro, Aleppo pepper and eggs in the bowl.  Mix well.  I found using my hands to be the most effective way of mixing these, but you might find some other method more suitable.
7. Turn the dough out onto a surface and roll out to about 1/4" thickness.
8. Cut out 3" rounds with the pastry cutter.  Re-roll scraps.  Repeat until all the dough is used up.
9. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
10. Put 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each disk, then fold over and seal. 
11. Repeat until all your disks are used up. 
12. Bake 30 minutes, rotating halfway through.
13. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Recipe: Green Peas with Tomato Sauce

Recipe Source: Mallos, Tess.  The Food of Morocco.  Murdoch Books, Millers Point, 2008 p. 80

This dish was supposed to be made with okra.  I really wanted it to be made with okra, since okra is one of my favorite vegetables.  Unfortunately no one else seems to share my fondness for the stuff, because I have to reserve it for when it's just the two of us and there's plenty of other food on the table.  Well, my father in law loves it, so I'll usually make it when he's eating with us, but that's about it.  Other people (like my husband, and my mother in law, and most of my friends) say, "Okra.  I hate okra.  It's slimy and icky." 

Anyhow, I usually have some frozen okra on hand, just for those little emergencies.  Unfortunately I'd used it all up.  When I made this, I was trying a new grocery store, and apparently this particular market doesn't feel that it is cost effective to stock items that exactly one person on the South Shore likes.  So, no okra, and no okra makes a sad me.  I could have driven around and tried to find some okra somewhere, but please, I have better things to do with my time.  So - what did I have on hand that I could use?  I thought about it, and thought about it some more, and finally remembered that I had a lot of green peas in the freezer that needed to get out of the freezer.  I used them. 

Otherwise, this dish was really incredibly simple.  I omitted the sugar, because if my grandmother caught me putting sugar in tomatoes she'd pinch me black and blue.  That's what bay leaves are for, and my father in law grows the best bay leaves.  Otherwise, I decreased the amount of oil and increased the amount of garlic.  That's it, and it was delicious. 

Green Peas with Tomato Sauce (Serves 4; approx. $1.10/serving)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lb frozen green peas, thawed

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment:

• Large saute pan

1. Heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the peas to the pan with the tomatoes, bay leaves and lemon juice. 
5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 3 - 4 minutes.
6. Add the cilantro.  Cook, covered, another 5 minutes. 
7. Serve.

Recipe: Double-Cooked Red Turkey Breast

Recipe Source: Wolfert, Paula.  The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen.  John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, 2003 p. 142-3

I had originally bought this turkey breast for another purpose.  I forget why, but we wound up scrapping that meal and I had to freeze the turkey breast.  It took up a lot of freezer space, so when I was next looking for a recipe for Sunday dinner, I decided I would make some room for myself and use the turkey breast.  The original recipe called for two whole chickens, but the turkey breast weighed about the same and so was an equal substitution. 

I made a few other changes - increasing the garlic, substituting olive oil for butter, et cetera.  The end result was delightfully tasty and I would cheerfully make it again if I had an occasion.  The funny thing was, when I finished making the turkey and started working on the sauce that goes with it, I noticed a frightening similarity between this and a normal turkey dinner with gravy.  Seriously.  If you've got a small crowd for Thanksgiving, and want to serve something a little more exotic than a typical Thanksgiving dinner, give this dish a try.  You'll be glad you did. 

Double-Cooked Red Turkey Breast (Serves 6-8; approx. $5.35/serving)

10 garlic cloves, crushed

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 whole turkey breast (that means bone-in)

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (substitute cayenne if you can't find it)

1 1/2 cups water

1 onion, grated (I do this in the food processor, but my grandmother would have used a regular box grater.  What you choose to do is between you and your knuckles, but bleeding into the food is considered rude.)

Equipment:

• Dutch oven large enough to fit your turkey breast.  A snug fit is okay.
• Mini-prep miniature food processor
• 2 small bowls
• Platter
• Small saucepan

1. Put the garlic and the salt into the mini-prep.  Mash to a coarse paste. 
2. Transfer the paste to one of the small bowls and mix with the olive oil.
3. Put the turkey breast into the Dutch oven, breast side up.  Carefully rub the oil and garlic mixture under the skin. 
4. Combine the paprika, cumin, pepper, ginger and cayenne in the second small bowl.  Sprinkle over the turkey and set over medium-low heat. 
5. Cook the turkey until the steam begins to rise. 
6. Meanwhile, mix the onion into the water.  Pour around the turkey once the steam has begun to rise. 
7. Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until done, about 1 hour.  The temperature should read about 160 - 170 on an instant-read thermometer. 
8. Remove the turkey from the Dutch oven; it should go on the platter. 
9. Skim the fat off the sauce.  I found it easiest to do this by pouring the sauce into a measuring cup, refrigerating it for 10 - 15 minutes, and then scraping the accumulated fat off the top.  Reserve 3 tablespoons of said fat. 
10. Put the sauce into the saucepan and reduce until it measures only 1 cup.  Keep warm.
11. Return your turkey to the Dutch oven and preheat your broiler. 
12. Rub the turkey with the reserved fat, then broil 8 - 10 minutes.  The skin will get crisp. 
13. Carve the turkey and pass the sauce on the side, like gravy. 

Note - the leftover turkey was a wonderful snack. 

Recipe: Spiced Lentils with Squash

Recipe Source: Mallos, Tess.  The Food of Morocco.  Murdoch Books, Millers Point, 2008 p. 99

I usually try to have at least one vegetarian entree on the table if I'm not sure who's coming to dinner.  My husband thinks this is silly, since we don't have (or don't know about) a lot of vegetarian friends, and for most of them vegetarianism is a choice.  We do have one friend, though, who has no choice in the matter (she can't digest meat).  What if she were to show up?  Besides, it's not as though we omnivores can't eat food without meat in it.  I'm not going to go around buying veggie burgers and pseudo-chicken patties (ick!) but there is plenty of vegetarian food out there that you'd actually want to eat - vegetarian food that is not meant to pretend to be meat.  I actually really like those kinds of dishes, and they make great sides if the vegetarians don't show up. 

This is one of those dishes.  It's really, incredibly, shockingly orange.  Orange is not my favorite color.  It is however the favorite color of my absolute favorite small child ever, Wesley, who is very sick at the moment.  Here's a really orange dish for him, then, in the hopes of a speedy recovery!

Spiced Lentils and Squash (serves 6; approx. $0.75/serving)

1 1/2 cups red lentils

3 tomatoes

1/2 peeled butternut squash, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment:

• Small saucepan
• Large saucepan or saute pan with a lid

1. Put the lentils in the saucepan and add about 4 cups of water. 
2. Bring to a boil, skim the surface then simmer over low heat 20 minutes.
3. Chop the tomatoes.  (The original recipe called for them to be grated, but I didn't have time and wasn't sure I saw the point.)
4. Heat the oil in the large saucepan. 
5. Add the onion and cook over low heat until softened. 
6. Add the garlic and cook a few seconds.
7. Add the spices.  Cook 30 seconds. 
8. Add the tomato, tomato paste, salt and black pepper to taste.
9. Add the lentils and the squash. 
10. Stir well, then cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the squash is tender. 
11. Turn out into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and cilantro, and serve. 

Recipe: Couscous Cooked in Broth

Recipe Source: Ibn Razin.  "Book of the Excellent Table Composed of the Best Foods and the Best Dishes."  13th century AD, probably Murcia.  Published and translated in Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World, by Lilia Zaouali, M. B. DeBevoise trans.  University of California Press, Berkeley, 2007 p. 123

I will be the first to tell you that I simply abhor couscous.  There is a very good and very unappetizing reason for this, and I will spare you the details except to let you know that it involved the gross anatomy lab at a medical school in upstate New York.  However, while I am not alone in my distaste for this frankly inoffensive pasta-like product, I know that I am in the distinct minority.  When I was trying to plan my menu for the big medieval dinner on our camping trip a little while ago, I knew that I needed some sort of starchy dish that would fill people up.  I found this recipe for couscous and decided that it fit most of my needs. 

The original recipe wanted the dish to be served with the meat and vegetables that went into the broth used to cook the couscous.  That really wasn't an option.  I needed the dish to be vegetarian, and there weren't enough vegetables that went into the broth to serve with the couscous.  An alternative version listed in the same recipe suggested eggplant.  I decided to cook some eggplant in the same broth as the couscous and serve it on the side - not everyone likes eggplant.  My friend Laura brought some marinated mushrooms to donate to the spread; some people really liked them with the couscous.  I don't have the recipe for the mushrooms, unfortunately. 

At any rate, this was a fairly tasty dish that was enjoyed by many.  It was also very simple to cook and traveled well. 

Couscous Cooked in Broth (serves 20; approx. $0.70/serving)

2 lb couscous

5 cups Lemony Vegetable Broth, divided

2 eggplant, roughly diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Equipment:

• Saucepan for cooking the couscous
• Saute pan or wok

1. Cook the couscous according to the package instructions, using the vegetable broth instead of water.
2. Heat the oil in the wok. 
3. Add the eggplant and saute until the oil is mostly absorbed. 
4. Add the additional 1 cup broth and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer until the eggplant is softened.
6. Serve with the eggplant on the side, or for a more authentic presentation serve with the eggplant on top of the couscous.