North African Spiced Shrimpwith Couscous

By danyell923

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Almonds
• 3 to 4 Prunes
• 4 to 5 Pitted Dates
• 1 Bunch Spinach
• 1 Small Red Onion
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Cup Couscous
• 1 8-Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
• 10 Ounces Shrimp
• 1 Tablespoon Ras El Hanout
• 1 Bunch Parsley
• 1 Lemon

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from blueapron.com

Preparation

Step 1

Couscous, a staple in North African cuisine, is actually a very fine semolina pasta. Its origins date back to the 9th century East Africa where archeologists discovered tools used for making it. Traditionally, in North Africa, it’s steamed and flavored by the heat rising off a vegetable or meat stew. In Egypt, it’s mostly served as a sweet dish with cinnamon, nuts, and dried fruit.

Makes

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic. Roughly chop the spinach, dates, prunes, and almonds. Peel and small dice the carrot and red onion. Pick the parsley leaves off the stem. Cut the lemon into 4 wedges and remove the seeds. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and drizzle them with a little olive oil. Sprinkle in the

Make the couscous:

In a small pot, heat

to boiling on high. Once the water comes to a boil, stir in the

and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 4 to 5 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff the finished couscous with a fork.

Add the

to a medium, dry pan. Heat on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer the almonds to a bowl and wipe out the pan.

In a medium pan, heat a little olive oil on medium-high heat until hot. Add the

and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion and carrot are softened, stirring occasionally; season with salt and pepper.

To the aromatics, add the

and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until wilted; season with salt and pepper. Add the

(tear the leaves just before adding, if you’d like), and

. Add a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the heat and add

In a separate medium pan, heat a little olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the

and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through and opaque, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat squeeze

couscous mixture

between 2 dishes and place the shrimp on top. Garnish with the