Beef Kebabs with Tomato-Almond Couscous

By boscobojo

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 small red onions, 1 onion cut into 1 inch chunks and the 1/2 onion finely grated
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 Tbl. chopped flat leaf parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 box (10 oz.) plain couscous (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 pt. grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the grated onion, ground beef, garlic, 3 Tbl. parsley, 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Quarter the meat mixture, then form each section into 6 football-shaped meatballs. (The meatballs need to be flat enough so that the skewered onions can also make contact with grill pan.) Thread 3 meatballs onto each of eight 10-or-12 inch skewers, alternating with chunks of onion.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and brush with 1 Tbl. olive oil. Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook the couscous according to package directions, using the remaining 1 olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Stir in the tomatoes, almonds, vinegar and remaining 1 Tbl. parsley; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the kebabs.