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Candy-Apple Couscous

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Makes 2 to 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider
  • 1 large or 2 medium apples
  • 1 cup couscous (preferably whole wheat)

Instructions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it starts to melt, add 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a sprinkle of salt, and cook, stirring frequently until the sugar melts.
  2. Carefully stir in 1 1/2 cups apple cider; remove from the heat. Core, peel, and chop the apple(s).
  3. Add the apples and couscous to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and turn off the heat.
  4. Let the couscous steep until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork, taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Recipe variations

Chocolate Bar Couscous

Omit the apple. Instead of the sugar, use 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate. Substitute milk for the apple cider (cow’s or a nondairy alternative). Keep the ground cinnamon if you like or try a pinch of ground ancho chile or cayenne. Stir in 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut along with the couscous.

Orange-sicle Couscous

Instead of the cider, use 3/4 cup each orange juice and milk (cow’s or a nondairy alternative); add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Substitute 2 oranges for the apples. Grate about 1 tablespoon zest, then peel the oranges. Separate them into sections and remove the seeds if necessary. Add the orange sections and zest as described in Step 3.

Sugar-Plum Couscous

Substitute turbinado sugar for the brown sugar. Instead of the apple cider, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into 1 1/4 cups water through a strainer to catch the seeds. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom for the ground cinnamon. Thinly slice a dozen (or more) pitted prunes to replace the apples.