---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

     Title: CHRISTMAS EVE COUSCOUS
Categories: Main dish, Christmas, Vegetarian
     Yield: 6 servings

-------------------------------VEGETABLE STEW-------------------------------
     2 oz Oil
     1 lb Onions, sliced
     1 lb Carrots, sliced
 1 1/2 lb Acorn squash
          -- peeled, seeded & diced
     1 ts Ground ginger
   1/2 ts Powdered cinnamon
   1/2 ts Turmeric
   1/4 ts Ground white pepper, or more
 1 1/2 pt Water or vegetable stock
     1 lb Courgettes
          -- trimmed and sliced
     1 lb Frozen broad beans
          Salt
     1 ea Squeeze lemon juice
     1 ds Sugar
          Chopped fresh coriander

-------------------------------FOR THE GRAIN-------------------------------
     1 lb Couscous
     1 ts Salt
     2 oz Butter

-------------------------------FOR THE EXTRAS-------------------------------
     1 tb Harissa sauce
    15 oz Canned chick peas, drained
     1 tb Olive oil
     1 ts Cumin seeds
     6 oz Raisins
     4 oz Pine nuts
     8 oz Soy yogurt
          A dusting of paprika

 First make the stew.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the
 onions and fry for 5 minutes, then add the carrots, squash and
 spices. Cook for a further 10 minutes, with a lid on, stirring from
 time to time until all are buttery and spicy.  Add the water or stock
 and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are just
 becoming tender. Add the courgettes and broad beans, and cook for a
 further 5 minutes or so. Season with salt, lemon juice, and a little
 sugar if necessary. (This is best made in advance and reheated, as
 the flavours improve -- it is particularly good after freezing.)
 Now make the grain.  This is an unusual way to cook couscous, but I
 find it gives the best results.  Put the couscous into a baking tin
 and add 1 pint of water; immediately drain this off and return the
 couscous to the tin. Leave it for 20 minutes, separating the grains
 with your fingers after 10 minutes, or more times if you're passing.
 Put the couscous into a sieve or steamer lined with a blue J-cloth.
 Set over a pan of simmering water (it doesn't have to be the stew)
 for 20 minutes. Tip the couscous back into the baking tin and pour
 over 5 fl oz cold water with the salt dissolved in it. Sift the
 grains with your fingers and leave for 15 minutes, then put back into
 the lined steamer and heat as above for a further 20 minutes. Sift
 with your fingers into a serving bowl and stir in the butter.  Set
 aside while you put together the extras.
 To assemble and serve, take a ladleful of liquid from the stew and
 add it to the harissa to make a thick paste.  Put this into a small
 bowl. Drain the chick peas.  In a small pan, heat the oil and add the
 cumin seeds, stirring for a moment or two, then add the chick peas
 and stir until heated through.  Put into a second small bowl. Cover
 the raising with boiling water, leave for 10 minutes or longer to
 plump, then drain and put into a third small bowl.  Put the pine nuts
 into a fourth bowl -- they can be lightly toasted if you like.
 Finally, put the yogurt into a fifth bowl and dust the top with some
 paprika. To serve, ladle the stew over the couscous and garnish with
 chopped fresh coriander.

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