Couscous with meat and vegetables

Couscous with meat and vegetables is a rich and flavorful dish. Here’s how to prepare it with an Italian touch, using ingredients that pay homage to Mediterranean cuisine.

Ingredients

• 250 g of couscous
• 300 g of beef or lamb, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1 zucchini, chopped into cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into pieces
• 2 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and diced
• A bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 1 liter of meat or vegetable broth
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until translucent.
2. Add the cubed meat and brown it on all sides until colored.
3. Add the spices (cumin and coriander), the carrots, and the bell pepper. Stir for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover with the broth and let it cook for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables and meat are tender.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to the package instructions, usually involving the addition of boiling water to couscous and letting it sit covered for a few minutes.
6. Once the couscous has absorbed all the water, fluff it with a fork and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
7. Serve the couscous on a large plate, create a hollow in the center and pour the meat and vegetable mixture over it.
8. Garnish the dish with fresh chopped parsley.

Trivia

Couscous is a very common dish in North Africa but has also become popular in Italy, especially in Sicily, where it was introduced by the Arabs. The Sicilian variant often includes fish and local ingredients such as bottarga and wild fennel, which give a characteristic Italian touch to this North African dish.