What a Pearler!

Pearl Couscous with Prawns

I’ve made a decision about couscous – I only like it in very small doses, and by that I really mean, hardly at all.  I haven’t made it since last year when I went out to the shops to buy hair dye and instead came home with couscous (read the post as I really would rather forget that day). I think I liked couscous that day but I’ve decided that I don’t, but will eat it if someone served it up to me, as long as it’s only a little bit.

What I do love however is  Pearl Couscous; I guess because it’s almost like pasta and not really like couscous at all. I love how it holds it’s shape and soaks up any flavour you add to it. Anyway, at the moment, I’m a little addicted to this nutty flavoured little pearler!

I made a rather large salad with it, with prawns, avocado, cherry tomatoes, lime and coriander and there is absolutely none left. My handsome man, who has never eaten this before, just devoured the lot – he’s a mighty good man and I love how much he loved it.

Not much of a post tonight as I’m shattered after a long week at work – I have had to take on a Coordinator position at work in addition to my teaching role, and I just have to get my head around that, my shoulder is killing me and my left shin hurts after my run (must get new runners!) so all I want to do right now is take a pain killer or two, finish my Vodka and drift off into lala land, even though it’s only 9pm on a Friday night.

Here’s the recipe and the pics

Cheers and good times 🙂

Ingredients

• 250 grams pearl couscous
• 20 prawns (shelled)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1 tblspn spice mix I made up last week (see https://pantryobsession.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/slasher-movie-hangover/) for this very lovely spice mix.
  
• coriander

Dressing

• 1 juice of a small lime
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup shaoxing wine
• 1 tblspn sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper 
  
• bunch of coriander

Method

1. Add spices to oil in a deep pan and slightly heat, then add couscous and stir through very well over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add boiling water ( see packet for quantity of water ) to the pan and stir periodically for 8 – 10 minutes.
3. Once water is absorbed and the couscous is soft remove from heat and stir through 1 teaspoon of olive and then spread out evenly, so that you don’t get any clumps.
4. Stir carefully about every 5 minutes till the couscous is cooled.
5. Add more oil to the pan and saute onions then add the prawns and stir until almost cooked then add dressing. Remove prawns once cooked and set aside to cool.
6. Cut  cherry tomatoes into quarters.
7. Peel and dice avocado.
8. Add dressing to the couscous and mix through well.
9. Add all the other ingredients gently and mix through well.
10. Top with coriander and lime wedges.

Love fresh ingredients!

I could eat this every day!