A-Z Index

Spiced Couscous Tomatoes

Choose ripe, well-flavoured tomatoes for this dish. Hollowed out, tomatoes make the perfect container for a spicy eggplant, dried apricot and nut couscous. Serve the spiced couscous tomatoes with sesame breadsticks.

Directions

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the insides. Place the tomatoes and cut-off tops on one side. Place the seeds and scooped-out flesh in a sieve set over a small bowl and press with the back of a spoon to extract the juices; you will need about 5 tablespoons juice. Leave the bowl of juice on one side and discard the seeds and flesh.
Place the hollowed-out tomatoes upside-down on a plate covered with paper towel and leave to drain.
Heat 1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick saucepan. Add the flaked almonds and cook over low heat for 2–3 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the saucepan. Stir in the eggplant and cook for 5 minutes, turning frequently, until browned and tender. Stir in the coriander, cumin and cinnamon, and cook for a few more seconds, stirring constantly.
Pour in the stock and bring to a rapid boil, then add the couscous in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, cover, and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Uncover the pan, return to low heat and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring with a fork to separate the couscous grains. Stir in the toasted almonds, mint and dried apricots. Add the harissa to the reserved tomato juices and stir to mix, then pour over the couscous. Add pepper and mix well. Spoon the spiced couscous into the tomatoes, replace the tops and serve.

preparation time 20 mins
cooking time 15 mins, plus 5 mins standing
serves 4

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada

Ingredients 8 large tomatoes, about 170 g each
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
50 g flaked almonds
1 small eggplant, diced 1 cm thick
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup boiling reduced-salt vegetable stock
125 g couscous
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
50 g dried apricots, chopped
1 teaspoon harissa (chili paste)
pepper to taste

Nutritional Information

PER SERVING

263 calories
9 g protein
15 g total fat
1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
23 g total carbohydrate
17 g sugars
9 g fibre
290 mg sodium

Couscous is low in fat and high in starchy carbohydrates and fibre. It has a moderate score on the Glycemic Index, which means that it is digested and absorbed relatively slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream. This helps to keep blood sugar levels steady.

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