Moroccan Apricot Couscous Salad

I really love Moroccan-style flavours – cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon!   And the best is – there is a fabulous ‘short-cut’ available – Woolies’ Moroccan Rub!  I use it so often, that I always buy 2 containers at a time!  Very versatile and convenient 🙂 And it works great with lamb, chicken and veggies.

Here’s a quick and healthy salad to make the most of those flavours:

 

Serves 1

 

80g cooked couscous

75g chickpeas (tinned/cooked)

A big handful of fresh rocket

30g soft dried apricots, chopped

10g toasted almond slivers

 

Dressing

100g plain fatfree yogurt

1/2 tsp Woolworths Moroccan Rub (if you don’t have this – you can make up your own morrocan blend -this recipe is great http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/moroccan-spice-blend-109356)

 

Mix couscous and chickpeas and place on bed of rocket, lightly stir through yogurt dressing.  Season to taste. Sprinkle chopped apricot bits and toasted almonds over it.

2016-09-28-14-05-59

2 CC, 1 Prot, 1 Fat, 1 Fruit, 1/2 Veg, 1/2 Milk

Inspired by Buzzfeed Recipe

Carrot and Chickpea Falafel

A lovely vegetarian option!  🙂

 

200g carrots, cooked and mashed (or you can add it raw, finely grated)

75g chickpeas, tinned/cooked

20g fresh Italian Parsley

1/3 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 chopped red onion

10ml olive oil (I used jalapeno infused olive oil)

1/3 tsp Woolies Moroccan Rub (or you can just add a bit of cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander)

20160223_181003.jpg

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend together.

Form little balls (I just used my hands!)

Put on baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray

Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for about 15 minutes

Be careful when handling it, because there’s no binding agent (like eggs) it can break quite quickly.

20160224_122731.jpg

Serve with mint and yogurt dip!  (100ml plain fat free yogurt and a handful of chopped mint leaves)  I had it with a serve of toasted rye bread – very yummy if you mush everything together with the yogurt dip!

 

Moroccan Pumpkin and Corn Soup

Moroccan pumpkin and corn soup with a big blob of fat free cottage cheese!  😀

Dead easy – 250g pumpkin, 100g potato, 1/4 tsp Woolies Moroccan Rub, salt and pepper to taste, 125ml chicken stock (top up if needed).

Boil until soft and liquidise.

Add 100g corn kernels and cook for another couple of minute.

Top with fat free cottage cheese.

And voila!

image

Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Soup with Moroccan Spiced Toast

Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Soup with Moroccan Spiced Toast
(adapted from Fresh Living Magazine May 2015)

wpid-1430738166842.jpg
Serves 1
Preheat oven to 180C

Toss 75g red onion, 225g baby carrots (3 Veg), ½ tsp crushed garlic, ½ tsp crushed ginger, ½ tsp ground cumin and 5ml olive oil (1 Fat) together in a Ziplock plastic bag – shake to coat properly.
Transfer to baking sheet, season well with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 25 minutes or until soft.
Once done, add to 300ml veggie stock and 75g chickpeas (1 Prot) and simmer for a few minutes for flavours to mix. Blitz with handblender and serve with fresh coriander.
The original recipe calls for dukkha, but I didn’t have a home and I didn’t want the extra fat portion (nuts added to dukkha) so I took 1.5 slices Albany Ultima bread (1 CC), cut it into strips and sprinkled it with Woolies Moroccan rub. Toasted in the oven until crisp and browned. Dunk it in the soup – really yummy!