Couscous with dried fruits and nuts is a simple to make side dish that will make any meal just a little bit fancier. It’s part of this month’s Recipe ReDux challenge to work with dehydrated foods.
There’s all kinds of kitchen fun to be had with a dehydrator. You can:
- make your own fruit leathers
- make your own jerky
- dry greens and grind them up to make your own green powder for smoothies
- dry fresh herbs for use throughout the year
- dry fruit and vegetables to preserve them
- make your own raw crackers, nuts and chips
- make your own dried soup mixes
- make your own easy to pack foods for camping and backpacking
It doesn’t take a huge investment to get started dehydrating your own food. An oven capable of maintaining a temperature between 150 and 175 degrees will work. A simple dehydrator for a small family will cost around $40 and is perfect for starting out. A larger model with multiple trays is perfect for a larger family and will cost a lot more. Some models have thermostats and timers and can double as yogurt makers.
People who eat raw foods use dehydrators to “cook” their food as dehydrating changes the texture without heating the food up to the point where important enzymes and nutrients are believed to be destroyed.
We eat dehydrated foods all the time and don’t think much of it. It is probably the oldest method of food preservation. Foods like your favorite meat sticks, herbs and spices, sun-dried tomatoes, pasta, rice and other grains, dried fruits and teas are all preserved for long term storage by the process of dehydration and/or dry roasting which inhibits bacteria and molds. Some foods also require treatment with an acidic solution or sodium bisulfite to further retard bacterial growth.
Today’s recipe, Couscous with Dried Fruits and Nuts, makes use of several dehydrated ingredients, including the couscous which is a type of pasta. It’s extremely simple to make and any dried fruits can be used. I used raisins and dates from the pantry and part of a bag of tropical fruits. Craisins are nice, too. Avoid overly sugared fruits. I never add sugar when I make this, especially when using dates.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups couscous
- 2 1/2 cups water or broth
- 1 cup dried fruit dates, raisins, craisins, pineapple, papaya, etc
- 1/2 cup nuts chopped or whole (pistachios, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc)
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Combine water and dried fruit in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the couscous all at once, place a lid on the pan and remove from the heat.
- Let stand until all the water is absorbed.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the nuts and parsley before serving.
We served our couscous with some chicken skewers and a green salad for a simple weeknight meal.
For more examples of what can be accomplished with a dehydrator, visit these websites:
Dehydrators on Amazon
Ooh love couscous! Bet it would taste yummy with dried pineapple
I think the dried fruit blend I used had pineapple and papaya (also banana chips, but I picked them out hahaha). It was good 🙂
What a great combo of ingredients!
Thanks! It’s so easy to make and I like that I can use up some of the little bits of fruit and nuts that seem to accumulate in the pantry 🙂
Looks delicious!