Moroccan Lamb with Couscous

For Valentine’s Day I gave Judy a trip to Morocco, in a manner of speaking.  What I did was to prepare a wonderful dish from that part of the world for our dinner.  It was delicious and quite romantic.

The PointsPlus value per serving is just a little higher than what we normally prepare, but that includes the Couscous. So don’t be afraid of trying this incredible dish yourself.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Moroccan Lamb with Couscous

5 tsp Olive Oil

1 ¼ pounds Leg of Lamb, trimmed, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

1 Large Onion, halved and thinly sliced

5 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

½ tsp Paprika

½ cup Apricots, dried, halved

½ cup pitted Prunes, dried, halved

14 ½ oz can Tomatoes, whole, peeled

½ cup Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp Lime juice, fresh

2 cups Couscous, cooked

Instructions

In a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid, heat the Oil over high heat. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. 

Season the Lamb with Salt and Pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

Reduce the heat to Medium. Add Onion and Garlic; cook stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add Paprika, Apricots, Prunes, Tomatoes and 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, partially covered to reduce and thicken sauce.

Return Lamb and any accumulated juices to pan and cook until heated through, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Add Cilantro and Lime juice.  Additional Cilantro, if desired, may be used as a garnish.

About 5 minutes before Lamb is done prepare Couscous according to package directions.  Basically you will boil water to which you have added 2 Tbsp of Butter and ¼ tsp Salt.  When water boils add Couscous.  Remove from heat and let sit about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and serve.

Yields 4 servings. PointsPlus value per serving, including Couscous is 12. Prep time is about 30 minutes. Cooking time is about 30 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Photo by Barry Baruh