Lightly seasoned with turmeric cinnamon and mint, this quick and easy couscous recipe has pops of sweet golden raisins and crunchy toasted pine nuts. A super easy side dish.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced shallot to the pan, stirring occasionally until the shallot is fragrant and softened, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the couscous and stir, coating it with the olive oil and slightly browning the pasta. Add the turmeric and stir until the couscous is completely coated with the spice, about 1 minute.
Add the cinnamon stick and vegetable broth to the couscous, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the skillet. Add the golden raisins at the 5-6 minute mark (while there's still liquid in the pan, but its being absorbed more rapidly) and continue to simmer for the remaining 2-3 minutes of cooking time until the pasta is tender.
Remove the skillet from the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the chopped parsley, mint and toasted pine nuts. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.
TO TOAST PINE NUTS:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Place the pine nuts on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake for 3-4 minutes. Shake the pan so that the nuts turn and continue to bake until toasted and fragrant, about 2-4 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.Note: You can also toast pine nuts in a clean, dry skillet over medium heat. Place the nuts in the skillet and cook, shaking every 30 seconds or so until the nuts are golden and fragrant.