For more delicious couscous, try my Summer Picnic Couscous Salad with Feta! Recently I discovered Moroccan spice…twice! Apparently, I forgot I found it fascinating the first time, and bought it all over again. There I was with two jars of Moroccan spice and no idea how to use it. With that thought in mind, I poured a handful of the vibrant concoction into the mortar and started bashing it until I had a fragrant, nostril tickling powder. Moroccan spice is made from a number of ingredients, including cumin, paprika and coriander, plus a few more. It’s a wonderful combination, and deserves more attention than it gets! This recipe was inspired by those flavours, which work beautifully with this light but savoury dish.
Roasted vegetables
Roasted asparagus makes a regular appearance in our house. It’s hard to believe just how much roasting this humble vegetable adds to the taste! All it takes is throwing asparagus in a roasting pan with some garlic, lemon zest and an olive oil drizzle. Who could’ve known that such simple ingredients can create such beauty! I will never go back to my steamed asparagus. Never! I also added some red and yellow peppers, shallots, garlic and zucchini. The smell that was coming out of the oven was absolutely mouthwatering, thus making waiting till dinner time pretty painful! It’s a shame that more salads aren’t made out of roasted vegetables. They have such rich, savoury flavour that a salad can be elevated to incredible heights. Throw on a flavourful dressing like tahini green goddess and you have so much more than a few leaves of green. I was pretty sure I could make a dinner out of just veggies but throw some couscous into the mix and you’ve got yourself a pretty delicious meal!
Moroccan chicken
If you are a vegetarian stop right here. The bowl will taste amazing and satisfy any appetite without needing to add anything more to it. If you are however, a meat loving carnivore, read on. The chicken breasts will be packed with flavour after marinading in the Moroccan spices and Greek yoghurt. I made the marinade with only two ingredients – the Moroccan spice and Greek yogurt – which I mixed and smothered all over the chicken. Although marinading overnight will give you better results, they will still be delicious in as little as two hours. The chicken can be cooked in many ways – roasted, pan fried, or even in an air fryer. But I will always prefer adding it to a hot grill, which I did here. Cut the juicy, grilled chicken and layer it over the couscous and veggies. A drizzle of Moroccan sauce made with reserved marinade and you have a tasty, nutritious meal ready to go!
