“Homemade with Love. In other words, I licked the spoon and kept using it” – Spicy Goulash

This week’s recipe is…
North African Meatballs with Date Couscous!

Today we are cooking up something we’ve never cooked up before. Something so special and spectacular that it will make all the other recipes we’ve made before seem like nothing compared to this. What is this incredible recipe? Well if you read the title above you already know… It’s North African Meatballs with Date Couscous! This week’s recipe of North African Meatballs with Date Couscous is made with an assortment of delicious ingredients that all come together to make this meal. To start, let’s run through the ingredients in the North African Sauce: olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon, briny olives, white wine, chicken stock or broth, crushed or diced tomatoes, light brown sugar, red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon, and freshly ground black pepper. For the meatballs, our ingredients are an egg, tomato paste, cilantro leaves, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, beef, oats, or bread crumbs, black pepper, vegetable oil, and parsley leaves. The last part of the recipe calls for our Date Couscous. To make this we will need water, chicken stock or broth, olive oil, chopped dried dates, couscous, and black pepper. Alright, we have all the ingredients for all three parts of our recipe. By now you’re probably wondering–how do you take all those ingredients and mix them together to make our North African Meatballs with Date Couscous? Check out all the nitty-gritty details on how to prepare it in our North African Meatballs with Date Couscous Recipe to dig into the specifics. And now, as always, let’s dig into the incredible, the interesting, the obscure… history of Couscous!

HISTORY OF COUSCOUS

Some believe that couscous originated as a Maghrebi
(Northwest African — you learn something new every day) dish of small steamed balls of crushed durum wheat that is traditionally served with soup on top.

Other cereals have been used in place of crushed durum wheat and are then also called couscous.

Now if you’re like us, you’re probably wondering, how popular is couscous? I haven’t seen it a lot here in the United States. And the answer is that it is a staple food throughout the North African cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Libya, as well as Israel due to the large populations of Jewish people of North African origin.

But what if you’re thinking, I’ve seen it all the time in the United States! What are you talking about!? Alright, alright, you’re correct, in Western supermarkets, it is available in instant form with a flavor packet, and can be served as a side or main dish. Or, you can be like us, and make it at home using our wonderful recipe.

Alright y’all, you know what time it is? It’s time for our FUN FOOD FACTS!

TRIVIA (FUN FOOD FACTS!)

Question: What year was couscous first eaten?

Answer: Historians estimate as early as the 7th century!

Question: True or False: In Egypt, couscous is eaten more as a desert.

Answer: True! It is prepared with butter, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and nuts and topped with cream.

Junior Chef Stars – The Premiere Cooking School for Kids and Teens

We hope you enjoyed this week’s recipe as much as we did! With December right around the corner, get a jump start on the month by signing your child up for a Cooking Class! And remember, “Cooking is one of the great gifts you can give to those you love” – Ina Garten

To see a list of our upcoming classes, click here!