Couscous with scallions, almonds and dried fruit

Directions

1. seasonings for the couscous
2. Mix all the dried spices with the uncooked couscous and place in large shallow serving bowl. The shallow bowl will help when you separate the grains later, so keep that in mind when choosing your serving dish.
3. In a small bowl, mix the lemon, olive oil and mustard and stir to combine.
4. Boil the liquid of your choice (chicken broth or vegetable broth yields a greater flavor than water) in a medium sized sauce pan and whisk the oil, lemon, and mustard mixture into the liquid when it comes to a boil.
5. Pour the hot liquid over the couscous and immediately cover with foil or plastic wrap. Let the couscous sit for 10 -15 minutes to absorb all the liquid and steam.

1. scallion mixture
2. While the couscous is steaming, clean and chop the scallions and cilantro. Take half of the greens and mix with the chopped fruit and nuts. Set aside the other half of the greens.
3. Check the couscous; it should be steamed through and will be sort of stuck into one solid mass. Take a fork and rake the surface very gently to separate the grains. Continue to rake the grains, going deeper to the bottom of the dish until you have a fluffy bowl of couscous. If the fork is not working well, you can actually separate clumps with your hands, if you are very gentle and don't squash it.
4. Gently fold the scallion, nut and fruit mixture into the couscous. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed. Garnish with the remaining greens. I like serving this at room temperature, about an hour after preparation.