Spiced Shrimp and Steak over Coucous

It was a dreary cool Friday evening that felt more like early October than late June; it was a perfect night to make some dinner and relax at home after a long week of work. I had been dying to make this spiced chicken and couscous that a friend had made a while back for our weekly “girls night”. I don’t know what it was, but I fell in love with it, it was the perfect balance of flavors, and light yet filling. She made the dish with Chicken; I thought shrimp and steak would be a nice twist. My first thought was to use Quinoa instead of couscous to provide additional protein and nutrients, but the store was out, so couscous it was. I feel that all meals should have a green side dish; the asparagus looked bright and crisp, so I thought why not. Serve everything in a bowl, mix up and eat. This with a nice glass of wine, a couch and a movie make for a wonderful Friday night!

¾ lb Peeled and De-veined Shrimp

½ lb Flank Steak

2 Teaspoons Paprika

4 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

Salt & Pepper

¾ Cup Couscous

½ lb Snap Peas, sliced crosswise

½ Cup Torn Basil

1 cup Tomatoes (diced or cherry cut in half)

Zest of 1 Lemon

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Cup Chicken stock

Olive Oil

Combine the Paprika, Cumin, 1 tsp Salt, and ½ tsp Pepper in a bowl. Coat both sides of the shrimp and steak with spice rub and drizzle with Olive Oil. Grill until cooked through, (steak 6-7 minutes, Shrimp, 5-6 minutes)

Meanwhile bring chicken stock to a boil, add couscous stir, turn off heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes, fluff with fork.

Add tomatoes, snap peas, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the steak against the grain, and serve both the steak and shrimp over the couscous.

Roasted Asparagus

2 Bunches Asparagus

2 Shallots sliced

4 Cloves Garlic

Salt & Pepper

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Trim ends off Asparagus (hold one stalk and break the end off, now you know where the cut the rest), and place on a cookie sheet with garlic and shallots, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes, so asparagus is still crunchy. Serve along side couscous.

Earthy Crunchy Granola

I have always loved granola; I just feel it is one of those foods you can do so much with, eat as a cereal, pour over fruit and yogurt, eat on ice cream or just munch on for a snack. The sneaky thing about granola is, people think it is healthy, when in all reality it is full of fat and calories. I figured there had to be a way of making it healthier, so I tried cutting the oil in half replacing it with fruit juice. I think it worked, but try it and let me know your thoughts. This recipe makes a lot, but its okay, just take it to work, your coworkers will love you for it, trust me!

8 Cups Quick Cooking Oats

2 ½ Cups Slivered Almonds (you can use any nut except peanuts)

4 Cups Coconut

¾ Cup Honey

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Apple Juice

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

3 Cups Dried Fruit (I used a combination of Apricots, Blueberries and Cherries, but be creative and use what you like)

Mix the oats, almonds and coconut and place in a single layer on baking sheets. Place in a 375 degree oven and toast until just slightly browned.

In the mean time, combine remaining ingredients, excluding fruit and bring to a boil.

Once Oats are browned, combine with liquid, add fruit and mix. Place back on cookie sheets and let cool.  If it is not as crunchy as you like, feel free to put it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

This makes a great Fruit and Yogurt Parfait!!!