The Spiced Life

Musings & Recipes From My Kitchen

  • Home
  • About Me
  • FAQ
  • Dishes By Region
  • Archive and Index
  • Creative Cookie Exchange
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / African dishes / Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl with Ground Beef, Veggies and Caramelized Onions (redux)

Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl with Ground Beef, Veggies and Caramelized Onions (redux)

March 27, 2015 By Laura 14 Comments

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Yummly
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe  ↓ Print Recipe  ❒

This Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl filled with Ground Beef, Cauliflower, Mushrooms and Dried Tart Cherries, topped with Caramelized Onions, is a delicious and easy weeknight meal. 

Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl: ground beef, cauliflower, mushrooms and dried fruit on Israeli Couscous , topped with Caramelized Onions. Fast and delicious!

Let’s just get the elephant in the room out of the way for you Moroccan food purists. Yes I used Israeli couscous. It was a whim, just what jumped out at me in the pantry. The first incarnation of this dish, made way back in 2009, was made with traditional Moroccan couscous. And really it is very good with either. Truthfully, you could even make it as a burrito bowl, i.e., with rice. I seem to be thinking that way a lot lately.

While it is true this is a “redux” post, I actually changed the meal a fair amount from that first incarnation. For one thing, it has a lot more of what I think of as “healthy add-ins to your taste.” In my case, on this occasion, that meant cauliflower, crimini mushrooms and dried fruit. I really wanted to work the cauliflower and mushrooms into the title, but it just got too unwieldy. And of course, if some other vegetable sounds better to you? Go for it! Really all of these “bowls” follow the same blueprint: ground meat (you could sub lentils or tofu for vegetarian versions) plus veggies of choice plus the flavor accents plus rice or couscous or even pasta. Chili powder, cumin and salsa in Mexican cooking; various whole and ground spices with yogurt and a chutney in Indian cooking. In the case of something Moroccan inspired, that means a few select spices, dried fruit, chopped seeded olives (I left out this time but they would certainly work) and either fresh (my preference) or preserved lemon. And none of what I have written is set in stone. I dislike olives, so I left them out. Ditto for using fresh lemon instead of preserved. Some items could be served on the side–if I had not been in a hurry, I would have offered olives on the side for my olive-loving kids.

Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl: ground beef, cauliflower, mushrooms and dried fruit on Israeli Couscous , topped with Caramelized Onions. Fast and delicious!

I also changed some of the spices in this incarnation. For one thing, since that first post I have actually been to Morocco! Which means I know a bit more about what spices might be used. Second, and frankly even more exciting to me, I still have some ras el hanout from Morocco in my cupboard–the whole spice kind that I grind as need. No it is not amazingly fresh, but it is still quite fragrant, especially when toasted and freshly ground. Plus, well, sentimental value. If you cannot find ras el hanout, then just add extra of the other spices that I call for. I am sure it will still be delicious.

A couscous bowl is a great pantry meal if you can be relaxed about the details. For example, this would be better with some chopped cilantro or Italian parsley, but I did not have any so I left it out. No worries. My raisins were dried out and so were my currants, so I went with tart cherries. I left out the olives. My goal with this kind of “bowl” cooking is to be delicious, not authentic. If authentic happens too, great. If not, c’est la vie.

Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl: ground beef, cauliflower, mushrooms and dried fruit on Israeli Couscous , topped with Caramelized Onions. Fast and delicious!

5 from 3 votes
Moroccan Inspired Beef and Veggie Couscous Bowl: ground beef, cauliflower, mushrooms and dried fruit on Israeli Couscous , topped with Caramelized Onions. Fast and delicious!
Print
Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl with Ground Beef, Veggies and Caramelized Onions
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Moroccan
Author: TheSpicedLife
Ingredients
  • 2 med-large onions–1/2 of one finely chopped, the other 1 1/2 thinly sliced
  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • salt to taste
  • 1-2 T olive oil
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 t cumin
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 1 t ras el hanout
  • 1/2 t ground ginger (not fresh)
  • 1/4 t allspice
  • 1 lb sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 3-4 small-medium tomatoes, chopped (canned are fine too)
  • 1 head cauliflower, leaves and stem removed, broken into small florets
  • several handfuls of dried fruit of choice (we used tart cherries)
  • juice of 1 lemon, plus a 2nd lemon sliced into wedges for serving
  • Prepared couscous
  • chopped cilantro (I did not have optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the thinly sliced onions. Sprinkle with salt. Once they are sizzling, lower the heat. Basically you are going to caramelize these onions while you cook the rest of the meal, so keep an eye on them, tossing occasionally and turning down the heat as needed. By the end you will have turned the heat quite low, but in the beginning I like to let them get some color. Don't be afraid to splash some water on them if needed (1-3 tablespoons at a time) to prevent scorching or sticking.
  2. Heat a second large stainless steel skillet over another burner, medium high. Add and heat the oil. When it is shimmering, add the finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until they are light golden brown, maybe 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the spices and stir into the onions. Do not let them burn. Let them roast briefly, then add the mushrooms. If at this point, before the mushrooms have really started cooking, you are concerned about the spices burning, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, Also sprinkle the mushrooms with a pinch of salt.
  5. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released their water, about 5-7 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up and stir it in.
  6. When the ground beef is browned, add the tomatoes and the cauliflower and toss. Sprinkle with some salt. Mix in the dried fruit.
  7. Bring to a boil, and then place a lid on the pan and turn the heat down very low to maintain a gentle simmer. Right now we are steaming the cauliflower. Leave it alone for about 7 minutes, and then check to see if the cauliflower is tender crisp.
  8. If not, let is steam a few minutes longer. Then remove the lid and raise the temperature to medium low. Cook for a few minutes to allow some excess moisture from the cauliflower to cook off and for the flavors to blend. Mix in the juice of one lemon and taste for more salt. If it is not aromatic enough, you can also add a little more of any (or all) of the spices. If you were not using ras el hanout, add a few grinds of black pepper.
  9. Toss with the prepared couscous and then when serving top with caramelized onions. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top if you have it. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

 

 

Filed Under: African dishes, beef, cauliflower, couscous, dried fruit, easily made vegetarian, grain bowl, ground beef, Moroccan, mushrooms, North African cuisine Tagged With: beef, cauliflower, cherries, couscous, dried fruit, ground beef, Moroccan, mushrooms, North African, ras el hanout, rice bowl

« Carmelitas Redux
Italian Inspired Lemon Chicken with Asparagus, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese »

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    March 27, 2015 at 7:14 am

    I bet this would also be great thrown into a tortilla, and then you could call it a Moroccan burrito!

    Reply
  2. Luv'n Spoonfuls says

    March 29, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    Oh, I’ve been looking for delicious ways to add more cauliflower into my life…and I just found it! This sounds absolutely delicious…bookmarking this for next weekend. Yum!!!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie Stuart says

    March 30, 2015 at 1:20 am

    5 stars
    Wow I love all those spices you’ve put into this. I just love these more exotic flavors! Maybe someday I can even go to Morocco!

    Reply
  4. Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says

    March 30, 2015 at 6:57 am

    This looks like a flavor bomb!! I won’t be able to find ras el han out, but I still have faith this will be spectacular!!

    Reply
  5. Debra @ Bowl Me Over says

    March 30, 2015 at 9:35 am

    What a delicious round up of flavors, wow! It sounds so delicious, I can’t wait to try your recipe!

    Reply
  6. Marjory+@+Dinner-Mom says

    March 31, 2015 at 8:07 am

    I love a good rice bowl…or couscous bowl…well any grain. Love all the goodies in this one!

    Reply
  7. Christine says

    March 31, 2015 at 9:55 am

    I love these flavors. Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  8. Jorge Jurado says

    April 1, 2015 at 12:42 am

    5 stars
    I cant wait till I try this recipe, looks absolutely delicious 🙂
    Your pictures are amazing by the way!

    Reply
  9. Michelle@healthiersteps says

    April 1, 2015 at 12:50 am

    This couscous bowl looks really delicious. I can’t wait to try ras el hanout!

    Reply
  10. Alice says

    April 1, 2015 at 3:54 am

    5 stars
    but pantry cooking can be just so satisfying too and if you get a spin on a meal you love, what’s not to love there? 🙂 Love this dish!

    Reply
  11. Sharon @ Plated with Style says

    April 1, 2015 at 10:34 am

    Love love LOVE Moroccan food! This sounds fantastic!

    Reply
  12. Kristen says

    April 1, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    I adore Moroccan spices with the spicy and sweet all mixed up in a heavenly bouquet….it makes me want to serve something like this tomorrow!

    Reply
  13. Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says

    April 2, 2015 at 9:36 am

    I am always looking for new ways to use couscous. This is absolutely perfect!

    Reply
  14. Sherif says

    January 2, 2017 at 3:36 pm

    Hi

    Sounds delicious. I think there’s a typo in the intro. I will try it. Could also be done with rice, I would think.

    BTW, you misspelled “Lebanese couscous” and typed “Israeli” instead 😉

    Cheers

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

Twitter Facebook Pinterest Instagram
Enter your email here and never miss a post!

Popular Posts

  • Restaurant Style Beef Vindaloo
  • Taralli Dolci di Pasqua (Southern Italian Easter Cookies): #CreativeCookieExchange
  • Mexican Ramen Bowl
  • Moroccan Inspired Couscous Bowl with Ground Beef, Veggies and Caramelized Onions (redux)
  • Grandma’s Beef and Noodles
  • New Orleans Style Pain Perdu (French Toast)
  • Middle Eastern Scrambled Eggs with Meat and Onion: Review of An Edible Mosaic
  • North Indian Baked Eggs: Review of Seven Spoons
  • Goan Influenced Goat Stew in the Slow Cooker
  • Saag Gosht (Beef in Fragrant Spinach Sauce)

Copyright © 2008–2023 The Spiced Life