Wenda
Lady LORD
Compliments of the season to you all 
Here's something for you lot - I felt like strictly-non-secular-end-of-year-holiday-season dessert last night after dinner but we didn't have any, so I improvised from what was in the cupboard, and damn, it was a bloody awesome experiment. Despite some people who refused to try it *stare* Here is Karyn's totally excellent spiced fruit couscous:
12-15 dried dates (sultanas or raisins might also work)
5 nectarines or peaches (you can use tinned if you must, you philistines)
1 1/2 cup very strongly brewed chai or massai tea (if unavailable, substitute with same volume of plain black or red tea, and 1/2 tspn each of finely ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg)
2 tblspn honey
100ml alcohol (well I didn't measure it, but it was a good sized slosh. Any type of whiskey, brandy, or appropriate fruit flavoured liquor would work - I used purloined peach schnapps)
200g couscous
2 tblspn psyllium husk (optional)
Pit the dates and stonefruit, and roughly chop into small pieces.
Add them to a saucepan with the chai and honey on high heat. Bring to the boil and reduce to low-to-medium heat, then allow to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken slightly and the fruit softens.
Add the alcohol and continue to simmer, stirring, another couple of minutes. If you sloshed in too much alcohol you may need to wait a bit longer for it to reduce again. But that's all good too.
Add the couscous and psyllium and turn heat to low (the psyllium, if used, is a thickener - it gives the pudding a thick, smooth texture, like halava or semolina). Stir constantly until couscous swells and the mixture turns thick and difficult to stir.
Remove from heat and serve warm. I served this with frothed milk poured over it, but would also work with cream, vanilla ice cream or custard. Maybe you could pour a bit more of that alcohol over it too. Serves about four
Here's something for you lot - I felt like strictly-non-secular-end-of-year-holiday-season dessert last night after dinner but we didn't have any, so I improvised from what was in the cupboard, and damn, it was a bloody awesome experiment. Despite some people who refused to try it *stare*
Here is Karyn's totally excellent spiced fruit couscous:12-15 dried dates (sultanas or raisins might also work)
5 nectarines or peaches (you can use tinned if you must, you philistines)
1 1/2 cup very strongly brewed chai or massai tea (if unavailable, substitute with same volume of plain black or red tea, and 1/2 tspn each of finely ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg)
2 tblspn honey
100ml alcohol (well I didn't measure it, but it was a good sized slosh. Any type of whiskey, brandy, or appropriate fruit flavoured liquor would work - I used purloined peach schnapps)
200g couscous
2 tblspn psyllium husk (optional)
Pit the dates and stonefruit, and roughly chop into small pieces.
Add them to a saucepan with the chai and honey on high heat. Bring to the boil and reduce to low-to-medium heat, then allow to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken slightly and the fruit softens.
Add the alcohol and continue to simmer, stirring, another couple of minutes. If you sloshed in too much alcohol you may need to wait a bit longer for it to reduce again. But that's all good too.
Add the couscous and psyllium and turn heat to low (the psyllium, if used, is a thickener - it gives the pudding a thick, smooth texture, like halava or semolina). Stir constantly until couscous swells and the mixture turns thick and difficult to stir.
Remove from heat and serve warm. I served this with frothed milk poured over it, but would also work with cream, vanilla ice cream or custard. Maybe you could pour a bit more of that alcohol over it too. Serves about four
