Munching with the Mouse

One of my favorite ways to relive the magic at home is by recreating some of my favorite Walt Disney World dishes. Here’s a personal favorite from Epcot’s Restaurant Marrakesh, Couscous Salad. First I’ll give you the straight Disney version of the recipe, and then I’ll tell what improvements changes I’ve made.

 

Disney’s Recipe:

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1/2 of a red onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 of a sweet red bell pepper
1/2 of a sweet green bell pepper
1/2 of a chopped zucchini
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Cinnamon to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup orange juice
12 ounces cooked plain couscous
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup tangerine segments or mandarin orange segments
 Mint sprig for garnish  

Method: In a large nonstick skillet, sauté onion, garlic, sweet bell peppers and zucchini in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup olive oil to vegetables along with raisins, chickpeas and orange juice. Toss vegetable mixture with couscous and pan juices. Add parsley and gently fold in citrus segments. Mound mixture onto a serving platter and garnish with mint.

Teri’s Version:

Ingredients:
Olive oil – 1 to 2 Tablespoons
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 of a sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 of a sweet green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 of a chopped zucchini – or maybe just the whole thing, because what am I going to do with half a zucchini?

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste – I start with 1 tsp. Kosher salt and ½ tsp. pepper, and increase from there
Nutmeg to taste - ½ tsp.

Cinnamon to taste - I start with about 1 ½ tsp. and go from there

Cayenne pepper - ¼ tsp. - I like how the little added kick plays with the sweet and savory flavors that are going on in this dish.
1/2 cup olive oil – Are you kidding? That’s a lot of oil, which means a lot of extra calories. I cut this down to ¼ cup.
1/4 cup raisins - I go for closer to ½ cup (because I like raisins), and I use regular or golden. When I cook the couscous, I just increase the recommended liquid by about ¼ cup and add the raisins right in there. It plumps up the raisins beautifully.
1/4 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – I leave these out because I’m not a big fan, so why add the calories?
1 cup orange juice – Pineapple juice tastes great, too. I use whichever I have on hand.
12 ounces cooked plain couscous – I use 10 ounces, because that’s what comes in a Near East box. I prepare according to package directions, plus the raisins and a little grated lemon or orange peel, just to jazz it up a little.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup tangerine segments or mandarin orange segments - I usually at least double this. I like mandarin oranges.
Mint sprig for garnish - Unless I have mint on hand for something else, that is not going to happen.  

Method: In a large nonstick skillet, sauté onion, sweet bell peppers and zucchini in olive oil. Add the garlic during the last minute or two of sautéing. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to vegetables along with the juice. Toss vegetable mixture with couscous, raisins, and pan juices. Add parsley and gently fold in citrus segments. Mound mixture onto a serving platter and garnish with mint (or not). I love this warm or cold. Enjoy!