North African Meat Sauce with Saffron Couscous

Recently, a chef friend of mine sent me a recipe she came across in the New York Times. She did a riff on it using Wild Idea Buffalo meat and said that it was fabulous! I modified the recipe with the ingredients that I had on hand, as well as changed the structure based on the time that I had. But, that's the great thing about a recipe: it can be used as a guideline, and then you can riff away and make it your own! This recipe is filled with a bunch of aromatic spices that are great for both digestion and the taste buds. Win-win!

Author

Jill O’Brien

Servings

6

Ingredients

• 2 – tablespoons oil
• 1 – onion, chopped
• 1 – teaspoon salt
• ½ - teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 – teaspoon allspice
• 1 – teaspoon ginger
• 1 – teaspoon turmeric
• 2 – teaspoons paprika
• ¼ - teaspoon cayenne
• ½ - teaspoon cumin
• ½ - teaspoon coriander
• ¼ - teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 – pound Wild Idea Premium Ground Buffalo 
• 4 – cloves garlic (2 tablespoons), chopped
• 3 – tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 – cups organic chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 3 – tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 – tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 – green onions, chopped
• 1 – tablespoon olive oil
• 2 – cups couscous
• ½ - cup chopped apricots
• 2 – cups water or broth
• .01 oz. – saffron

Directions

1. For the sauce: In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, onion, and dried spices. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Crumble in the Ground Buffalo and chopped garlic, stir to incorporate, and brown, about 7 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for 15 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved.
4. Add half of the fresh chopped herbs before serving.
5. For the couscous: Heat the oil and the couscous in a pot over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, water, and saffron. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with the lid on, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.
6. Serve the meat sauce over the couscous and garnish with remaining chopped herbs.