Couscous and Fruit Compote

I mentioned in an earlier post that August hit us hard and fast in Chicago, July was pretty mild followed by several days of 90+ degree weather. The hot weather wasn't at all unusual for this time of year except for the fact that it hadn't been hot really at all until then. Well now it is the end of August and the weather is almost fall like.

This morning I had a few minutes to make breakfast, I think you will be happy to know that it did not include Chorizo or Tortillas. I wanted something filling and, for lack of a better way to put it, warm. By "warm" I don't mean above 75 degrees I mean something, like oatmeal, that that makes you feel warm on the inside, something that can counter the fall like weather. I made Breakfast Couscous with fruit Compote. I enjoy Couscous often, it is simple to make, can take on almost any flavor and I love the light fluffy feel of it in my mouth. This morning I topped some couscous with a fruit compote made from dried fruit.

The grocery store that I like to shop at has containers of all kinds of things that a family might NEED, they have 4 color wasabi mix, (my favorite) Gummi Bears (my son's favorite) along with a huge assortment of nuts, candy and assorted dried fruit, vegetables, seeds and other snacks. This last weekend I picked up a box of dried fruit, I can't name everything in it but it included dried apples, apricots, currents, mangos, pineapples, raisins, figs and some other fruit that I am unable to identify. The breakfast that I made today had:

Fruit Compote:

3/4 Cup Assorted dried fruit, big pieces cut up

3/4 Cup water

2 Tbs Brown Sugar

Splash of Lemon Juice

1 Tea Bag

I put the dried fruit and water on the stove and brought it to a boil then added the brown sugar and lemon juice (about a Tablespoon). After it boiled for 5-6 minutes I turned off the burner then put in an bag of Earl Grey Tea and let it steep while I made the Couscous.

The Couscous was easy I put 3/4 cup of dry Couscous in a bowl then added three slices of preserved lemons to it, they were cut into 1/4 inch dice. Then I added 1 cup of boiling water and about a Tablespoon of Olive Oil. At this point I put a plate on top of the bowl of soaking Couscous to let it steam for about five minutes. After the Couscous sits for about 5 minutes I fluff it with a fork, this stops the cooking process and keeps it light and fluffy.

At this point you are ready to dish up take the Couscous and top with the hot fruit compote. Perfect for a cool fall morning!