North African Couscous

This was a little strange, but pleasurable! Sweet, savoury, comforting and fragrant. I won't lie though...I had some fartiness for a few days after eating this. I think the large quantities of cooked dried fruit were to blame. But yeah, delish. And also...vegan! I got this recipe from my dietician, so it was strange that I felt like I had to lower the fats in it. But I've become like that. And I think it's a good thing. If you can get by without those bad things, why would you not?
Serves 4-6

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
30ml fresh parsley
5ml salt
5ml black pepper
10ml ground cinnamon
3ml turmeric
5 carrots, scraped and chopped
5 spring onions, chopped
100g button mushrooms, wiped and quartered
125ml raisins
100g dried apricots, soaked overnight in water and drained
Water

200g couscous (I used 2 x 100g sachets of instant couscous)
5ml salt
Spring onion curls for garnishing.

Heat oil in a saucepan, saute garlic and onion until soft (adding water if necessary to stop it sticking). Add parsley, salt, pepper, cinnamon and turmeric. Cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots, spring onions, raisins and apricots. Add enough water to make the carrots cook. Turn the heat down, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until the carrots are soft.

Cook couscous according to packet instructions, and fluff with a fork.

Spoon couscous onto a serving platter, spoon apricot mixture over the couscous and garnish with a spring onion curl. Yum! I could do with some now.