Couscous with zucchini and minced meat with honey-mint fig dip and roasted almonds

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 300 g minced beef
• 250 g zucchini
• 150 g couscous
• 1 m.-large onion(s), red
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 500 ml beef broth
• 1 tbsp pomegranate syrup
• 1 tbsp, heaped red pepper flakes, fermented (Isot)
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 20 g almond flakes
• 2 tbsp, chopped leaf parsley, dried
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 3 figs
• 75 g goat’s cheese
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp mint, dried
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp anise powder
• n. B. Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

First, prepare the dip so it can marinate for a while. To do this, cut off the stems from the fresh figs. Carefully peel the figs with a knife, dice the flesh, place them in a bowl, and mash the cubes with a fork until they form a chunky puree. Add the honey, ground coriander and anise seeds, and the dried mint. Then mix everything thoroughly with the goat’s cheese and season with salt. Wash the zucchini, then halve or quarter it lengthwise, depending on its size, and cut into not-too-thin slices. Peel the onion and slice it into strips. Peel and press the garlic. Heat oil in a pan and fry the minced meat over high heat for about 3 minutes until crumbly. Reduce the heat slightly and add the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Sauté everything for another 5-6 minutes. Towards the end, add the Isot paprika flakes and the cumin powder. Deglaze everything with the beef stock and bring to a boil briefly. Turn off the heat, add the couscous, and let it swell with the lid on using the residual heat from the stovetop for about 5-8 minutes. In the meantime, toast the flaked almonds in a small non-stick pan with a splash of oil over medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden brown. Finally, add the pomegranate syrup to the couscous and the meat and vegetable mixture, fluff everything up with a spoon, and season with pepper and salt to taste. When serving, sprinkle the almonds and parsley over the couscous and add the dip. Note: It’s best to taste the Isot paprika flakes beforehand to see how spicy they are and adjust the amount in the dish if necessary. The couscous with the meat and vegetables should end up moderately spicy and slightly acidic thanks to the pomegranate syrup, so that the sweet and fruity dip can harmonize well with it. Therefore, it is essential to enjoy the dip with the rest of the dish, as this is the only way to develop the overall flavor. Be sure to toast the almonds so that the nutty aroma can develop beautifully. Isot paprika flakes, like pomegranate syrup, are available inexpensively in any Turkish supermarket. If you don’t have these paprika flakes, use chili flakes instead, but reduce the amount so it isn’t too spicy. If you don’t have pomegranate syrup, add a dash of balsamic vinegar at the end for acidity.