Quick trip to Morocco!

A few weeks ago I was watching Food Network, and saw a Moroccan beef stew made. It looked so delicious, mostly because of the array of spices used. I came up with the idea of making a bun-less burger instead of a meatloaf, because I love the way the grill brings out the aroma of the spices, and I didn't want buns as well as cous cous. I don't know that these are all traditional spices, (as I haven't yet researched Morocco), but they are spices that I enjoy. These could also be made into meatballs or meatloaf, or with a bun as a regular burger. I felt this burger needed a condiment, and chutney is a popular condiment in the Middle East, so I went with cranberry chutney because I have a big bag of dried cranberries in the pantry. This would also be great with Mango or Rhubarb. This meal really balances sweet and savory, and the acid brings a lightness to the beef.
I absolutely love cous cous! It is a blank slate that can be flavored a million ways. I buy it in bulk and flavor it myself, but there are boxes with seasoning packets in most grocery stores. This entire meal is so versatile, just switching a few spices here and there can take it to a few different ethnicities. That is what I love about learning a basic recipe like this, and why you should take the time to experiment and learn about herbs and spices! A variation -Spanish style, add some saffron to the cous cous, some diced peppers and onions, and fresh cilantro. For the burgers, use chili powder, cumin, chipotles, and oregano.

Moroccan Spiced Burgers with Cranberry Chutney, Pine Nut Whole Wheat Cous Cous, and Almond Green Beans

Burgers:

12 oz. 96% lean ground beef

1 tbsp. worstershire sauce

1/4 yellow onion, grated

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cranberry Chutney:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 cup water

1/4 red onion, minced

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Salt and pepper

Pine Nut Cous Cous:

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup whole wheat cous cous

salt and pepper

3 tbsp. pine nuts

1/2 tsp. parsley

Almond Green Beans:

1/2 lb. green beans, washed and ends cut off

2 tbsp. slivered almonds

1 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients of the chutney to a small saucepot. Turn heat to medium, cover and simmer.

Bring a pot of water with a steamer in it to a boil.

Bring a small saucepot with chicken stock to a simmer.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.

Add all burger ingredients in a bowl. Toss lightly to mix in spices. Shape into 4 patties. Lay each patty on the grill pan and cook for 7 minutes on each side.

Add green beans to the steamer basket, steam for 8 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Add cous cous to simmering water, cover and turn the pot off. Let couscous sit for 5 minutes.

Pull the green beans out of the pot, dump out the water, turn the burner off, add green beans back to the pot with butter and almonds. Toss to distribute. Uncover the cous cous, add pine nuts and toss with a fork to break up the cous cous. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate the cous cous, green beans, top with the burgers and spoon chutney over the burgers.