Shrimp Piri Piri and Almond Mint Couscous

  The flavors of Mozambique, Africa abound in this recipe.  The mild couscous flavor is very complimentary to the spicy Piri Piri.  Shrimp Piri Piri is a nice appetizer or light meal.  The spices are complex and similar to Moroccan spice mixes.
     Almond Mint Couscous Recipe:  Boil or steam a handful of couscous. 
     Add a pinch of turmeric.
     Add a spoonful of almond slivers.
     Add a pinch of cumin
     Add a pinch of chopped parsley.   
     Add a little bit of chopped fresh mint.
     Add sea salt and black pepper. 
     Stir a dash of olive oil into the couscous as it cooks. 
     Couscous only takes about 4 minutes to cook, so have the ingredients ready before cooking. 
     Piri Piri Recipe:  Make a piri piri marinade by mixing these ingredients together in a mixing bowl:  A generous splash of olive oil, about 7 cloves of chopped garlic and a generous squeeze of lime juice. 
     Add a few pinches each of these spices:  chopped mint, chopped parsley, mace, sea salt, black pepper, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, coriander, allspice and crushed red peppers. 
     Stir the marinade and set it aside. 
     Marinate 6 to 8 tail on, peeled and deveined shrimp in the piri piri marinade for 10 minutes.
     Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. 
     Pour the marinade and shrimp into the hot pan. 
     Sear the shrimp quickly till they become lightly caramelized on the highlights.
     Assembly:  Use a ring mold to place the couscous on the middle of a plate. 
     Set the shrimp around the couscous. 
     Pour the hot piri piri marinade over the shrimp. 
     Garnish the couscous with a parsley sprig and mint sprig.
     Piri Piri Shrimp is spicy and you can adjust the amount of hot pepper to your own taste.  The spices infuse with the olive oil when cooking.  The flavors are exciting and exotic!  Yum!  ... Shawna