Couscous Christmas tree with onions and rosemary

The holidays are a great moment to let our imagination and taste run wild. What better way to do so than by preparing a delicious couscous Christmas tree with onions and rosemary. The recipe is easy and the result will look stunning. Does the idea appeal to you? Let’s start then!

• Preparation: 10 minutes
• Cooking: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: Very easy
• Servings: 8 people
• Cost: cheap

Ingredients

Chickpea couscous 300 g

• Water 300 ml
• Up to 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 
• 30 g of dried onions 
• 30 g parmesan 
• 1 egg 
• 6 black olives 
• Fresh rosemary 
• 30 g of butter 

Start by rehydrating the couscous: in a low and large pan add salt to some water and wait for the latter to boil. Turn off and add the couscous. Cover with a lid and let it rest for 5 minutes, then season with oil and mix with a fork.

Let it cool slightly. Pour the couscous into a bowl, add egg, parmesan, dried onion, butter and chopped rosemary. Stir to mix the ingredients well.

Pour the mixture into a silicone mold in the shape of a Christmas tree and compact it well with the back of a spoon.

Bake your couscous Christmas tree at 180 degrees (static mode) for 15 minutes. Unmold it and turn it upside down, then decorate it with black olives as if they were the balls of a real Christmas tree 

Serve lukewarm and enjoy during the holidays!

 

Properties of onions

Onions are part of the same food family as garlic, shallot, leek and chives. It is a typical vegetable of the Mediterranean culinary tradition, in which its characteristic taste is often highlighted more than its properties. The benefits offered by the consumption of onion are instead to be taken into great consideration, a bit like garlic, in fact, it should be consumed more often to exploit all its properties. Onions boast antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, they also contain good amounts of quercetin, a flavonoid that helps keep cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood at bay, and parameters that we know are very important to protect the body from cardiovascular diseases. Other than their effect on fats, onion also has a positive effect on blood sugar, thus reducing blood sugar levels. One of the most interesting benefits of onion are its antibacterial and antimicrobial capacities, thanks to which it is capable of preventing the proliferation of microorganisms that are potentially harmful to health. At the same time, it is able to stimulate the immune system.

Onion is also an excellent detoxifying remedy with a diuretic action. That is, the great wealth of water it is made of, makes it an interesting natural remedy even for those who suffer from high water retention, obviously associated with a correct overall diet and the right amount of physical activity.

It is also an excellent expectorant remedy, therefore useful in case of cough and cold. It decongests the mucous membranes and can be used when there is a lot of phlegm, bronchitis, sinusitis, and similar symptoms.

Properties of rosemary

This aromatic plant is an irreplaceable herb in the kitchen, especially in the Mediterranean diet. Perfect on meats, fish and in the preparation of sauces, it is the most used spice in grilling and marinades: it is used with lamb, beef, rabbit, duck and goose. The flower is used to flavor salads, the leaves, fresh or dried, are added to many dishes such as roasts, dips, potato dishes and rustic pies.

It is also excellent on bread and focaccia. The sprigs of rosemary are also used together with garlic, to flavor olive oil and vinegar with excellent results; its use makes foods not only tastier, but also more digestible.

It is a plant rich in essential oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, resins, camphor and also contains rosemary acid, which has antioxidant properties. Many studies, in fact, have shown that the active ingredients of rosemary have the ability to inhibit the superoxide anion, a very toxic and reactive free radical responsible for cell oxidation.

It can be used as an infusion or decoction and is used as a liver purifier, a tonic and a digestive. For this reason, it is included in the composition of detoxifying herbal teas together with dandelion. It is effective in cases of meteorism and intestinal disorders in general, in the case of ventral spasms, dizziness and inappetence.