Shrimp & Couscous with Ginger-Orange Sauce

I love Cooking Light, (which is why I should probably renew my subscription), and when I was in college I made this delicious recipe that, four years later, I'd been hankering to try again ever since.  The recipe is for crunchy shrimp with couscous and ginger-orange sauce.  It has a semi-long ingredient list, but the actual preparation is not difficult, and Lennon has been not-so-subtly hinting that I should make it again ever since he got a taste.

Here it is, with notes on the few modifications I made:

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1  cup  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 2  tablespoons  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  chicken broth (I used veggie broth)
• 1  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper   

Couscous:

• 1  cup  uncooked couscous
• 1 1/2  cups  chicken broth (I use veggie broth)
• 1/2  cup  orange juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/3  cup  chopped green onions
• 2  tablespoons  sliced almonds, toasted
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter

Shrimp:

• 20  jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs - I used whole wheat bread crumbs)
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 2  cups  trimmed watercress (I used spinach)

1) Thaw the shrimp!  I forgot to do this in advance and practically had to boil the shrimpies in tap water while I prepped everything else.

2) Grate the ginger, chop green onions, cilantro, etc.

3) In a saucepan, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). 

4) Remove from heat; cool completely.
5) Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.  Note: I may have reduced the orange juice too much, but Lennon and I both agreed that more sauce would have been better, because it's delicious.

5) To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly.

Lennon in the middle of peeling mostly thawed shrimp.  We are cheap and bought the kind with exo-skeleton still on.  Quote: "I LUV SHRIMP!"

6) Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. 

7) Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.

Peeled and thawed shrimps. 

8) To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat. (I did not do this, I just stirred it all in a bowl).

9) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.
10) Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.

In the words of Julia Child, and many French people: bon apetite, (unless you're a shrimp).

Addendum: "This is the Lennon's favorite dish that Amanda-pants has made."    -- the Lennon.