Spices add enticing aroma to kabobs

Small charcoal grills laden with kabobs dot the streets in some Moroccan cities. The Moroccans love to use a lot of spices and they create a tantalizing aroma as they cook.

Capture the flavors of this exotic cuisine with Moroccan Lamb Sausage Kabobs served with Couscous Salad. If you can take the time to fire up your barbecue, grill the kabobs and enjoy the aromas. If you’re pressed for time, you can use the broiler.

Supermarkets carry ground lamb in the lamb section of the meat case. Use a food processor to make the lamb mixture or knead the ingredients with your hands.

Fresh mint, cucumber and tomatoes give the couscous dish a crisp, refreshing texture and flavor.

Moroccan Lamb Sausage Kabobs

Olive oil spray

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound ground lamb

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed

Preheat broiler. Line a baking tray with foil and coat with olive oil spray. Set aside. Mix bread crumbs with coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Add lamb and garlic. Mix well. Divide the mixture into four parts. Roll each segment into a sausage about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place sausages on skewers, two per skewer. Place on baking sheet and coat sausages with olive oil spray. (If using a grill, don’t use baking sheet.) Broil 5 minutes. Remove from broiler and turn skewers over. Broil 3 minutes. Serve with couscous.

Yield: 2 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 429 calories, 28 grams fat (60 percent fat calories), 23 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 84 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 523 milligrams sodium.

Couscous Salad

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup couscous

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed (1 cup)

1 medium tomato, cubed (1 cup)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided use

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil water in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add couscous. Cover with a lid and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add cucumber, tomato and 2 tablespoons mint. Toss well. Mix in yogurt and salt and pepper to taste. Serve on dinner plates and sprinkle top with remaining fresh mint.

Yield: Makes 2 servings.

Approximate nutrition per serving: 229 calories, 1 gram fat (3 percent fat calories), 10 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrate, 1 milligram cholesterol, 9 grams dietary fiber, 57 milligrams sodium.