Kabobs with Lemon-Olive Cous Cous

I admit that I have a love of making and eating kabobs with grilled veggies, couscous or rice and some toasted pita chips with either yogurt sauce or hummus. It makes for a simple, healthy and relatively quick meal. Plus, there are so many different ways you can fix it by using different herbs and spices. The flavors can completely change! This is a recipe that I saw on 30 Minutes Meals with Rachael Ray and ever since I saw it I wanted to make it. I followed the recipe exactly (this is a rare occassion for me) except I used steak (instead of lamb..couldn't find any) for my husband, chicken, mahi mahi and shrimp for me. All I have to say about the result of this meal is DANG!!!! IT IS SO GOOD! The combination of herbs and spices is incredible. So full of flavor. The couscous? Very tastey with the toasted pinenuts and green olives. Since we don't have a grill, I stuck the veggies under the broiler for a few minutes and they came out delicious. If you are in the mood for a meal packed with flavor, this is it! Trust me, it is well worth the 25-30 minutes you'll spend preparing it.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Greek plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or minced
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves, a handful
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves, a handful
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon butter
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 cup pitted and chopped green olives
Toasted pita, for serving
Special equipment: metal skewers
Directions
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high or broiler with oven rack set on second level from the top of oven.
Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, just eyeball the amount, with spices and grill seasoning in a shallow bowl or dish. Add lamb to seasonings and coat evenly in the mixture. Skewer the meat on metal skewers and let sit for 10 minutes. Cook on a hot grill or under the broiler for 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.
Thread the onions and peppers onto skewers, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill or under the broiler for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender.
Combine yogurt with garlic, mint and parsley.
In a sauce pot toast pine nuts over medium heat, remove and reserve. Add butter, zest of lemon, and chicken stock to pot and bring to a boil. Stir couscous and olives, cover the pot and remove from heat. Let the couscous stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and toss in the pine nuts.
Stir the lemon juice into yogurt to thin.
Serve meat and vegetables with dipping sauce, couscous and toasted pita alongside.