Cous cous.
It's a strange name for a food, but fun to say, right? It's even more fun to cook and eat!
I began eating cous cous in high school during my early vegetarian days. It was an easy component for quick meals. Even a teenager with zero cooking skills couldn't mess it up.
So what is it?
It's actually made from pasta but is cooked and served like rice. It is light and fluffy and can be combined with numerous ingredients and flavors. Unlike rice, it cooks in five minutes or less. You simply bring the specificed amount of water to a boil, add the cous cous, stir, take off the heat, cover the pot, allow to sit for a few minutes, and then fluff with a fork. (Many recipes will tell you to add oil, but this is really not needed unless you really prefer it.)
Cous cous can be found in nearly all grocery stores in the rice aisle. It's typically available in a box, with a variety of flavor choices including parmesan, broccoli and cheese, curry, herb, garlic, lentil, tomato, and more. If you are new to cous cous I recommend you pick up one of these boxes, whichever flavor you prefer, and give it a try. There are instructions on the box, which will mimic what I outlined above. Serve it with veggies and any type of meat. Or, serve it with a stew on top.
Now that I have been making cous cous for 15 years or so, I rarely buy the boxed variety. If it's on sale, I might get a box or two for the pantry for back-up, quick meal options. But I prefer to buy it plain and in bulk. It's much cheaper this way and allows me to use it whatever way I like. I buy it at Whole Foods but it can also be found plain in larger containers at most regular grocery stores.
I follow the same steps to prepare the cous cous. Then I add whatever I want. My favorite use I found by accident. I had leftover citrus and fennel salad (kinda like a tangy salsa) and needed to use it up. So I thought I would make up some cous cous and toss it together. It was awesome! I tried this method again last week with a different "salsa" recipe. I chopped up a pineapple and cut about a cup into small pieces. I also chopped some celery that was about to go bad and added it for crunch. Then I added a little vinegar and some fresh herbs from the garden. Next I cooked the cous cous and toss it with the salsa. I served this along with tuna from the grill.
It was light, fruity, tangy, sweet and healthy. It was perfect for a meal on a warm spring day.
You can also try making it sweet by mixing in cinnamon, sugar and dried or fresh fruit.
Give it a try and lemme know what you think. Or, if you have tried it, share your favorite flavor or preparation.
It's a strange name for a food, but fun to say, right? It's even more fun to cook and eat!
I began eating cous cous in high school during my early vegetarian days. It was an easy component for quick meals. Even a teenager with zero cooking skills couldn't mess it up.
So what is it?
It's actually made from pasta but is cooked and served like rice. It is light and fluffy and can be combined with numerous ingredients and flavors. Unlike rice, it cooks in five minutes or less. You simply bring the specificed amount of water to a boil, add the cous cous, stir, take off the heat, cover the pot, allow to sit for a few minutes, and then fluff with a fork. (Many recipes will tell you to add oil, but this is really not needed unless you really prefer it.)
Cous cous can be found in nearly all grocery stores in the rice aisle. It's typically available in a box, with a variety of flavor choices including parmesan, broccoli and cheese, curry, herb, garlic, lentil, tomato, and more. If you are new to cous cous I recommend you pick up one of these boxes, whichever flavor you prefer, and give it a try. There are instructions on the box, which will mimic what I outlined above. Serve it with veggies and any type of meat. Or, serve it with a stew on top.
Now that I have been making cous cous for 15 years or so, I rarely buy the boxed variety. If it's on sale, I might get a box or two for the pantry for back-up, quick meal options. But I prefer to buy it plain and in bulk. It's much cheaper this way and allows me to use it whatever way I like. I buy it at Whole Foods but it can also be found plain in larger containers at most regular grocery stores.
I follow the same steps to prepare the cous cous. Then I add whatever I want. My favorite use I found by accident. I had leftover citrus and fennel salad (kinda like a tangy salsa) and needed to use it up. So I thought I would make up some cous cous and toss it together. It was awesome! I tried this method again last week with a different "salsa" recipe. I chopped up a pineapple and cut about a cup into small pieces. I also chopped some celery that was about to go bad and added it for crunch. Then I added a little vinegar and some fresh herbs from the garden. Next I cooked the cous cous and toss it with the salsa. I served this along with tuna from the grill.
It was light, fruity, tangy, sweet and healthy. It was perfect for a meal on a warm spring day.
You can also try making it sweet by mixing in cinnamon, sugar and dried or fresh fruit.
Give it a try and lemme know what you think. Or, if you have tried it, share your favorite flavor or preparation.
I was just looking at a recipe a few minutes ago that has couscous and now I see you posted about it. I love couscous. The boxes are really simple and can make great sides/replacements for rice.
ReplyDeleteHere's the recipe I was checking out. Moroccan Chicken With Preserved Lemons and Couscous
Sounds good. Thanks for sharing! And let me know how it turns out.
ReplyDelete