what is your favorite recipe involving cous cous?

Question

i have a box of cous cous and dont know what to do with it

Answer 1

I liked what secretkessa and Rain had to say, but the *most common* way I probably eat couscous is just as a quick and easy starch for dinner when I have some kind of sauce or gravy in the main course (or in a stew, etc.). In that case, I use just plain couscous, or the whole grain couscous... adding only water (no stock or salt or fat/oil... tastes just fine since there will be gravy of some kind on it):
... boil water, add couscous, cover pan and remove from heat
...let sit 5 minutes, then fluff (DONE)

I also buy the pre-flavored couscous mixes (Near East's Mediterranean Curry, Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil, and the Wild Mushroom are favorites... just realized Near East is a dept of Quaker!)
Here are some couscous recipes from their website:
http://www.neareast.com/ne_recipes/recipefinder/favoriterecipes.cfm

And more couscous recipes from the web:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLC,GGLC:1969-53,GGLC:en&q=couscous+recipes

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Here are some other ideas and recipes I've collected for couscous... they all sounded good!:


Marrakesh Express' boxed Mango Salsa Couscous ... add shrimp and peas

bits of chicken or seafood, plus peas or limas …drizzle of sesame oil... can eat cold, for lunch, etc.

tuna fish, celery, tomatoes, corn, green onions, lots of pepper
…olive oil & lemon juice

Morrocan:
chickpeas, raisins
…turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, lemon

Mexican:
black beans, tomato, corn, jalapeno, carrots, celery, red onion, avacado, chiles, maybe queso fresco
…olive oil, lime juice, cumin, cilantro

chicken stock - red onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, black pepper
…olive oil, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest

vegetable stock...+ pepper, red and yellow squash, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, basil (chiffonade), flat leaf parsley
…dressed with 1 c olive oil, 1/2 c balsamic vinegar, 1 t Dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

golden raisins, undrained can of mandarin oranges

Mediterranean CousCous (from Cooking Light):
...add chickpeas, bell peppers, tomato, pepperoncini, summer squash, red onion, feta cheese, maybe black olives
…olive oil, water, lemon juice, fresh herbs (like oregano)
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup NEAR EAST Original Plain Couscous
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup loosely packed shredded fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
In medium saucepan, bring water and pepper just to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; cool, uncovered 10 minutes.
In large bowl, combine couscous, lemon juice and olive oil. Add tomatoes, zucchini, basil and green onions. Chill 4 hours or overnight. Stir in cheese before serving. Serve on lettuce leaves or as a filling for pita bread.


HTH,

Diane B.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Basic Moist Cous Cous

Ingredients

* 2oz (60g) or 1/3 cup dry cous cous per portion
* 7 fl oz (200ml) or 1/2 cup stock or fluid per portion
* 1 tsp oil
* spices and herbs to taste

Method

1. heat the oil in a pan. The pan needs to have a close-fitting lid.
2. fry any spices until coloured.
Fry whole spices first, then add ground spices, then wet flavourings (eg garlic or chilli)
3. add the stock to the pan, and bring to the boil.
Depending on your taste, this stock can either be proper stock or a stock cube added to each portion of water. If you use stock cubes, you're unlikely to need any extra salt.
4. add the cous cous and any dried herbs. Take off the heat, stir and cover.
Dried herbs should be added now to give them a chance to rehydrate. Fresh herbs can either be added halfway through soaking, or just prior to serving depending on the effect you want and the delicacy of the herb.
5. after ten minutes or so, the fluid should have been absorbed. Stir to separate the grains.
6. (optional) add a little butter or oil, stir and re-cover for a minute or two.
7. serve as a side dish

Answer 4

MID EASTERN COUS COUS

Cous Cous mix
Pinch of saffron
Raisins
Cooked vegetables

Cook Cous Cous as directed on package (about 5 minutes). Add saffron and raisins. For variety, mix small carrots and celery with the cous cous. Peas and lentils are good too. Serve on a large round plate. Arrange cous cous mixture on the outer edge of the plate and pile the vegetables in the middle. Use "color" and be creative.

Answer 5

Ooh this one is so simple and yummy.
Prepare as the box says. Then while it is cooking brown a chicken sausage cut up on the stove. Add about 1/2 cup of salsa, any kind until it cooks down. Add to the cous cous. Next toss in 1/2 cup of shelled pistachios.
So yummy.
Another is to carmelize a diced onion with mushroom add a tbs of garham marsala. Add salt pepper and raisins. Serve with lamb

Answer 6

smoked mackerel, diced
red onion
spring onion
cucumber deseeded
lemon zest
red pepper finely diced

make lemon dresiing and cover ingredients.

make cous cous with veg stock
combine together

Answer 7

I have recently rediscovered couscous too. It is a nice alternative to the pasta-rice-potato dilemma.

Since couscous is so small, it cooks by hydrating in boiling liquid. You don't cook it. In this way it is really quick prep, similar to minute rice, even though it is a tiny piece of pasta.

I always cook mine in broth. It gives great flavor. You can add fresh parsley or any other herb you want.

You can blow the walls off couscous by simply substituting it for your other sides, and prepare and season it as such. You might serve instead of mashed potatos, rice, or grits by serving with gravy. You might also sub for rice by using it as the bed for a meat and veg sautee or stirfry.


Form into silicone cupcake pans so you can plop them out and serve (kind of like polenta) as a really elegant and exotic but simple presentation...perhaps on a bed of salad greens with nuts and fruits and veggies and a viniegrette, or next to breast of chicken and some broccoli.

You might also arrange a "muffin" of couscous in the middle of a soup bowl, and surround it with a soup, like a cream soup or a clear brothy soup, maybe even a gumbo type or a stew, making it a sub for barley, or rice, or pasta as the starch for your soup. Garnish with sprigs of your soup herbs, and serve with panini or whatever.

You might be able to prepare it on the dry side, then add moisture back in by adding mayo, herbs, and whatever other secret ingredients you put in pasta salad.

You also may be able to prep it as a sandwich filling, relying on the texture as a suitable meat substitution. If you want it to be truly vegetarian, use veggie broth or soup stock. If you make a mayo salad (similar to ham, chicken, tuna, crab, or another meat salad) you can use it as filling for pita or tortilla wraps.

Some things to consider to expand the flavor: Keep in mind that couscous is a neutral flavor, but takes up whatever flavor is with it. SO it doesn't have to be used as expected. You can flavor it to go with Asian, Mexican, Italian, or any other ethnic cuisine.