Cooking with couscous

Roast Vegetables & Mixed Nut Couscous Salad

Couscous is a Maghrebi dish of small steamed balls of crushed durum wheat semolina.

The benefit of using couscous is that it is easily paired with most foods and transformed into a sweet or savoury dish allowing for creativity and a variety of options for dinner time.

When asked to name one of his favourite ingredients, Granny Mouse Country House & Spa Culinary Artist, Wayland Green answered, “couscous, due to its versatility”. “Couscous allows for a large variety of bolder and stronger flavours to be combined as it is bland on its own. Similar to that of a blank canvas, you become an artist when cooking with couscous. It is also simple and quick to prepare which is convenient after a long day of work,” he added.

The traditional preparation of couscous uses a special pot called a couscousiere, however today it is cooked simply by pouring 1 cup of  couscous into boiling water, stirring once with a spoon and covering it with a lid or cling film to steam for a few minutes until fully absorbed.

Traditionally a meat, vegetables and other ingredients were added to the bottom of a pot and the couscous was then cooked in a perforated steamer on top, absorbing flavours from the ingredients underneath.  Today, we add in various stocks to add flavour instead of plain boiling water.

Couscous is known to be a quick-cooking alternative to starchy ingredients such as rice, pasta or potatoes and can be served as a main dish accompanied by meat or stew. It can also add thickness to soups or even made into a salad. For a dessert dish, couscous can be mixed with chocolate, fruit and more.

Here are some ideas to get couscous into your mealtimes:

Recipe: Roast Vegetables & Mixed Nut Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

Couscous

• Couscous x 2 cup
• Vegetable Stock x 4 cups
• Onion x 10 grams
• Garlic x 5 grams
• Thyme x 2 sprigs
• Chilli Flakes x 2 grams
• Paprika x 2 grams
• Cumin Powder x 2 grams
• Coriander Powder x 2 grams
• Oil x 10 ml
• Salt x 2 grams
• Pepper x 1 gram

Roast Vegetables

• Baby Marrow x 30 grams
• Cherry Tomatoes x 50 grams
• Corn Kernels x 30 grams
• Red Onion x 50 grams
• Mixed Peppers x 50 grams
• Oil x 5 ml
• Salt x 2 grams
• Pepper x 1 gram

Mixed Nuts & Seeds

• Cashew Nuts
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Pecan Nuts
• Sunflower Seeds

Method:

• Heat a medium pan on low heat with the oil and fry off your spices, onion and garlic. Remember to constantly mix your spices so they don’t burn and take off the heat after 30 seconds and mix into your vegetable stock.
• In a bowl add your couscous and pour over the vegetable stock just to cover it. Wrap with cling wrap or cover with a lid and allow standing for 10 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix the couscous with a fork so it can break up into fluffy chunks and set aside to cool.
• Cut up your vegetables and keep them separate.
• Heat up a frying pan with the remaining oil and sauté off the vegetables starting with the vegetables that take the longest to cook.
• Once you have sautéed the vegetables off season with salt and pepper and allow resting for a few minutes.
• Once this has rested you can mix the vegetables into your couscous along with your seeds and nuts.
• Dish up into a large bowl or plate and garnish with micro herbs or fresh coriander or parsley.

Couscous salad is now served.

For a chocolate infused sweet couscous recipe, try this easy chocolate cake and one which is a healthier option to standard cakes that incorporate a large amount of sugar.

Recipe: Chocolate couscous cake

Ingredients:

• Couscous x1 cup
• Cocoa powder x 1 tablespoon
• chocolate chips x1 cup
• Agave nectar or similar sweetener x2 tablespoons
• Boiling water/skimmed milk or coconut milk x2 cups
• Egg whites x2
• Oil

Method:

• Add 1 cup couscous to a bowl. Add in the cocoa powder and stir.
• Add 2 cups boiling kettle water and allow to stand for a few minutes until the couscous absorbs the water. Allow to cool.
• In a separate bowl whisk up 2x egg whites until stiff and fluffy.
• Fold together the egg whites and cooled couscous mixture.
• Add in the chocolate chips and fold in.
• Set oven to a 180 degrees and place mixture into a lined baking tray.
• Bake in oven for approx. 30 minutes or until cooked.
• Dust cocoa powder or drizzle chocolate sauce on top to finish off the cake.

Whatever your choice of recipe, you will be doing your body some good as couscous is full of nutrients that your body needs. It is rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, selenium, potassium, magnesium, folate among others. With all these nutrients, it will strengthen your bones, muscles, and immune system, however as per any other carbohydrate, it should be eaten in moderation. (zliving.com).