Cous Cous???

nfpeacock

I have somehow ended up with nearly a KG of cous cous in my cupboard! While I love it I really struggle to add flavour to it. Anyone got any quick/cheap recipes to liven up plain cous cous?

aneary1980

I have it cold for work with cucumber, tomatoes, corrander and black pepper, I sometimes add peppers.

I just chop up everything really small.

plumsparkle

I have it cold for work with cucumber, tomatoes, corrander and black pepper, I sometimes add peppers.

I just chop up everything really small.

^this! It is great with mint and yogurt dressing!

cook it in stock, instead of plain water adds some flavour.

also, serve it with saucy things, like curry, instead of rice.

SpicesOfLife

firstly, cook your cous cous in veggie broth instead of water. then sautee onion and some (small) zucchini pieces, add any spices you like and when the zucchinis are finished just add the couscous and stir for a few mins, voila! super delicious, my go to quick meal.

ps: make sure you dont use too much water on the cous cous or it will get sticky. i only use slightly more water than cous cous, say 1 cup cous cous + 1.25 cups water.

kqto

I lived on couscous when i was a student.. I used to add a dash of soy sauce and ground black pepper to the water in which i cooked it. It tastes better with a side of roasted vegetables like garlic, peppers and zucchini. Also goes well with sea-foods like salmon and shrimps.

One of my lazy student dinners involved making a soupy chicken curry and adding raw couscous to the pot towards the end and letting it rest till it cooked..

SpicesOfLife

One of my lazy student dinners involved making a soupy chicken curry and adding raw couscous to the pot towards the end and letting it rest till it cooked..

this sounds great too, must give the cous cous an amazing flavour to soak up the curry sauce.

dammitjanet0161

You can also soak your cous cous in mint tea or lemon and ginger tea to add flavour.

Make it Moroccan with chopped dried apricots and/or sultanas, parsley, red onions and spring onions.

Roast some veggies (cherry tomatoes, courgette, red onion, aubergine, mushroom, sweet potato) in a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and oregano and throw into the cous cous.

Nativestar56

I often have cous cous with salad for my lunch.

I make mine either with stock in the water or I add a little pesto after its cooked. Pesto is quite calorie dense but you only need a small amount to give a good bit of flavour and there are light versions around.

sijomial

Cold and slightly sweet option:
I like the Marks & Spencer fruity Moroccan style cous cous - I'm sure you could recreate it easily enough.
"Made with chickpeas, red onion, oranges, apricots, raisins and cranberries in a tangy honey and orange dressing."
http://www.marksandspencer.com/moroccan-style-fruity-couscous-salad/p/p21004287

Savoury hot option:
My wife cooks salmon filet (en papillote) with cous cous and added chopped spring onions, chopped sundried tomatoes, pieces of chorizo.

kqto

It does.. and I'd eat it with some plain yogurt because i like my curry really hot

hmaddpear

Wow - that curry one sounds amazing! I'll have to try it (though we've just run out of cous cous again.)

We tend to cook the cous cous in vegetable stock (Marigold bouillion, if you can get it, is delicious), or lemon juice and water. Add some chopped veggies, some chicken and you're done!

Muffie22

http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_moroccan_couscous_salad.htm

i do something like this. I like to roast the onions and peppers first though. Also sometimes swap out raisins for pinapple. yumyumyum

icck

My usual work lunch is cous cous (sometimes I use the pre-flavoured ones, sometimes plain) mixed with a heap of roasted or grilled vegetables, beans or flaked fish, and sweet chilli or hot sauce. Yum!
I've also done this with pesto, or just a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil.

waxon81

Moroccan style cous cous ranks up there with my favourite foods.

just4nessa

I toss in some chopped carrots and celery for a little crunch, then some chopped black olives and a splash of chicken broth for added flavor. Easy and tasty.

Kakibot

I found that if I stir fry some veggies, then add semi-ready couscous into the pan and then finish it off with cherry tomatoes - squeezing the tomato juice into the pan first - the couscous will suck in lot of the veggie flavour. We also add some feta usually but I admit that's not the best way of keeping things healthy .D so you can just slap a portion of piri piri chicken breast over it instead, make a yogurt/garlic/cucumber dressing, done! One of my favourite meals and such a great way to get ridiculous amounts of veg into your diet.

WaterBunnie

You can use it instead of rice for stuffed peppers or use it to thicken a stew - particularly useful if you've made something in the slow cooker and come home to find it's too liquidy.

Jenniferstone86

I use it in place of rice for stir-fry, or its good in a cold salad.

It would also be good with some roasted vegetables mixed in with a little EVOO and Balsamic drizzled

dklibert

I received a variety box of four different couscous. These are the recipe that were included. Great recipes!

Note: * I say heaping because I measured the couscous that came in the box and it was more than a 1/2 cup but no where close to 3/4 cup.

Couscous Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

* heaping 1/2 cup Middle Eastern Couscous (the large pearl shaped couscous)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, chopped fine
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of ½ orange (3 Tbsp)
½ tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp salt or to taste

Bring 2 cups water to boil in saucepan. Add couscous; stir and bring to second boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes or until couscous is tender yet still al dente; then drain remaining water. Set aside and let cool. In small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, zest, juice, thyme and salt. In small bowl, combine couscous, cranberries, pecans and scallions. Pour whisked dressing over mixture; toss to combine. Chill in refrigerator for few hours so flavors can blend. Serve cold or a room temperature.

Yield: 2 cups. Serves 2




Italian Couscous

* heaping 1/2 cup tomato couscous
1 bunch scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed; reserve oil
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Bring 1 cup water to boil in saucepan . Add tomato couscous and stir. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 min. Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp of reserved oil in small skillet and sauté scallions until soft. Stir cheese and salt into cooked couscous until cheese melts. Fold in chopped sundried tomatoes and parsley; serve.
Yield: 2-1/2 cups
Serves 2





Moroccan Couscous

* heaping 1/2 cup couscous
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup silvered almonds

Pour vegetable broth into saucepan, bring to a boil. Add butter apricots and raisins; boil for 2-3 min. Remove from heat; stir in couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 min. Stir in cinnamon, salt and almonds; serve.
Yield: 2-1/2 cups
Serves 2





Grecian Couscous

* heaping 1/2 cup spinach couscous
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Pour vegetable broth into saucepan, bring to a boil. Add Spinach couscous and stir. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 min. meanwhile, in non-stick skillet, sauté onion, mushrooms and garlic until tender. Stir lemon juice, oregano and salt. Fold in cooked, couscous, sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.
Yield: 3-1/2 cups
Serves 2 - 3

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AfriDiva

These look so good I'm hungry :laugh: Cous Cous for Dinner tomorrow :bigsmile:

sistrsprkl

I cook couscous in broth, evoo, s&p in a rice cooker. Super easy.

Kelli0453

I add spices right into the boiling water i.e. garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, etc. Livens up the cous cous, tailor made to whatever else dinner is, and cheaper than buying the flavored boxed stuff.

canadjineh

I always cooked couscous in veggie broth, then did either a curry spices mix with cooked cauliflower, onion, and carrot in it (raisins & almonds if you like) & topped with yogourt, or I did it Greek style with cucumber, grape tomatoes, chopped green onion, black olives and feta crumbles in it after cooking and toss with a bit of Greek dressing.

ETA I do the same thing with quinoa now.

Vampyros

I made some yesterday: cooked the cous cous in chicken stock (from a cube) and then, once cooled, added finely chopped onion, yellow pepper, cucumber and tomato. I put in some chopped parsley and lemon juice and seasoned with black pepper. Delicious!