Here’s another quick weeknight recipe. Couscous will give you a starchy side dish in almost no time at all, especially if you have an eletcric kettle
OK, two out of three of my kids. I can’t get THAT lucky.
Recipe: Quick Couscous
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups instant couscous
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
- 2 cups boiling water
Directions:
1. Cooking: Combine the couscous, butter and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water into the bowl, stir to combine, and cover. (I use a dinner plate). Let sit 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork, and serve.
Variations:
Replace the butter with olive oil
Replace the boiling water with boiling chicken stock for some extra flavor.
*Add 1/4 cup raisins (or even better, the tiny raisins called Currants
Notes:
*This is a good side dish for any middle-eastern themed meal. It’s bland, but that’s good – if you have a bunch of flavorful dishes, this makes a nice, plain counterpoint. I think of it as I would mashed potatoes, pasta, or plain white rice. It’s a side dish to go with something that has a sauce or juices that the couscous can absorb. A Tagine is the traditional recipe with this, but it goes well with any stew-like dish. Oh, and lentils and couscous are another wonderful combination.
*Stews aside, what I usually eat with couscous is grilled food. It’s particularly good with shish kebab, which is its traditional accompaniment. Just remove everything from the skewer right onto a bed of couscous, and let the juices from the grilled foods mix with the couscous.
*It’s also a good side dish if you’re really in a hurry. It’s done in 15 minutes, end to end, and you don’t need a pot on the stove to cook it in!
Inspired by:
The Take Out Menu Cookbook – Carla Synder and Meredith Deeds
The Rustic Table: Constance Snow