Cooking Couscous - help!

[TashaRVT]

Hi all -

I'm in need of some couscous help. I have a bag of couscous in my cupboard that I don't know what to do with it! I make a curried couscous salad that my husband and I enjoy, but DD9 and DS6 won't touch. My kids aren't what I'd call "picky" eaters, but they ARE kids, and not exactly adventurous!

So I need some ideas from my fellow DIS'ers as to what I can make that is simple to make and doesn't contain a miilion weird ingredients that my kids won't eat! Thanks everybody!

 

[MazdaUK]

Tomato couscous

Take a handful of sundried tomatoes (not the ones in oil, the dry ones) and put in a jug with about 1/2 - 3/4 pint boiling water (or the amount of water needed to make up however much couscous you make for 4 ), cover, and leave for about 1/2 hour.

Carefully remove tomatoes (keeping water, which will be all red and tomatoey) and chop finely. Put couscous in a large bowl, add chopped tomatoes, chopped spring onions (optional) 1t balsamic vinegar (it just adds warmth, won't make a strong taste) and a little garlic salt and ground black pepper. Heat the water to boiling (I do this in the microwave) and pour over couscous. Stir well, cover and leave for 20 mins or so (until the water is all absorbed). Stir in some fresh basil and eat! Lovely with pan-fried salmon fillets

Lime and coriander (cilantro) couscous

You can get the precise measurements from Deliaonline I expect (its a Delia Smith recipe) but I'm at work so here's the basics.

Take a bunch of coriander and chop finely. Add to the couscous with 3 or 4 chopped spring onions and pour over hot chcken or vegetable stock, stir and cover. After 20 mins, give a stir and add seasoning and juice of 1 or 2 limes, stir agian, cover again for 10 mins.

Lovely served with chicken brochettes - I make this for BBQs all the time.

 

[etoiles]

Here is a recipe for a creamy corn couscous. It uses very ordinary, plain ingredients that your family would probably be familiar with!

I have not tried it but it sounded very normal!

You can also make up a stew and spoon it over plain cooked couscous. Tell your family that couscous is just pasta (which it is) and so there' s no reason for them to be weirded out by it.

I also make a black bean salad with couscous with black beans, veggies, cubes of cheddar, with an oil and vinegar dressing. If they're feeling more adventurous!

 

[jax677]

First I always use chicken broth for the liquid and then I throw in some veggies/cooked meat. You can dress it up by adding different fresh herbs. We love it. I have even used leftover couscous and mixed it with chopped cooked chicken .a bit of broth if needed and molded it into meatballs,heat, serve them with salad and fresh fruit. Kids love using the chopsticks to pick them up.

 

[MazdaUK]

I found a weightwatchers recipe the other day using it as a crust on grilled fish - it was lovely, and I'm going to sneak it to my kids this way

 

[mypearl]

These are really great ideas. I especially like the lime and cilantro one.
That would also be good with strips of fried, spiced beef, sauteed
mushrooms and bits of roasted red bell pepper added.