COUSCOUS, So Nice they named it Twice!
Now there’s a name to live up to. Naturally, when I first heard about this great ingredient, “Couscous”, I was curious and excited at the prospects of trying this taste tantaliser. Would it really satiate my senses? Or was this saying all just lies?
Well, I can say truthfully that my first Couscous experience was anything but appealing. Let it be a warning now to all, that Couscous by itself, solo, is possibly one of the blandest foods known to man. If I had ever eaten sand, I’d imagine it would have had more taste.
However, after coming across a recipe for Couscous salad, I decided to give the ol’ Couscous a second chance. After all, there must be a reason why people say it is “so nice and hence named twice”. Now I admit I didn’t have high hopes for success, if anything, I was prepared for failure. But this recipe really is Amazing. I don’t think there is any dish quite like it. The mildness of the Couscous really balances out the strong flavours of the fetta and roasted tomato combination. And you actually feel contented after eating it, as opposed to all those garden salads around, which if anything, make you yearn for a big, fat steak.
And the best thing is that Couscous salad is easy to make!
Couscous Salad Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4): 350g couscous; 200g oven-roasted tomatoes halved; 1 short cucumber peeled and diced; 4 spring onions chopped, ˝ cup chopped mint leaves, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice; 1/3 cup olive oil, and 120g fetta crumbled
Steps: Make the Couscous by following the instructions on the instant pack, making sure to fluff it up gently now and then, so that the bottom does not become a stiff mass. Then season well with salt and pepper. Add a splash of oil. Then add the cucumber, spring onions, mint and lemon juice to the couscous. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the oil and stir through well. Lastly add the fetta and stir through carefully.
*Tadaa*! Couscous salad! Healthy, Tasty, Easy! What more could you want from a salad?
Well, I can say truthfully that my first Couscous experience was anything but appealing. Let it be a warning now to all, that Couscous by itself, solo, is possibly one of the blandest foods known to man. If I had ever eaten sand, I’d imagine it would have had more taste.
However, after coming across a recipe for Couscous salad, I decided to give the ol’ Couscous a second chance. After all, there must be a reason why people say it is “so nice and hence named twice”. Now I admit I didn’t have high hopes for success, if anything, I was prepared for failure. But this recipe really is Amazing. I don’t think there is any dish quite like it. The mildness of the Couscous really balances out the strong flavours of the fetta and roasted tomato combination. And you actually feel contented after eating it, as opposed to all those garden salads around, which if anything, make you yearn for a big, fat steak.
And the best thing is that Couscous salad is easy to make!
Couscous Salad Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4): 350g couscous; 200g oven-roasted tomatoes halved; 1 short cucumber peeled and diced; 4 spring onions chopped, ˝ cup chopped mint leaves, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice; 1/3 cup olive oil, and 120g fetta crumbled
Steps: Make the Couscous by following the instructions on the instant pack, making sure to fluff it up gently now and then, so that the bottom does not become a stiff mass. Then season well with salt and pepper. Add a splash of oil. Then add the cucumber, spring onions, mint and lemon juice to the couscous. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the oil and stir through well. Lastly add the fetta and stir through carefully.
Aahh! Ready to serve!
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And it's fantastic - a little garlic, butter, cilantro...
It's a grain of it's own, I think. Like wheat, but couscous-ier. Ah, I don't know a damn thing...
Rocky's Running Diary
"The couscous grains are made from semolina (coarsely ground durum wheat) or, in some regions, from coarsely ground barley or millet. The semolina is sprinkled with water and rolled with the hands to form small pellets, sprinkled with dry semolina to keep the pellets separate, and then sieved. The pellets which are too small to be finished grains of couscous fall through the sieve to be again sprinkled with dry semolina and rolled into pellets. This process continues until all the semolina has been formed into tiny grains of couscous."
This is for handmade obviously, mass produced would be made slightly differently with machinery, but with the same idea.
It is a staple part of North African diets and used to be made by hand and cooked in a special double boiler known as a couscoussier (the brainchild of creative Morrocans) usually over a savoury stew.
Can you blow up your pictures Laura?
I really like couscous actually.... there's this couscous at this place in MLC centre with chili and big chunks of pumpkin - sooooo GOOD!
Ruth-heya! yeh Taboulli can result in serious smiling problems post-meal
Cibb- do you reallly eat it all the time as a rice alternative?!
Edward- i haven't tried it with fish! I shall have to try that next!
Min- Aah! you never cease to amaze me with your random facts!
Heather- We have to go try this coucous at MLC centre soon!
Rocky's Running Diary