Quick and tasty for those days when you don't have time to think
Some days, however, I haven't got time for that.
I cook two dinners at my house. A vegetarian one for me and one that includes meat for my husband, So, if there is an event after dinner or if it has to be done quickly, all that connection to the food and the process of cooking goes out the window.
Keep it fresh, but make it quick.
The sort of couscous that is sold in markets in the US and in Europe is precooked so it can be readied in under 10 minutes. A few added vegetables and herbs can make a meal in a snap.
Couscous, a traditional north African and middle eastern dish, is little, round granules of durum wheat. In the old days, the semolina was sprinkled with water and rolled by hand to form little pellets and then sprinkled with flour and pushed through a sieve. The resulting pasta is dried in the sun for several months before being steamed for meals.
Pretty labor intensive and certainly not something one makes in a hurry.
The pre-cooked version need only be prepared by pouring a cup and a half of boiling water over a cup of the couscous and allowing it to sit for 5 to 7 minutes and then fluffing with a fork.
This tasty meal can be a vegetarian entree or a side dish for a meal with meat. Just a few ingredients come together quickly.
While I like mine just this way, a friend suggested that a splash of olive oil might brighten it up a bit.
Couscous With Peas and Mint
1/2 cup of peas1 1/2 cups of prepared couscous, still warm
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
- Steam the peas until they are just tender.
- In a medium bowl, mix the peas with the warm couscous.
- Stir in the mint and the lemon juice and add salt and pepper (and the olive oil, if that's your fancy) as you like it.
That's it.
Vegan
