CousCous help!

Love2bSlim

Full Member
Hi!!

Can anybody help me with things to do with couscous please. I've never made it before but think it's about time I did!!
But I'm a little stuck for inspiration!

Thanks!! :)
 
mmmm Cous Cous is lovely! I'm a bit boring though in that all i do with cous cous is make it according to the instructions, add loads of spices and have it with cold meat. Its also nice when its been left to cool: its what i sometimes takes to work.

I have once stuffed a red pepper (one of the sweet pointed ones) with some cous cous, spices and finely chopped bacon before and it was good.

Just experiment and you can't go wrong :)
 
You should! Since i first tried cous cous, i have cut down the amount of potatoes and pasta i eat as its much easier to cook and so versatile!

Good luck!
 
I don't use cous cous but bulgur wheat which is very similar. I mix it with chopped basil and halved baby tomatoes and make a dressing to mix in with it:

Dressing:
1-2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (4 syns - but makes enough to dressing to serve about 2-4, so 1 syn each)

Crush the garlic and salt to a paste in a pestle & mortar (or garlic press if you dont have one)
Add the cumin and work this in
Add the lime juice and work it in
Add the oil and some freshly ground black pepper and mix well
Add to the bulgur wheat and mix thoroughly.

Some times I sprinkle it with a bit of low fat crumbled Feta. Yummy! :)

5915158193_b5e1ffd26d_o.jpg


Bulgar wheat salad in garlic and mustard dressing
 
I have it all the time at work, just empty the packet, put boiling hot water on it, cover for 2 mins and it's done. I usually have the Ainsley Harriott ones as they're already flavoured for you, and you don't have to faff about with spices etc. I normally put roast veg in it, or just salad through it, with tuna or chicken, but you can put anything you fancy in it. I don't think I could live without it, I eat tonnes of the stuff, it's brilliant for dieting! I sometimes stuff peppers with it, cook the peppers in the oven first, then put the cooked cous cous in and it's done, top with cheese as an Healthy A choice. Yummy!
 
Eeuuuwww I hate Ainsley Harriot couscous, it's like eating sand with fake tomatoes on!! :jelous: :D heh heh, I dont know what it is, its just got some weird 80's tomato taste to it? (Did they have fake tomatoes in the 80's? :D ) It reminds me of something weird and plasticky that I used to eat when I was a kid but I dont remember what... maybe Pot Noodles or something. Its probably some fantastical E number. Bleeeee!
 
I love couscous, this morning for breakfast I had couscous & added some ginger then mixed in chopped pear, yummy.

On another thread somebody mentioned couscous with courgette & rosemary, I had that for tea the other night again yummy.

You can make couscous sweet or savoury, just decide what flavour you want & experiment.;)
 
I have couscous a lot...Love it.

Some days I have it for breakfast with mullerlite or lowfat yogurt and loads of berries!!! (kind of like magic porridge!!!)

I also like the ainsley harriot ones...Very handy for work.
When I am at home I have couscous with boiled egg, spring onion, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese all mixed up ---very filling!!
 
Made this the other day.................


Pete’s Moroccan Couscous Salad

Serves 2
2.5 Syn/each

Ingredients

100g couscous
½ tsp cinnamon
200mL boiling vegetable stock
10 pieces/56g ready to eat apricots, chopped finely
100g cucumber, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped finely
Zest of a lemon
1 celery stick, chopped finely
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely
1 spring onion, chopped finely
* Pre-cooked chicken
* Runny honey

* Optional extra’s


Method

Place the couscous in a large bowl and add the hot stock. Mix with a fork, cover with cling film and set aside for 5 mins.

Fluff up the couscous and add the other ingredients, add seasoning.
* Add chicken if you want.
Cover and put in the fridge to cool until required

Pete’s Harissa Chicken with Spiced Couscous



Serves 2
2.5 Syn each

Ingredients

2Tsp Harissa paste (Sainsbury’s)
1 Lemon
1 Small bunch of coriander chopped small
1 Small bunch of mint chopped small
2 Chicken breasts
100g/cupful of couscous
56g/10 dried apricots chopped
150mL Chicken stock
1 Small spring onion chopped
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
Tin foil

Method

Turn oven to 180c to warm up.
Mix in a small bowl the Harissa with ½ of the lemon juice, ½ coriander and salt & pepper.

Place the chicken in a sheet of tin foil and place into an ovenproof dish and cover the chicken with the Harissa mix, close the tin foil and cook for 20 mins

Put the measured amount of the couscous in a bowl and add salt & pepper and cinnamon

Boil a kettle of water and add to a chicken stock cube

When the chicken has cooked for 10-15 mins , open the tinfoil to allow to brown.

Add the stock to the couscous with the other ½ of the lemon, ½ of the coriander, the chopped mint and chopped apricots mix with a fork, cover with Clingfilm

When the chicken is cooked remove the Clingfilm from the couscous and fluff up.

Fill a warmed plate with the couscous and add the chicken allowing the juices to

Run into the couscous.
Enjoy with a salad.
 

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I went to a friends for lunch and she had the extra easy meals in minutes cook book. She made a recipe with cous cous from it that also had minced beef in it. It was really tasty! I usually just add lots of veg and fresh herbs to mine, such as asparagus, courgette, peppers...delicious. Or just use it plain instead of rice with curries etc.
 
I have couscous a lot...Love it.

Some days I have it for breakfast with mullerlite or lowfat yogurt and loads of berries!!! (kind of like magic porridge!!!)

i cant seem to get my head around this but have brought the things to make it
 
Oh its yummy. Kind of like rice pudding, very filling.

And if you have it for brekkie it means you still have hexa and hexb for later in the day on a green day...
 
thanks i do really struggle with breakfast as i never know what to have as im not a cereal person so its usually toast and that dont fill me up much
 
Hopefully you will like it.....
I have to start back having it, as it really stopped me from picking...
 
I usually make it in mornung.
But I think others make it at night and have it next day.... Do a search and maybe you will get some ideas....
 
I wondered about this too- do u put the yogurt into the couscous when it is still warm or wait until it's cold?
I'll have to try it!!
 
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