Ok, so we are very new to couscous (I know weird ey!) Tell me what you do with yours? Nice recipes etc... Thanks

Mmmmm I love couscous! I either buy the moroccan seasoning one or plain couscous and add the seasoning to it. I then add chopped up tomato, capsicums, cucumber, onion, beetroot, dash of balsamic vinegar. I find it really easy, as I generally always have those ingrediants in the house. Or sometimes I do one with currants, pumpkin and feta and spring onions. The options are endless!

Yum! Easy and delicious. I often use it with a stirfry or just add in some seasoning and veges as a side dish.

I like this recipe from Annabel Langbein - I usually only make it the night after a roast and just make extra veges but roast them the same as she does below and use the left overs with the couscous.....

Couscous with roast veges

Prep time:10 mins + standing
Cook time: 45 mins
Serves:6

2 red onions, peeled
3 medium beetroots, peeled, or 10-12 baby beetroots, scrubbed
200g pumpkin, skin and seeds removed
6 small or 3 medium carrots, peeled
2 kumara or other sweet potato, peeled (optional)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup or golden syrup or honey
salt and ground black pepper
2 cups couscous
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
2 cups boiling water
½ packed cup mint leaves (about 50 leaves), chopped or torn
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Halve the onions lengthwise and cut into 2cm wedges. Cut the medium beetroot into 2cm chunks or the baby beets into quarters. Cut the pumpkin, carrots and kumara or sweet potato, if using, into 2cm chunks.

Place the prepared vegetables in a very large roasting dish or two and spread out to a single layer. Drizzle with oil and maple syrup or golden syrup or honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and starting to caramelise.

In a large bowl, mix the couscous, lemon zest, salt and boiling water. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.

Add the roasted vegetables, mint and lemon juice to the couscous and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped pistachios.
comments...

I love couscous....
My SIL recently told me she adds it to slow cooker dishes eg: casseroles to thicken them towards the end.
My fav is stir fry veges (any you like)...add couscous and seasoning.
I also do a couscous salad - roasted pumpkin with garlic and pumpkin soup mix sprinkled over top.
Add salad ingredients once pumpkin is cooled - sprinkle with balsamic if you like.

i do a cous cous side to a meal pop 2 tblspns of pesto with cashew nuts in and mix through, then add chopped tomato, feta and avacado mmmmmm

Cool, thanks guys

Try Israeli couscous, its a bigger grain and sooooooooooooooooooo much yummier than normal couscous. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Have a great recipe for that if you want.

I love this one, it's very easy to make, and yum. Poppit I would love your recipe please.



Couscous salad


Ingredients
  2 medium green capsicum, (red, yellow), desedeed, cut into chunks   
  2 medium red onion, sliced into wedges   
  2 small zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced   
1 x 3 second spray(s) oil spray   
  400 g fresh tomato, (cherry), halved   
100 g dry couscous   
1 individual vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 2/3 cup hot water   
  400 g canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained, rinsed   
  1 medium fresh lemon(s), rind finely grated   
1 cup(s) fresh mint, shredded   
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°C.

Place capsicums, onions and zucchini in a roasting pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spray with oil. Roast for 25 minutes, then turn and add tomatoes. Roast for a further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine couscous and stock in a medium bowl. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes for couscous to absorb liquid. Fluff up with a fork then add chickpeas and lemon rind. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir roasted vegetables into couscous mixture and set aside until cool. Stir through mint before serving.

I have been put off couscous after someone made me some and it was yuk!!! but will def give some of these recipes a go as these sound yum!!!

Have never even heard of israeli couscous before poppit, will have to look for it at the supermarket, is it easy to find??

I love this recipe and all my friends rave about it. I also add either a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste or sundries tomato paste if I can find it.

Mediterranean couscous salad

400 mls of chicken stock
4 sundries tomatoes finely chopped
1 red onion
1 small aubergine diced
1red and 1 yellow pepper sliced
2 small corgettes
1tbsp chopped fresh oregano, thyme, basil and marjoram
175 g couscous
24 g Parmesan

Dry fry onion , aubergine for 3 mins until they start to colour. Add peppers and corvettes and continue cooking for a few mins. Add the stock and herbs to fry pan and bring to the boil then add couscous. Take off heat and cover until ready. Fluff and serve with parmesan cheese.z

get the israeli couscous in the bulk bins at paknsave. Haven't looked in the aisle for it sorry! Its a big round grain almost like little pasta.

Heres the recipe Tippie, makes a huge amount so I halve it for us.

Israeli couscous with asparagus, cranberries and herbs

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups israeli couscous
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1.5 Tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp chopped thyme
500g blanched asparagus (I use beans from the garden atm)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Dressing
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil


In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil and add the couscous. Stir occassionally and cook until slightly brown (3-5mins)
Add the tock and bring to the boil.
Simmer until the couscous is tender (about 15mins on my gas hob but check as you goand add more water if needed).
Transfer the cooked couscous into a large bowl and cool. Add the herbs, asparagus, dreid cranberries and almonds. For the dressing: place all ingreds in a food porcessor and process until smooth. CAdd to salad and toss to combine.

Yum! Looking forward to trying these recipes!!

yum! Tea for tomorrow night!

think I might bookmark this thread - they all sound yummy. And while my kids only eat plain cous cous, atleast it is easy to jazz it up for me and DH!