Couscous?

[dragons in the flower bed]

My dear and wonderful partner brought home six boxes of couscous a rural grocery store couldn't sell. I need to make complete meals out of these, but I'm not sure what to add to them. We're vegetarian and we don't like mushrooms. We do like fake meat products like Quorn and whatnot, but that's just not in the budget right now. Any ideas?

[Jenny in Atl]

Couscous Aromatique

1 lb. couscous
4 tbs. olive oil
1 onion, cut in chunks
2 carrots, thickly sliced
4 baby turnips, halved
8 small new potatoes, halved
1 green pepper, cut in chunks
4 oz. green beans, halved
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thick
1 inch cube fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tbs. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tbs. red lentils
1-14 oz. can chopped tomatoes (or use fresh)
4-1/2 cups veggie stock
4 tbs. raisins
rind and juice of 1 lemon
harissa paste (red pepper--hot), to taste
Cover couscous with cold water, soak 10 minutes.
Drain and spread on a tray for 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally with fingers.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil and fry veggies 10 minutes.
Add ginger, garlic, and spices, and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in stock, lentils, tomatoes, raisins, and season.
Bring to a boil and then simmer.
Meanwhile, steam couscous for 20 minutes.
When finished, spoon couscous in serving dish and check on stew.
If vegetables are cooked to your liking and seasoned well add lemon rind and juice to it.
Add harissa paste to taste as well.
Serve stew from casserole dish separate from couscous.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Mix in some broth for flavoring and some beans with whatever else you like, onions, carrots, etc.

Sometimes the kids just top theirs with Parmesan cheese. When ill, I like to have it cooked with broth for flavor and just eat that.

Use it with cooked vegetables instead of a rice. I will make a mixture of onions, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes cooked in olive oil, garlic, and a little butter. The juices of the dish poured over the couscous is one of my favorites.

[Whisperlily]

Are they plain?

I cook couscous in chicken broth (you could use vegetable broth), with chopped garlic, olive oil, basil, and ground pepper.

Sometimes I add diced tomatoes, some people add pine nuts.

You can use it instead of rice in some dishes... I think it would make a great wrap with spinach leaves, couscous (prepared as above), and sour cream (is there a veggie equivalent?).

You could add some black beans to the couscous also, but be aware, couscous cooks FAST, so the beans would have to be canned, or pre-cooked before you cook the couscous.

[melissel]

I've cooked couscous in coconut milk and pineapple juice--maybe add a little curry paste or powder?

[Kelli in TN]

We love chicken couscous salad, I think you could just leave the chicken out.

Basically it is cooked, cooled couscous, the following veggies diced tiny; radish, cucumber, scallion, and bell pepper ( I have also added tomato and it was good). Mix this up and then pour homemade viniagrette over it (olive oil and your fave vinegar, I use white wine vinegar for mine, lots of course black pepper and course salt, etc). We eat this, the chicken version that is, often with hummus and pitas for a complete meal.

[abbeyej]

Serve plain couscous as a base for ratatouille or a nice Moroccan stew. You can do straight veggies, or you could do a chick pea stew with onions, garlic, chopped canned tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cayenne...

For something quite different, make the couscous with apple juice and serve as the base for a large fruit salad. You can toss the fruit with lime juice and crushed mint leaves, if you want to be extra fancy, or make a simple dressing with plain yogurt and honey -- add poppy seeds or crushed mint, if you like.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Of course I forgot my very favorite couscous salad.

Cook couscous. Add in cukes, tomatoes, feta cheese, It. Flat leaf parsley, garbanzo beans, scallions.

Dressing: minced garlic, olive oil and lemon juice in equal parts, salt, pepper, dried cilantro.

This is SO good!

[Plaid Dad]

I throw in cooked chick peas, carrot matchsticks, and veggie onion soup mix (=bouillon and minced onion). Yum! You could easily add any other veggies your family likes.

[Philothea]

Not too long ago, in Rachel Ray magazine there was a recipe for Morrocan beef patties with cous cous, which was very good, I think you can get the recipe off of the magazine's website.

I like to put couscous in stuffed peppers, either with a ground beef or make a totally vegetarian dinner.

[LadyNancy]

Cranberry-Nut Couscous Salad

1 pkg plain couscous (10 oz)
1 c. dried cranberries
3/4 c. chopped scallions
3/4 c. chopped red pepper
3/4 c. slivered almonds
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. or more salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl; fluff with a fork. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.

Stir in the cranberries, scallions, pepper and almonds. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, paprika, salt and pepper; pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

(Note: Quinoa can be used in place of the couscous.)

[allearia]

I love couscous cooked in broth, mixed with white or garbanzo beans with plenty of fresh lemon juice on top. Very easy lunch if I use canned beans. my kids like it plain with soy sauce (no beans, although ds6 will eat it with black beans).

[Laurel T.]

Our favorite is couscous cooked in broth with steamed spinach. Then top it off with a little feta (if you eat dairy) and pine nuts. Bake it in the oven for a few minutes. Yum. Yum. I can taste it right now.

Laurel T.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Thank you all so much! I hardly ever come over to the general boards, but goodness gracious, this is better than Googling.