Cous cous are tiny pieces of semolina flour, the same flour used to make pasta. You could say that cous cous is a Middle Eastern pasta dish. Besides the shape, the difference is that you don’t boil it; simply soak it in boiling water.
What You'll Need:
1 cup quick-cooking cous cous, whole wheat
1/2 cup frozen baby peas, defrosted
1/2 sweet red pepper
2 green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons each: extra-virgin olive oil, orange juice
Optional: A dash or 2 of hot sauce
What You'll Do:
1. Heat 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan until it boils. Turn off the heat and add the cous cous. Stir until all of the grain is wet. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff it with a fork. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, stirring every few seconds, until they’re light brown. (Watch carefully, they burn fast.)
2. Slice the pepper into thin strips and then dice. Slice the green onions into small circles. Finely chop the parsley. Add all the ingredients to the cous cous pot and stir. Eat or refrigerate until lunch packing time.
Other Ideas: Top the salad with crumbled feta cheese. (Buy a hunk and crumble it yourself – it tastes fresher.) For more protein, add 1 cup of canned chick peas, drained and rinsed.
By: Anne Vassal
BY JIAE K. ON 11/7/2009 7:01:00 AM 17 COMMENTS