Couscous is not just delicious wheat pasta native to Morocco and dishes made from it. This is a real salvation for time-limited housewives. Couscous is cooked in minutes and can be easily combined with meat, vegetables, herbs and nuts. It can be used as a side dish or as a main dish.
Nutritional Facts and Benefits of Couscous
Couscous is a coarsely ground whole grain wheat paste, it is obtained by collecting semolina in a special way into round “grains”. The calorie content of couscous is less than that of rice – 176 calories per cup of finished product. The same serving contains 6 g of protein, 2,3 g of healthy dietary fiber, as well as selenium, potassium, B vitamins, folic acid, iron and magnesium. No harm has been found from couscous when consumed in moderation.
Couscous is often recommended for those looking to lose weight as it is low in calories but high in slow carbohydrates for energy and fiber to support digestive health.
There are several easy ways to prepare couscous for a side dish. For any of these, take: – 1 cup instant couscous; – 1 tablespoon of olive oil; – 1 glass of water; – ½ teaspoon of salt.
Cook couscous on the stove. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Combine couscous with salt in a deep heat-resistant bowl and pour over boiling water, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and loosen the couscous with a fork.
If the main course isn’t ready yet, cover the couscous again and keep warm.
Couscous can be cooked in a deep skillet. Heat oil and add pasta, season with salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown. Pour in hot water, remove from heat, loosen with a fork and cover. The finished couscous is fluffy and crumbly.
Try aromatic couscous with herbs and almonds. It can be both a side dish and a main course.
You will need: – ½ head of red onion; – 500 ml of chicken broth; – a pinch of saffron; – 1 pod of red hot pepper; – 500 g of couscous; – 50 g of chopped, roasted almonds; – ½ lemon; – coriander greens.
Cut half an onion into small cubes. Cut off the stalk of the pepper, remove the seeds and chop the pulp. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté the onions in it for 5 minutes. Add saffron and hot peppers and stir-fry for another minute. Remove from heat, add couscous and cover with hot broth. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. During this time, chop the greens. Season the finished dish with almonds, coriander and juice from half a lemon, “fluff” with a fork and serve.
Couscous with shrimps turns out to be very tasty. You will need: – 1 cup of couscous; – 1 lemon; – 1 cup of white wine; – ½ cup chopped parsley; – 2 minced garlic cloves; – 3 tablespoons of butter; – olive oil; – ½ head of red onion; – ½ peeled red bell pepper; – ¼ cups of chopped sun-dried tomatoes; – 500 g of small peeled shrimps.
Melt one tablespoon of butter in a deep skillet over low heat. Add finely diced onion and minced garlic, chopped peppers and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and flavorful. Increase heat to medium, add remaining butter, lemon juice and zest, whisk in wine, bring to a boil and add couscous. Remove from heat, cover, leave for 10 minutes, and during this time, handle shrimp. Heat the olive oil in another skillet, fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to couscous, sprinkle with herbs, stir and serve.
In the next article, you will read about how to properly prepare melt water.