Cooking Couscous is Cool

Couscous is such an easy and foolproof side item for kids to cook. We find all sorts of ways of sprucing it up- the Kitchen Assistant added Curry, Clove, Nutmeg, Apples and Raisins tonight. While the spice was a little heavy handed- it had potential.

Before the spice bath...

Hub-ster made himself frozen chicken Teriyaki from Costco, and I made a baked head of cauliflower basted in curry, cumin, coriander and canola oil, with apples, onions and raisins nestled in the hollow created by cutting out the stem. As it turned out all three items, stirred together = fascinating flavor!

G-pie and I learned a lesson in the use of spice tonight, and as a whole the idea of experimenting with seasoning was explored thoroughly. We discussed how flavors are enhanced by others and agreed that cloves should be used VERY sparingly. 

We also decided salad and couscous is the perfect base for a meal, add steamed asparagus, wok'd broccoli, cooked carrots or a hearty yam and yukon stew, with baby peas and peal onions and finish with fruit. Once grilling season hits, we'll have veggie kabobs, grilled eggplant and zesty zucchini.

Last night G-pie made a stellar salad from romaine, raddichio, herb mix, carrot coins & jicama chips chilled with 1/2 t each dill & ginger, chopped apples, a pinch of cinnamon sugar and northern italian dressing. She did a great job of chopping everything down to bite size or smaller and tossed it all together with the perfect amount of moisture. A promotion may be in store for the budding culinary apprentice...