Before I delve into today’s recipe, I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for your love and support in reaction to my most recent post. One thing I hadn’t anticipated in writing that post was how much it was going to take out of me emotionally – but your lovely comments and emotional support certainly made baring my soul much easier. I am truly blessed to have you all as readers.
On another note, this week is spring break at the university, so I am spending a chunk of it at my parents’ house. This means that I am taking full advantage of a week with very little on my schedule and my mother’s big, beautiful kitchen at my disposal…all, of course, totally sacrificially. I mean, it is ultimately for you, my darling readers.
Well…you, and my taste-testing father. He really loves it when I come home. (Because he gets to see me or because I feed him homemade pudding? Hmmm…)
Today Momma and I spent a large portion of the afternoon in the kitchen, busting out three and a half recipes that are likely to make an appearance on here soon. We can really be productive when we want to be. And we still have two more days to get down to baking business. Personally, as much as I love stockpiling recipes to blog about (it’s helpful when life gets a little hectic, or when you just have a bad kitchen week), what I love even more is spending the time in the kitchen with my momma. She taught me everything I know about cooking, and we have the best time noodling over recipes together.
So. Couscous. It’s a weird little…grain? Pasta? Technically speaking, pasta, but perhaps more commonly thought of as a grain. It’s a staple in middle eastern cuisine, is crazy quick and easy to make, and, surprisingly, has a pretty decent nutrition profile: it has a higher vitamin/mineral content and a lower glycemic load than pasta, and has a low fat-to-calorie ratio. Make sure to look for a whole grain couscous to get that extra nutritional boost!
This couscous pilaf comes together in a snap and is just as delicious cold as it is warm. The first night I served it alongside some chicken, and made sure I made enough extra to take for lunch the next two days. I actually think I liked it as a cold salad better than I did as a warm side dish! But you can decide that for yourself. Because we’re big kids, and we make our own life choices. Or something.
Couscous Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked couscous
- Vegetable or chicken stock enough to follow the package directions
- 3/4 cup apple juice or water
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Spread pine nuts on a baking dish (I like to use a cake pan for this); bake for 5-7 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden. Watch them carefully - they will go from perfectly toasted to burnt very quickly!
- In a microwave-safe dish, microwave apple juice for 1-2 minutes, or until hot. Pour over cranberries; allow to soak while fixing your couscous. (You could just soak the cranberries in warm water; the idea is to get them plumped slightly before adding them to the pilaf. I used apple juice, however, to impart a little extra flavor.) Drain.
- Cook couscous according to package directions, using stock in place of water. When couscous is done, fluff with a fork and add toasted pine nuts, cranberries, and feta cheese. Serve warm or cold.
I wondered how you got the cranberries so yummy! Good idea baby! 😉
I am pretty much a genius.