Cook with Couscous

If you're tired of serving mashed potatoes, rice or noodles with a dinner entrée, switch things up and mound some couscous on your plate. It's easy to cook, is widely available and can make any dinner seem a little more exotic.

Couscous is a staple of North African cuisine, made by turning grain into tiny balls of dough and steaming them. It has been served for millennia in countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and often accompanied with vegetables, fish or meat. Some of the local names for couscous in those countries are identical to the word for "food," which indicates how important it is to their diet.

The traditional vessel used to cook couscous is called a couscousière. It's basically a double boiler where a stew or other creation gets cooked in the bottom of the pot, and the couscous sits in the top part, cooking in the steam that rises from the food below.

Couscous comes in a few forms, but what you most often see for sale in Canada is what is sometimes referred to as "instant" couscous, although that won't be noted on the box or bulk food bin. It is a quick-cooking grain product made by moistening and forming semolina into fine granules, steaming them and then drying them.

To cook this type of couscous, available in regular, whole-wheat and flavoured, you most often simply stir it into boiling water, stock or other liquid, cover tightly, remove from the heat and allowed the couscous to plump up five minutes, before fluffing with a fork to separate the grains.

This type of couscous is a versatile ingredient. For example, you can cook it plainly and use it as a base to spoon something saucy over, such as a stew or braised dish.

You can also add ingredients to the couscous as it cooks and create a side dish that can rival the entrée, which I did in today's recipe for couscous with pine nuts, olives, roasted peppers and basil. After cooking and cooling, couscous can make a great base for a salad or addition to a soup.

I've also seen recipes where couscous was used in a dessert, flavoured with chocolate, almonds and cinnamon.

Another type of couscous becoming more widely available in Canada is called Israeli or pearl couscous. I found it for sale at a bulk food store and at a European-style delicatessen. It's much larger than the couscous noted above, about the size of a small pea.

This type of couscous can be cooked in boiling, salted water as you would pasta. It takes quite a bit longer to cook than fine granulated couscous and can be used in similar ways, such as a side dish or in a salad. I've also seen it added directly to soups and stews and used to make a risotto-like dish.

Middle Eastern specialty food stores might also sell traditional couscous, which requires soaking and slow steaming to cook it, and Lebanese couscous, called maghrabiyeh, which is cooked by soaking in boiling water about 45 minutes.

Eric Akis is the author of the best-selling Everyone Can Cook book series. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.


VEGETABLE SOUP WITH COUSCOUS

This colourful soup is made more filling by spooning couscous into each bowl just before serving.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: About 20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, in small cubes
1 celery rib, cut into small cubes
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground oregano
• pinch each crushed chili flakes and sugar
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
2/3 cup couscous
1/2 cup frozen peas
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pour oil in a medium-sized pot and set over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot and celery, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, cumin, oreg-ano, chili flakes, sugar and stock. Simmer gently 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the 1 cup water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

When the soup is cooked, stir in peas and heat through 1 minute. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Divide the couscous among 4 large soup bowls. Ladle in the soup and serve.

COUSCOUS WITH PINE NUTS AND OLIVES

The Mediterranean flavours of this dish suit grilled lamb chops. Have all ingredients chopped, measured and ready to go before starting this quick-cooking dish.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 6-7 minutes
Makes: 6-8 servings

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (340 gram) pkg. couscous (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 large roasted red pepper, finely diced (sold in jars or in bulk at most supermarkets)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the stock, olive oil and garlic in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Cover, turn off the heat and let the couscous stand 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains and then serve.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS SALAD WITH MIXED VEGETABLES, FETA AND RAISINS

A colourful salad you can serve with grilled or roasted fish, chicken or lamb. It's also a great salad to bring to a potluck dinner.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 18-20 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

1 cup Israeli couscous
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 cherry tomatoes, each quartered
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup raisins
100 grams feta cheese, crumbled

Bring 4 cups of lightly salted water to a slow boil. Add the couscous and cook 18-20 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the couscous well, cool in ice-cold water and drain well again. Place the couscous in a bowl and toss in the remaining ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, gently tossing the salad again just before doing so. Salad can be readied several hours in advance of serving.
Read More..

What Needs to be Done for Quiting Smoking?

Revolutionary move is the need of the hour. Smoking is the deadly disease of the day that is taking our society in its grip by leaps and bound. Every second person that we see around is inhaling and exhaling the cigar. Smoking has become a habit of many and people take it very casually. It has become a symbol of fashion and modernism.

How smoking is started
Many people start smoking as a step towards socializing. They do so to show the society that they are also a part of it and can gel well with it. The younger generation that leaves their homes to conquer life starts smoking to mix well with the society. They think that they will be accepted easily in the society if they do what the others do, whether it is right or wrong. Younger generation often follows the footsteps of their elderly and seniors. When they see their parents smoking, they do the same without any hesitation.

What is needed today?
We need to bring a revolution in our society and uproot the deadly disease. This can be achieved best by educating people about the harmful consequences of smoking. People should be made aware about the harm they are doing to themselves viz. health loss and money loss. Tobacco makes our hair and clothes stink. It stains our teeth and our mouth smells foul. Money expended on cigarettes is a complete waste. They should be made to understand that hard earned money should be expensed only constructively. Further parents and seniors need not to smoke in front of their children, or for that matter at homes. They should rather take up the matter with their children as a piece of educational advice and discuss it openly with them in the right perspective.

Government’s role in this
Also the government and other authorities should organize “Quit Smoking” programs and campaigns. Celebrities should be asked to participate in these campaigns and propagate the same for a noble cause. Medical camps should be put up where free medical aid and assistance should be provided to the sufferers. Teachers and coaches of various sports should educate the athletes about the ill effects of smoking and convince them to quit it. Flagrant use of cigarettes in movies and other TV shows should be banned because many actors are ideals for the younger generation. At last prevention is better than cure so one should be over cautious at the initial stages itself and should not lay prey to the deadly disease.
Read More..

Arabbi, a Buddhist monk and a Rastafarian walk into a bar. What's the first thing the women inside notice?

Each dude's hair.

Sorry for the lacking punchline, but the sad state of men's hairstyles today is no laughing matter (except the so-bad-it's-good mullet).

Axe, a company focused on men's grooming products, recently surveyed 2,000 American women on men's hair care. About three-quarters of the women said hair is one of the first things they notice about a guy. Almost half felt guy's hairstyles all look the same, and that guys their age need help styling their hair. Worse, 62 per cent said they are not likely to take a guy with bad hair home at the end of the night. Yet only 29 per cent of guys in the same survey considered their hair to be an important factor in attracting women.

Now, I don't want to overstate the importance of this disconnect, but suffice to say the global recession should immediately take a back seat to this crisis. Until that happens, though, a guy who puts a bit of effort into his hair can take advantage of the monotonous world of men's mops. It's never been easier to grab the ladies' attention. And your boss's: well-tended locks are an obvious sign that you take care of yourself.

Hold up, I know what you're thinking: every time I step out of the box with my hairstyle, I end up looking goofy. But there are ways to get and keep a style that fits your type of hair, says Toronto-based image consultant Shannon Stewart, who has styled Bono, Billy Talent and Sting. Read on for tips from Stewart and Annette Burwash, owner of Getaway Spa For Men in Bridgeland, on how to get a good haircut and properly style your hair.

Great Hair Starts With A Great Haircut

It can be tough to find a good hairstylist, especially if you're not willing to spend what you would on Calgary Flames tickets. But shell out as much as you can afford for a good cut.

"A really good haircut will make styling your hair much easier," Stewart says.

Keep your hair short if you have thinning hair with a receding hairline. The longer hair grows, the thinner it looks. And if you're bald or almost there, forget the comb-over. Keep the sides and back trim, or even shaved, like Michael Jordan.

Men with thick and coarse hair usually look better and have an easier time styling a shorter cut. Personalize short hair by making it messy or spiky, or coiffing it in the direction you like. But it's easiest to keep most of it facing the way it tends to grow.

Get your hair cut every three weeks to keep it trimmed and easy to style. Even if you want to grow it out, keep your haircuts regular so your locks don't get mussy.

Which Hair Products To Buy And How To Apply Them

Before you style your 'do, clean it with a pH-balanced shampoo and conditioner. An acidic shampoo dries out your scalp, causing flakes and an itchy head.

If you have really fine, straight hair, wash it most days. If you have thick hair and don't use much product, Stewart recommends skipping a day or two between washings to let your natural oils come back.

Don't be lazy in your search and resort to using your partner's fruity conditioner. A guy's scalp is usually oilier and sweatier than a woman's, and women aren't turned on by a guy who smells like lilacs.

There's a whole whack of new men's hair products out there, with strange names like pomade, mess constructor, and "Funkifier" gel -- so let's demystify the hair-care aisle. The bad hair products start with gel. There's a reason they call it a gelmet. And since gel is mostly water, when it dries you're left with a crusty residue. Likewise, avoid hairspray, because it tends to dry out your scalp.

Stewart recommends using a quality hair wax, pomade, putty or cream. Burwash disagrees, saying only waxes and creams are good choices for your hair, because the other products are too greasy. Waxes and creams are easy on your hair and scalp. They don't get flaky or clump hair like gel or hairspray. Both give you a wet look. Wax is the hardest product, but keeps your hair pliable so you can re-style for drinks after work. Cream is much softer, but doesn't have as much hold. Beeswax in the ingredients is the sign of a good wax, Burwash says.

Pomade gives a bit of sheen for a more polished, preppy look at the office, while putty offers good hold and provides a matte look. A good paste gives that just-out-of-bed look, Stewart says, which is hit-or-miss in my experience.

The thinner and finer your hair, the less hold your product needs. When applying it, remember: pinches, not handfuls. And relax. Excessive primping is not required. If you're styling your hair right, a few minutes should be enough to wow the women.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Read More..