Kathie Baker writes:-
What we eat, is normally what we have grown up eating. I grew up in a household with loads of vegetables, loads of potatoes and meat at every meal. My heritage is English/Irish, but as my stepfather was German (now passed), mum learned to cook the foods he liked. Potatoes and meat.
As an adult and with the availability we have here in Australia of “borrowed cuisines” from our mixed cultural heritage I was very experimental in the kitchen, trying all sorts of different foods.
However, it was not until I was about 40 that I ever tasted couscous. My girlfriend prepared a salad made with couscous as the base for the salad. It was with this introduction that my “love affair” began with couscous.
The history of couscous
Couscous, the version I use, comes out of a packet, but before it got to the packet, it had to made. It is a miniscule pasta which is normally made from wheat or barley. A machine manufactures couscous these days and it is readily available at most grocery stores. In days gone by it would have been made by hand, where the coarsely ground semolina (which is the durum wheat) was moistened. It is then mixed with finely ground wheat flour, where it begins to form tiny little balls.
Packet couscous for camping
Now my knowledge is limited to my use of the packet version of this product, which is so easy to use and is instant. You basically mix the boiling water with the couscous as per the instructions of the packet (box). Like rice and pasta the couscous will swell and double in size, so one cup generously becomes two cups of couscous after it is cooked. It takes no time at all for this to happen, so you can literally have a meal on the table within 15 minutes.
Couscous is widely eaten In Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia and throughout northern Africa. Originally – it comes from Northern Africa.
If couscous is prepared correctly, not too chewy, not too stoogie (too much water/not enough water), then I am sure you will take to it as I have.
Is CousCous Healthy?
These days we expect a lot from our food sources.
- Is it natural?
- Is it healthy?
- Is it fattening?
- Is it affordable?
A cup of Couscous (after it is cooked) delivers a powerful punch – with it delivering over half our daily requirement of selenium.
Selenium – we need this to protect us from heart disease, to boost our immune system and protect our bodies from oxidative stress.
Or in more simple terms let me tell you what can happen if we are lacking in selenium.
- infertility (for both sexes)
- muscle fatigue
- general fatigue
- brain fog
- loss of hair
- compromised/weak immune system
It is a great source of fiber and whilst couscous itself is actually really bland and not so exciting, it is an exciting “blank canvass” for you to add flavours and other ingredients to. Be creative as there are no rules on this one and you can design a meal based around the flavours your family loves.
Are you beginning to see a pattern emerging here?
Using your time wisely when camping
Let’s face it, whilst the guys often do the cooking on the bbq when we are camping it is most often left to us girls to come up with the side dishes. Camping Tip 51.
Couscous is the base for a whole range of wonderful and inspiring dishes, from Salads to a meal within itself. It is a fast food that delivers a healthy source of nutrients. It lives in the caravan pantry or the camping pantry, taking up no room and gets along with all the other ingredients you want to bring to the party.
Why is it a must for the camping pantry
- Because it takes up no room in the cupboard, stores easily and is a staple. After the box is opened, if you have any left over then put into an airtight container and return to your camping cupboard.
- You don’t need fancy equipment to cook it.
- It cooks in minutes.
Over the holiday period we will be loading some simple couscous alternatives into our recipe section – so head across and find them following this link.
The first to be loaded is:-
Couscous with Moroccan Flavours
