We are so typically British in this house. First sniff of a sunny afternoon and we utter the words, “Shall we have a BBQ for tea?”. I’ve got a bit of a confession though. I’m not that much of a meat eater. I’ll enjoy a burger or kebab but for me a BBQ is more about the added extras. The salads, the potato dishes and this Storecupboard CousCous.
So handy that all the ingredients are either from the Storecupboard or the freezer. I’ve talked before about being a huge fan of frozen fruit and vegetables. It really is true that the veg is packed so quickly before the quality starts to deteriorate. My one tip would be to make sure you don’t go for the cheapest option of sweetcorn though. So often the budget brand tends to be rather tasteless. For frozen peas though – Go as cheap as you dare!
Its really difficult to go wrong with preparing CousCous. So little attention is needed that it is the ultimate time-friendly dish. CousCous is so forgiving too – If you leave it too long and it goes clumpy, it only takes a fork to fluff up again. Unbeknown to me, my kids also adore CousCous which is a huge winner in our eyes!
STORECUPBOARD BBQ COUSCOUS
| Serves | 4-6 |
| Prep time | 2 minutes |
| Cook time | 7 minutes |
| Total time | 9 minutes |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Appetizer, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
| Occasion | Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party |
INGREDIENTS
- 200g CousCous
- 1/2 teaspoon Vegetable Stock (I use Bouillon Powder but a vegetable stock cube works too)
- 1 knob Butter
- 100g Frozen Peas
- 100g Frozen Sweetcorn
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Mint
- Boiling Water (Enough to cover the couscous)
OPTIONAL
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (For pouring on immediately before eating)
NOTE
We sometimes add either soy sauce or balsamic vinegar to our couscous. If you want to serve as a main meal at lunch, this is great with chopped ham or prawns added
DIRECTIONS
| 1. | |
| Put the couscous in a medium pan and cover with boiling water. Use enough water to have 2mm over the top of the couscous. Cover with a lid and leave for at least 5 minutes (longer is fine) | |
| 2. | |
| Turn on the heat for 1-2 minutes and add the butter. Add 1 more tablespoon boiling water to help the butter start to melt. Fluff up the couscous as it is heating with a fork. Turn off the heat and mix the butter through | |
| 3. | |
| Add the frozen vegetables and the dried herbs and mix well | |
| 4. | |
| Transfer to a serving dish. Can be kept in the fridge if not needed immediately | |
I know this is a really simple recipe to a lot of people. I wanted to share for 2 reasons though – This blog is very much a diary for us. I use it as a reminder of recipes that are well tried and tested that occasionally I forget exist. The second reason is that people often say they are not sure on the best way to prepare some simple dishes. The truth is theres no right and wrong. Most of my recipes are from me having a play in the kitchen. I wouldn’t say they are the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to make a dish – Just what I find works for us!
As always, I love to read your comments. Feel free to share any BBQ recipes that you find work for you.
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Oh Helen you’re accompaniments are on fire this year!! Ha ha pun intended. I love the bbq sides most too. Yum yum
This does sound like the ideal BBQ side, I always have these ingredients in the kitchen!
I honestly could not survive without frozen peas!
Thanks for reminding me about couscous, it’s one of those things that I make like mad and then completely forget about. Love this simple tasty recipe:-)
I love that is has a really long shelf life as we tend to go through phases of having it all the time, then forget about it.
This looks absolutely delicious. My children both love cous cous too, so I shall definitely try it out!
My youngest seems to be rather addicted to couscous and salads at the moment. After years of trying to get the eldest to eat well, its a refreshing change!
This sounds absolutely yum! Ill have to give it a try- I love how simple this is! As Im busy its great to have some easy go to recipes!
Happy Saturday!
Emily xx
Simple is so often the way to go – especially if you are mad busy x
Love couscous and your version sounds full of flavour with the herbs and soy sauce, I’ll definitely try it next time we eat alfresco!
To be honest, we put soy sauce on most stuff!
Surprisingly enough I have just been researching this week on how to cook couscous so your post is very helpful. I am going to try this when I cook lamb next.
Such a simple recipe. We often throw something similar together with rice. All the veg that’s on the turn in the fridge gets thrown in. It’s always nice, sometimes excellent, I’ll give the cous cous a try!