Easy Couscous

We have got to get a grill.  It is just too hot to be in the kitchen every night cooking.  I can’t do salads this week for a couple of reasons: I’d have to eat all the greens before I leave town and Southern Honey is not a salad fan.  The lack of stuff that doesn’t need to be cooked in the sweltering kitchen is just destroying me.

The only good thing about it is that I’m getting to try some new dishes and they’ve mostly tasted good.  And as a Chef Ramsay/Hell’s Kitchen/Kitchen Nightmares addict, it’s like having an angry British voice in my head all the time, yelling obscenities and going, “It’s RAW, you cow!!!”  *laughs*  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it kept me on my toes when I was making the risotto last week…

Fortunately, couscous was easier than risotto, so I had no problems juggling it on the stove and the veggies and chicken on the griddle.

Chicken, fresh veggies and Israeli couscous

Although I bought Israeli couscous at Trader Joe’s, I added more Moroccan-style ingredients when I cooked it.

Couscous

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
Salt and pepper
Cinnamon
Paprika
Onion powder (would have been better with some onion sauteed in olive oil)

Bring the water and chicken broth to a boil, then add the couscous.  Turn the temp down to a simmer and cover.  Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, then season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika and onion powder to your taste.

Saffron, turmeric and allspice would all be complementary spice alternatives or additions.  I have some allspice but bought it whole and didn’t realize it came without a grinder.  *headdesk*  Go, me!

I didn’t do anything special with the chicken or the veggies: seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and a Creole mix and did the veggies (red, orange, yellow and green peppers; squash; and broccoli) in olive oil, pepper and Mrs. Dash.  Tossed them all on the griddle and cooked until done.