Couscous Revisited

Not too long ago I made a blog post about my first foray into cooking couscous.  If you didn't read that post then, you can read it here.  I talked about making and eating couscous and my family's reactions to my experiment.

Boy did I receive some intense feedback!  My blog reading friends had some fairly strong reactions to my naivety, and several of my own offspring even indicated that I wasn't "motoring on full power."  This photo shows my first attempt back then at making couscous, which we ate as a fairly tasteless and blah side dish with gravy.  My son had even told me that this dish "is not a keeper."

The gist of most of the laughing feedback was like this:  "Hahahahaha, you idiot, you can't just eat it alone, you have to mix it in with other things!"

So I tried again, using the leftovers from the first attempt.  (Because I had PLENTY of leftover couscous after that meal.)  I made a simple mixture using the leftovers that I will call Couscous Brunch Slop.  Here it is:

Step 1 - Veggies, bacon and couscous mixed

COUSCOUS BRUNCH SLOP

carrots - diced

celery -  chopped

onions -  diced

green pepper - diced

couscous - cooked

bacon - fried, drained and crumbled

eggs

grated cheese

Cook all veggies in olive oil in a pan until they are tender crisp.  

Add couscous and bacon pieces and stir.  

Add eggs and stir until egg is cooked.

Top with grated cheese and cover pan with foil until cheese is melted.

Step 2 - eggs and cheese added

With this recipe, I believe I redeemed myself with the diners here at home.  I have now elevated my status from Kitchen Moron to Moderately Culinary Challenged.  I'm happy that I'm going in the right direction.  Nothing tried, nothing gained, right?

Sometimes it's good to simply try new things - foods, books, activities, adventures.  New things stretch the mind.  I can use a lot of that.  Minimally, trying new things creates opportunities for conversation and memories.  On our recent trip to Jamaica, the husband/lover/best friend and I determined that we would "stretch ourselves" by trying new foods.  

Here are some of the new foods we tried:

   Jerk Chicken (a smoked chicken made with Caribbean spices)

   Marlin (a fish that is not usually offered in Northeastern U.S. restaurants)

   Salmon (Bob went out on a limb trying this again, as he has not liked it in past trials)

   Coconut soup

   Potatoes and Leeks soup

   Snapper fillets

   Coconut rice

   Red Stripe fish

There were several others, but most of these foods we really enjoyed.  

So thank you to all my family and blogger friends, who so willingly corrected me in how to PROPERLY USE COUSCOUS.  Until next time, may you all find something new to try, in the kitchen or elsewhere!