Bonnie: My first couscous memory is of Mediterranean cookbook author Paula Wolfert standing in front of a class of hungry cooking-school students, lifting her hands full of the cooked grains high—almost above her head—to aerate them and break up the lumps. She had steamed the couscous in the top part of a couscoussière (a special two-part cooking vessel just for that purpose) with the meats and vegetables simmering in the bottom part.

That was more than 25 years ago when I was covering her cooking class for the New Haven Register. I described the then tedious—yet authentic—process in detail, so my readers could reproduce the dish at home.

I made her complicated dish then, and would again now, yet prefer to cook and entertain more simply – and quickly.

You can still prepare couscous over a simmering stew—with the grains absorbing the flavors of what cooks below—even without that special vessel. Just jury-rig one by placing a metal colander over your pot of simmering stew, being sure you have a lid that will cover both tightly and trap the steam.

Or you can make whole wheat couscous in just 5 minutes using Near East’s Whole Grain Blends. I like the original plain—containing only the precooked semolina (pasta)—and add whatever ingredients I’m in the mood for. With this quick version you just boil water (I use chicken stock), combine with the couscous, cover, let sit 5 minutes and fluff. Quick. Simple. Tasty.

If I’m in an Asian mood I might sauté some scallions, grated fresh ginger, diced carrots, and slivered (julienned) snow peas in some peanut oil; add a splash of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine; mix into the couscous and then garnish with chopped peanuts. For a south-of-the-border version, I’d mix in corn, diced red pepper, black beans, chopped onion, minced jalapeño peppers, cumin, lime juice and olive oil, garnishing with lots of chopped cilantro.

When I entertain, I like to do as much ahead of time as possible. If I’m planning to serve couscous, I’ll sauté whatever veggies I’ve decided to use, season to taste and put them in a heat-resistant serving bowl. Ten minutes before I’m ready to serve I heat the chicken broth to boiling in the microwave (hence, no pot to clean!), add the couscous and broth to the serving bowl, cover with a plate or plastic and let sit while I’m bringing the other foods to the table. Then I’ll just uncover, fluff with a fork and serve.

The couscous is not only tasty, but also good for you, as a one-cup serving provides one of the three servings of whole grains that our government’s health agencies—and I—recommend you eat daily.

As a refresher, a whole grain is simply an intact seed of a plant—just the way it grew in the field—with its three main parts: endosperm, germ and bran. Each part contains its own nutrients, but the whole grain is greater than the sum of its parts. It provides vitamins, minerals and many phytonutrients—substances plants produce to protect themselves against disease, ones that also help us. Scientists agree eating whole grains regularly reduces the risk of heart disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.

A short addendum: Just received a press release about a Near East recipe contest and thought it perfect to share the grand prize-winning Latin-flavored recipe for Couscous Cubano with you.

Prepare the box of couscous according to the package directions, omitting the butter or oil; let cool 10 minutes. Stir in 15-oz can (rinsed and drained) black beans, 1 cup diced papaya, 1 cup shredded spinach leaves, 1 minced scallion, 2 T lime juice, 2 T olive oil, 1/2 t ground cumin, 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t cayenne pepper. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with ¼ cup chopped smoked salted almonds. Serves 6.

Bryan: I do enjoy cooking, as you may already know, but rarely have the patience to commit to time-consuming side dishes like risotto and couscous outside a commercial kitchen. A saviour is delivered in the form of Near East Couscous. It really is a very simple, healthy and great tasting product to keep in the pantry. The best part is it’s ready in five minutes by just adding hot water. I found I could create many different flavors. The couscous is so easy, you’ll find yourself tempted into the role of culinary alchemist. I inevitably began a science lab of flavor creation in the kitchen, testing out variations from Bonnie’s ‘stir fry’ Asian couscous to a lemon juice and pineapple creation of my own device. (Hey, I had some pork loin and was thinking “Luau!”)

Eric: “Five minutes to cook? All couscous takes 5 minutes to cook, so what’s so special about this product that it needs to be reviewed?”

After toting around this couscous and convincing my Hotelschool friends that they must try it, that was the response I received. I tried to explain to them that the whole wheat aspect of the couscous was under review, not the cooking time, and realized that to the majority of consumers the cooking time of couscous is unknown (that is to the majority of “non-foodie” consumers). To make a long story short, I realized that many consumers are unaware of how simple and quick couscous is to make. For me, couscous is the perfect base (or canvas) to create a fresh meal in 15 minutes, or to throw together the food in the fridge for a tribute to the week’s leftovers. In my mind whole wheat is not a trend and should not be treated as one. The reason this couscous gains recognition over other brands is for combining the ease of cooking with the added value of vitamins and minerals. For any yuppie looking for a quick substitute for rice and pasta, look no further.

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Grand prize winning recipe, Couscous Cubano,
from Roxanne Chan of Albany, CA

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