Berber Black Bean Couscous

This is a meal impressive enough to serve to your gourmand friends who will believe you slaved for hours preparing it.  I “invented” it one evening from a few things I had in the pantry when it was too late in the evening to start a from-scratch meal and didn’t want to resort to the usual suspect quickie meals.  The total prep time was about 10 minutes and as you can see from the photo this looks like anything but a fast-food meal.  After the jump I’ll share some ideas for putting just a little more energy into it to take it to the next level.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can S&W® Cuban Recipe Black Beans
• 1 package Tyson® steak strips
• 1 box Near East® Toasted Pine Nut Couscous
• ¼ cup frozen Birds Eye® Sweet Kernel Corn
• 2 fresh green onion stems, cut into 1/3” pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

PREPARATION:

Place the canned beans into a medium saucepan, add the frozen corn, add the onion piece and the steak strips and heat.  I added a dash of Tabasco® Chipotle hot sauce for just a tiny kick (a small dash). While that is heating prepare couscous according to box directions, which takes about 5 minutes.  Be sure to use olive oil rather than the alternate butter.  Spoon couscous onto a plate and serve with the heated bean/meat mixture.  Serve with triangles of warm pita bread.  Makes enough for 4.

IDEAS:

You can’t make spaghetti or a hot dog any faster than this meal and I can’t imagine them being more satisfying. Next time I won’t change anything but the meat.  There are so many choices to substitute but I envision one of the best being pulled pork (with no added sauces).  Slivers of a good quality smoked ham could work out quite well or spending a little more time and grilling your own steak instead of using the packaged slices.  I think my next adventure in food will use lamb for the meat.

BACKGROUND:

Couscous is a staple food throughout the North African cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Libya. Traditionally couscous is made by rubbing semolina between moistened hands until the flour combines with just enough water to form hundreds of tiny grains.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves"

- Buddha

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