Mangez Le Couscous!

Gather 'round the tagine, kids. I've got an easy couscous recipe, which we tested on Elbo last night. He gave it the classic Bonanos Thumbs-Up And Belly-Rub, so we must have done something right.

We used two recipes, one for vegetarian couscous, a second for Moroccan kefta (meatballs).

Print those out if you wish and make the following changes, as I did, or try your own.

For the couscous:

Instead of zucchini, I used asparagus.
Instead of vegetable broth, I used chicken broth.
Instead of 3 tomatoes, I used half a can of TJ's peeled unsalted tomatoes.
I added most of a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. I added them toward the end to keep them firm.

I also found the spices generally lacking, so I added more. You can do much of this adjustment at the end when you've removed the veggies and you're reducing the remaining liquid to a sauce.

For the kefta:

Instead of ground lamb, I used ground turkey.
Instead of ground ginger, I grated fresh ginger.
I added a few dashes of worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of dried crushed mint. Mint is good.

It's also good to let the meat mixture sit for a few hours in the fridge before cooking. Let the flavors combine.

We put the kefta in a pan under the broiler. They took longer to cook than advertised, but keep a close eye on them. Once they start to brown on one side, they'll go quickly, so turn them over to get brown on the other side. They'll also release a lot of liquid, so use a tall-sided pan that won't slosh over the rim. We did not use skewers -- they were fine sitting on the floor of the pan, which we spritzed with olive oil spray.

Tip for couscous: you can use water, but the more broth you substitute for water, the better the couscous. If you want to add things to the couscous -- green onion, walnuts, raisins, currants -- do so after it's cooked. You don't want soggy nuts, believe me.

Product Placement: TJ's Dry Rub

Da Fanch and I have been devoted to making our own dry rub -- for food, dammit! Come on. This is a family blog. We found a recipe for "Iraqi spice mix" in a Middle Eastern cookbook that required the purchase of many different powders and other things that need to be pulverized. The result is an excellent, pungent rub for all kinds of meats, and I recommend it to anyone with time and a mortar and pestle. A Cuisinart will also do.

Second best: the TJ's "Steak & Chop Grill & Broil" mix, found in the spice rack. It's damn good, it's not too salty, and it has dried lemon zest, a nice touch. Start with it, then doctor it as you see fit. I like to add a little cinammon, especially for pork and chicken served with a couscous sprinkled with walnuts and raisins. Allahu akbar!

Sausage at Home

Here's a surefire sausage sandwich from the Bistro Hugo lunchbreak file:

Using a precooked sausage, place the whole schlong on a square of tinfoil, crimped upward at the edges to prevent messy juice spill, and slide under the broiler. Check after a few minutes: the skin should be starting to crisp. Rotate sausage and put back under broiler.

Meanwhile, heat a dab of olive oil in a pan. Slice 1/4 onion and sautee slices in oil. Just as they start to brown, add a lusty forkful of sauerkraut. I like the TJ's stuff in the glass jar. Heat until excess liquid evaporates.

If you're using sandwich bread, better to go with something thick and hearty so the sausage and kraut juices won't turn it to mush. Apply condiments as needed. Spicy mustard, obviously. I like a little mayo, call me goyische, fine, and no ketchup.

Slice hot sausage lengthwise, place on bread. Pile onion and kraut onto sausage, letting excess fall onto the plate. Great with beer but not during work hours.