Surprisingly tasty...

[telophase]

Saffron Couscous with Raisins

Put 1 pinch saffron in 1 c. water, boil. Pour boiling water over 1 cup elderly dry couscous. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let site 2-3 min. Fluff with fork, re-cover, sit 5-6 min more. Stir in 1/2 c. raisins, 1 1/2 tb butter. Serves 4 as a side dish, approx. 225 calories per serving.

From my 3-Ingredient Cookbook. You'll note they don't count water or butter as ingredients.

The raisins were supposed to be golden raisins, but all I have are the non-golden type, and they work well. The recipe called for 2 tablespoons butter, but I only had 1.5, so I used that, which turned out fine. More might be a bit greasy. My couscous jar bore a label proclaiming that it was best before April 2006, but as I broke the vacuum seal on it, I wasn't too concerned. :) The serving sizes end up being about 3/4 cup.


You'll get the promised egg post shortly - give my batteries a bit more time to charge!

Comments

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

I can see not counting water as an ingredient by why not butter? My house actually doesn't always have butter in it.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Water, salt, pepper, oil, and butter are all considered "free" ingredients. Mostly because, I suspect, if they didn't, most of the recipes would not be eligible for the book.

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

I guess. My house is always out of butter and oil whenever I go to make anything. (Usually eggs as well.)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I love couscous. I make it plain a lot (or with curry powder and red pepper thrown in), and then buy bags of frozen veggies and heat them up (either microwave or by stirfry) and throw them on top of the couscous. Really quick and easy.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Couscous is one of those things that every so often I like, but if I eat it more then two days in a row it gets real old, real fast. Unlike, say, potatoes, which I could happily eat until Judgement Day.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd want to eat it two days in a row, either. But about once a week seems good for me, and it's a nice sort of thing to have on hand, because it's so insanely quick to make.