Probably a stupid question about cous cous

[CaviarAndCigarettes]

We've recently found our son loves cous cous which is great as he doesn't eat bread or wraps etc and making a packed lunch was becoming a bit of a nightmare.

I've been making my own, but i wondered about the microwaveable stuff for if we are on holiday. He likes it cold (bonus!) so would we just serve the microwaveable stuff up cold and not heat it up? Or do we still need to microwave it and then let it cool?

I know this is a stupid question but I don't like the stuff and have no experience of cooking it or microwaving it or anything.

Thank you in advance

Couscous is basically pasta isnt it?

Anyway, delicious whatever it is. Mine like it cold as a salad with lemon, toms, cucumber, feta and olives.

No microwaving required - just boiling water to rehydrate it, but it's nicer if you mix in some butter or oil after you fluff it up I think.

He may like buckwheat then, similar texture but more nutritious

My boy loved cousin cousin. I put some in a bowl, boiled the kettle and added water to 5mm above the cous cous. Trial and error sorted this out.
You can add all sorts of stuff too. Veggies, meat. It's like pasta but smaller bits.

*cous cous. Not sure why auto correct got it right the 2nd time.

If he's ok with veg then you can mix with chopped tomato,peas,sweetcorn,spring onions,mint leaves and parsley if he likes them.
Pasta with pesto also nice cold.
Savoury rice,cook with a stock cube for extra flavour.Again you can chop veg food not it,shred in a I egg omlet,flavour with a little light soya sauce.This is nice hot or cold.

I am boggling that you make your own cous cous. Everyone I know either buys bulk packets of plain dried cous cous or the sachets of flavoured dried cous cous.

How the fark do you make your own?

Of course you buy dried plain cous cous - it's a dried grain made from semolina, it doesn't come to you fresh off a plant....

To make from scratch you essentially soak semolina with salt water, lots of hand rubbing, then run it through a colander, leave to dry then steam cook in a cheesecloth when needed. Looks like it needs an hour of cooking, salt water sprays, oiling etc though....

Cous cous is essentially a form of pasta, it's not a grain. I saw a travel or food programme - might have been Rick Stein - a few years ago where they showed a group of women in Morocco making it by hand.

Update - it's a winner, he loved it!

Made it with low sodium chicken stock and gave him lemon to squeeze into it. Absolutely winner!

I will try bulgur wheat, thanks for the tip!

It's lovely with chopped mint, sultanas and pomegranate seeds. Or just the mint and sultanas if you're skint

He might like quinoa too? Or you can make polenta, cool it in a tin then cut into wedges and fry it. That is ok cold, mix Parmesan into the polenta when it is still hot to give extra flavour.

I am loving these suggestions thank you!

I've never even tried polenta but will give it a go. Any alternatives to Parmesan to flavour it? He's not a cheese fan. Quite sensitive to dairy. I wouldn't say intolerant or allergic but he actively avoids it and has done from a young age to the exception of an occasional ice cream which always upsets his tummy. He's not even bothered by chocolate bless him

I have also done it with lightly fried garlic, rosemary and chilli flakes mixed in - very tasty! But polenta is fairly bland so you can probably mix with whatever flavours/seasoning he likes.

@TooMinty thank you! I will definitely try polenta and then try to introduce it to the kids!

No worries. If I'm serving it hot I make a tomato and herb sauce to go with it. Would work with bacon or chorizo too I expect.

@TooMinty I can't wait to try it out. Thank you so much for taking the time

No worries. Now if you can just tell me how to get my two to like the same meals... 😅

I just mix it with stock and let it sit in a bowl covered with cling film for 2 mins.
Fluff with fork, add cucumber, sweetcorn, tomato and feta.

@CaviarAndCigarettes if you want to try experimenting with all the good grains people mentioned above try Googling for “grain salads”. That should bring up lots of farro, bulgur wheat, couscous, etc recipes. Glad to see he’s open to trying new things! :)

@CaviarAndCigarettes this was also great recent thread with loads of tasty ideas of what to put in couscous www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3962369-what-to-put-in-my-couscous

@JingsMahBucket thank you!

@TooMinty I haven't mastered that one yet either 😬

If your out do you know they sell ready to eat pots of it in the salad section (with the coleslaw etc)

Have you tried him with crackers, corn thins and rice cakes?