Most often, the same cereals are used for the preparation of side dishes: buckwheat, rice, pearl barley. But such a tasty and healthy cereal as couscous is rarely found in recipes for everyday dishes. But in vain, because this ingredient allows you to diversify any familiar lunch or dinner.
Couscous, or couscous, is both a cereal and a traditional dish of the inhabitants of North Africa and the Sahara. This cereal is obtained by grinding wheat grains, then moistening and rolling into small balls. But sometimes it is made from barley and even rice.
Traditionally, couscous is cooked in a special dish that consists of two parts. At the bottom, vegetables and meat are stewed, and at the top, couscous is steamed.
This cereal is very useful for the body. It contains a lot of vitamin B5, which has a positive effect on immunity, increases vitality and helps fight depression and chronic fatigue, and also participates in the regeneration of skin and hair cells.
Couscous is rich in phosphorus, iron and copper. It helps to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and stabilize water-salt metabolism in the body. In addition, potassium in cereals strengthens the heart muscle.
Couscous is considered a dietary product: it consists of 70% carbohydrates and has an average glycemic index. In other words, this product provides a feeling of satiety for a long time, since, despite the rather high calorie content, it is absorbed by the body for a long time. The use of couscous helps to increase the level of hemoglobin and reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, prevent joint diseases and prevent early graying of hair and skin aging.
Couscous should be used with caution for diabetics, it is best to first consult with your doctor.
Many different dishes are prepared from couscous. It can be either a main course or a side dish. You can cook tender chicken with couscous and lemon. This will require:
- chicken fillet - 1 pc.;
- couscous - 200 g;
- chicken broth - 200 ml;
- natural low-fat yogurt - 150 g;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- coriander - to taste;
- hot pepper - to taste;
- olive oil - to taste;
- salt - to taste;
- mint - 2-3 branches.
Before cooking, marinate the chicken fillet in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Also, add a little coriander and pepper to the marinade. Then the fillets must be fried in olive oil right along with the garlic from the marinade.
Take a small container and pour the broth brought to a boil into the couscous. Cover with a lid and let it brew for 5 minutes so that the cereal absorbs the liquid. Then you need to chop the mint and some more coriander, add fresh yogurt and a little salt. Mix everything and set the sauce aside. Place couscous in a skillet with ready-made chicken and stir. It's a good idea to add some lemon zest for flavor. The dish is ready, serve with yoghurt sauce.
In general, you can use couscous as a side dish for any dish. It is enough to cook it correctly, giving it a piquant aroma. For this you need to take:
- couscous - 200 g;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- orange zest - to taste;
- cinnamon - on the tip of a knife;
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons;
- ground black pepper - to taste;
- salt - to taste;
- chicken broth - 400 ml.
First you need to heat the oil in a deep saucepan and sauté the peeled and chopped onion along with the carrots in it. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon. Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Add couscous, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for a while and, removing the lid, loosen the cereal with a fork, adding the orange zest. You will get a very tasty and aromatic dish.
