Most often, the same cereals are used for making 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.
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Couscous, or couscous, is both cereal and the 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 bowl, which consists of two parts. Vegetables and meat are stewed at the bottom, and steamed couscous is cooked at the top.
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 stabilizes the water-salt metabolism in the body. In addition, potassium in cereals strengthens the heart muscle.
Couscous is considered a dietary product: it is 70% carbohydrate and has an average glycemic index. In other words, this product provides a feeling of satiety for a long time, because, despite a fairly high calorie content, it is absorbed by the body for a long time. Eating couscous helps increase hemoglobin levels and reduce bad cholesterol, prevent joint diseases and prevent early graying of hair and skin aging.
Caution should be taken to couscous to diabetics, it is best to consult with your doctor first.
Couscous is used to prepare a variety of different dishes. 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 non-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, you need to marinate the chicken in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Also, a little coriander and pepper should be added to the marinade. Then the fillet must be fried in olive oil directly with garlic from marinade.
Take a small container and pour couscous in it with broth brought to a boil. Cover and let it brew for 5 minutes to allow the cereal to absorb liquid. Then you need to chop the mint and a little more coriander, add fresh yogurt and a little salt. Mix everything and set the sauce aside. Place the couscous in a pan with the finished chicken and mix. It’s nice to add a little lemon peel for flavor. The dish is ready, serve with yogurt sauce.
In general, you can use couscous as a side dish for any dish. It is enough to cook it properly, giving a piquant aroma. To do this, take:
- couscous - 200 g;
- onions - 1 pc.;
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- orange peel - to taste;
- cinnamon - on the tip of a knife;
- olive oil - 3 tbsp.;
- 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 in it pre-peeled and chopped onions along with carrots. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon. Pour the broth into the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Pour couscous, mix, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for a while and, removing the lid, loosen the cereal with a fork, adding the orange zest. It will turn out a very tasty and fragrant dish.