Couscous is, essentially, a semolina/wheat pasta product. Most common in the west is the (instant) medium couscous and this is what we choose to use. It is pre-steamed and dried so a simple five minute soak in boiled liquid gives you couscous which is ready to fluff.

Couscous is a flavour sponge. Again, it's a vehicle for other tastes. We will, sometimes, use a light vegetable broth instead of water. If you are using couscous as a starch with your chicken meal, using chicken soup is not uncommon, however, don't use full strength soup. Thin it so that you can still taste and enjoy the flavour of your chicken.

Couscous is adaptable - so much so that you can prepare it with mushrooms, carrots, diced onion ... any number of enchancers. The limit is your imagination! Any way you decide to prepare it, this African side dish is a delightful go-with for anything from chicken to tofu.

Medium (instant) couscous uses a one-to-one recipe. The minimum you should prepare is 3/4 cup. At 1/2 cup you have to add very little extra water. To increase the quantity of couscous simply multiply the dry couscous and liquid.

Now let's prepare some couscous!

To make couscous you will need:
* a pot or kettle to boil water
* a pot with a lid.
* a fork
* a knife and cutting board may be needed depending upon what you may choose to add.

The required ingredients to prepare couscous are:
* 1 cup couscous
* 1 cup boiling water (don't forget to boil a bit more than you need to make up for loss due to evaporation while heating
* optional herbs, spices and/or vegetables

Method: * Measure one cup medium couscous into a pot. * bring to a boil about 1 1/8 cups water. * Measure one cup of the boiling water into the couscous and stir lightly and briefly to wet the coucous. Note: Do not use heat at this stage. Do not over-stir. Mix only enough to get the couscous wet. * Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes. Variations: * You may stir in a handful of frozen peas or other frozen vegetables. Fresh vegetables must be precooked (cook your vegetables relatively firm - they will continue to soften while the couscous soaks). You may, then, use the same water (with the vegetables) to reconstitute your couscous. Just measure off the liquid as you would unflavoured (boiling) water. * If using fresh vegetables (eg, carrots), first, take the parboiled vegetables from the liquid - reserving the water. Stir the vegetable into the couscous. Then measure and add hot water reserved from boiling the vegetables. * A little onion diced to 1/4" or less or chopped bunching onions and/or diced mushroom will impart a nice, gentle flavour to your couscous. * Try adding 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped (flat) parsley. Disperse it into the couscous before adding the water - it will spread in the couscous when the water is added. * If using a broth do not salt. There should be enough salt in your broth. Finishing: * (After five minutes of standing - once the couscous has absorbed the liquid) gently fluff the couscous with a fork - lifting it to separate the grains. * Let the couscous stand, in the pot, with the lid ajar, for an additional two to five minutes. Notes: If adding additional flavours, do so gently and in small amounts. Couscous will readily take on other flavours. Still need salt? Add it at the table rather than into the pot.

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