The Washington Post, November 30, 2005
Half a cup of toasted pine nuts and 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro are optional but excellent additions.
2 generous servings
Ingredients:
Directions:
Combine the broth, olive oil and turmeric in a 1-quart Pyrex bowl. Microwave the liquid on high uncovered and bring to a boil (2 to 3 minutes). Remove carefully, stir in the couscous and cover tightly with plastic wrap for 5 minutes.
Fluff the couscous with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley or cilantro, if desired.
Packet cooking tips:Packets are perfect foils for home cooks who have either little time on their hands or remote controls in them. Here are some tips to keep in mind for foil-packet cooking:
* Mold the top piece of foil closely to the ingredients to make the packet as airtight as possible.
* Do not let the packet contents poke holes in the foil. Heavy-duty foil is less likely to be breached.
* Make sure the seals are tight. With each folding of the foil, press the crease firmly with the index finger. Make at least three folds so the seals can withstand the pressure of the steam within the packets.
* If ingredient substitutions are made, make sure everything in the assembled packet will cook to doneness at the same rate of speed. (This is why the sweet potatoes and carrots in the tagine and the new potatoes in the salmon packet are parboiled ahead of time.)
* Take care when opening the packets to avoid getting burned from steam. Use scissors to cut out an initial rectangle just inside the perimeter of the folds.
Adapted from chef and former restaurateur David Hagedorn.
426 calories, 8g fat, 2g saturated fat, 3mg cholesterol, 219mg sodium, 72g carbohydrates, 5g dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 14g protein.
