I love my job. Partly because I enjoy the thoroughness of the English language and partly because reviewing a number of health-related recipes and articles each week fills me with nutritional knowledge and a desire to discover more.
Of course, being a text editor doesn’t make you a great cook. But with time, patience, and a healthy appetite, we can all learn.
The first step to a flourishing learning process is curiosity. It was this annoying state of affairs that led me to wander the pasta aisle at my local grocery store the other day, stopping between grains, waiting for heavenly inspiration to hit me with a terrific dinner idea. And then I caught a glimpse of the dire harvest that ruined my adolescence: couscous.
Growing up in a Mediterranean family comes with a mother who is an excellent cook, who is obsessed with nutrition and, in the name of health, often gives you the most obnoxious concoctions. Depending on the destination, couscous, along with fish soup and bean soup, all harmful substances for naive young people, were given away weekly.
Although I acquired a taste for everything else, the couscous remained a challenge. Still, week after week, as I sat at the table for hours, rummaging through my plate of smelly couscous, I certainly digested the fact that couscous is necessary. And yes, there is no getting around it, couscous is good for you. Packed with vitamins, minerals, calcium, and other nutrients, this grain protects digestive health and protects against disease.
So today, while looking at my childhood enemy, I already smelled a new challenge: Buy it, squeeze the nutrients and find a way to enjoy it.
Images of food shows, cookbook illustrations, and even the creations of my friend Martin, who was going to culinary school, came to mind. The best chef, Saveur, wild rice, was the last thing that made me stop. Yes, I remembered that wild rice. It was Wednesday, and Martin had found another way to change my mind and go out with him: by creating magic in the bedroom kitchen, with skinless chicken breasts and wild rice. The taste had been mediocre in the end, and I, I admit, maybe I left him to do the dishes. But what was relevant to my situation now is the color of that wild rice: white with flecks of brown. What was that brown?
Thanks to a Crunchy Breakfast recipe that I had edited a week earlier, I suddenly remembered a brown ingredient: flaxseed. Containing countless disease-fighting benefits, these omega-3 fatty acid superstars would enhance the benefits of couscous AND complement the look of the dish. So I grabbed a package and left the store, after paying a few bucks, of course, ASAP.
A few hours later, the familiar smell emerged in my kitchen. But this time it was a different smell. By then I had gotten more creative and added garlic and tomatoes to the pot. And the whole thing had only taken me about 15 minutes. Now, without further ado, I will share with you the procedure:
Ingredients
4 cups of water
1/2 cup of couscous
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 whole tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Flax seed
Addresses
1. Bring the water to a boil, then add the couscous, oil, minced garlic, and seasonings.
2. Cook for several minutes, then add the onion and tomatoes.
3. After a few more minutes, add the flaxseed.
4. Let cook for no more than 7 minutes, then carefully scoop out and drain excess water.
The total cooking time was about 15 minutes. The flaxseed added a crunch to the couscous, while the tomatoes added a sweet, full flavor, adding more superstar health points.
However, in the end, I was still not surprised by the taste of the couscous. Sitting on my kitchen counter, tasting the chunks again, I felt like I had lost the challenge and was now stuck with a three-day supply of hideous couscous. Something was missing.
Defeated, I wrapped up the food and walked to my room. However, he ate me and I couldn’t let him go. I went online and wondered what I should write. And after aimless and misguided paragraphs, I decided to start from the beginning, retrace my steps and understand the essential nature of what I had done.
And little by little, the idea suddenly occurred to me: I had cooked the couscous and although the pot had included other tasty things, the flavors had melted into a mild flavor. And then the fix: all the plate needed was a kick. A hint of fresh veggies, a little spice, and maybe an added component for a complete meal. Thank goodness for that bell pepper he had bought for a salad that had gone bad and the couscous stole the show that afternoon. And holy shit, how lucky I still had another whole tomato, the other half of the onion, AND – the secret ingredient – spicy jalapenos. And those two chicken legs I saw in the freezer?
You can guess the results or you can look at the image. And because they are both equally good, I will continue the procedure and share the success with you here:
Additions
1 whole tomato
6 (according to taste) jalaenos
1/2 onion
2 chicken thighs, baked and shredded
Just two things to keep in mind: Coarsely chop the tomato, jalapeños, and onion to maintain flavor. Add the chicken legs and drizzle with olive oil and a little lemon, for more kicker points. However, by now you are so far ahead that, even without the lemon, you have won the challenge. Which, it turns out, isn’t about winning or losing at all, not even Mom’s hideous recipe.
It’s about understanding the nature of what you are cooking and what you want to achieve.
