Couscous with roasted vegetables

Is it just me, or did you also think that Couscous was a grain? I remember reading somewhere a while ago that it was actually a pasta in a minuscule granular form, but it must’ve completely skipped my mind when I made it alongside some Spaghetti arrabiata for dinner last night. How very un-savvy of me for having forgotten that, what with all the cooking shows that I watch in the name of research.

I just looked it up again to clarify though, and it looks like we weren’t completely off. While some argue that since the method of making couscous is rather unconventional, it doesn’t really fall under the ‘pasta’ category, whereas, the flip side is that it technically cannot be called a grain since it’s actually just crushed durum wheat. So the sum and substance of it is that it’s neither here nor there. So we were neither right nor wrong. I wish more things in life were this ambiguous.

Arguably one of the most versatile grain/pasta there is, it holds well with almost any flavour combination you give it. I had roasted vegetables mixed through along with some fresh figs and pomegranate seeds for a slight variation, and for no other reason than that I had them lying around. See what I mean by versatile?

I have a lemon and thyme version in mind for next time. Or maybe one with a spicy Indian twist.. I’m neither here nor there just yet.

STIR-FRIED RICE NOODLES WITH MINCED PORK AND BLACK BEAN

Really not a lot to say about stir-fries that hasn’t been said before. Using a few pantry staples and whatever vegetables you have on hand, you can whip up something delicious in a matter of minutes. They come in handy especially when, say, you’ve been homebound for a week and are running out of options, and you have scraps of leftover vegetables moping around in the refrigerator begging to be productive in some way.

A new regular in my kitchen that I’ve been using in just about everything that I feel would carry its intense flavour and saltiness – fermented black bean. A little bit goes a long way and the spicy pungency it provides is definitely a game changer in any stir-fry. The next time you make fried rice, add a teaspoon of it to your eggs before you whisk them up and scramble. I tried this neat trick once, and haven’t had it any other way since.

I understand (I do, really) that not every recipe is as blank a canvas as a grilled chicken, but this stir-fry sure is. Add/omit ingredients as you wish and taste taste taste as you go along!

Recipes are not strict rules that you have to play by (stand aside, soufflé), but merely loose parameters that guide you. Believe in your abilities and learn from your mistakes – you will not only have a new pairing combo up your sleeve, but might even chance upon something that you will love that you would not have thought about. This is not a feminist statement, but in my books, the more kitchen empowerment, the better.

Baked perfection : AUBERGINE AND BROCCOLI PASTA BAKE

I love adding fresh veggies to my meal, and am constantly on the hunt to find recipes that can incorporate them. Ordinarily I find vegetarian dishes to be a real downer, so I had to pull out the big guns here..cheese! And not just one, but 2 types; Parmesan for the depth of flavour and Mozzarella for the ooey gooey mess. I may be getting a little carried away with the amount of cheese that I’ve used, but I make no apologies for it. Let’s focus on the broccoli instead, shall we?

This sauce that I’ve used for the macaroni is a slight variation of my mom’s go-to tomato sauce recipe for pizzas, and is very reliable in terms of flavour and prep-time. The overall concept of this dish is inspired by an article I came across in the ‘Good Food’ magazine.

Crispy aubergines, gratinated cheese and the slight (very desirable) tanginess of the tomato sauce make this pasta bake a real winner! You don’t know it yet, but you need this recipe in your life.