Suffer the Starch

lottalotta couscous

Sometimes I get ahead of myself. Getting all wound up with the protein and veg portion of the meal, I end up rather conceding the starch.

God, not another pot of mashed potatoes, boring and blah no matter what cheese/herb/sauce is added. Oh, another loaf of bread warmed in the oven? Sure. What else.

The other night was ripe for pot roast, which I had on hand. I was quite content to use the spinach from the drawer, as it could be easily sauteed with sliced garlic.

Luckily with no taters on hand, and a real rooting desire to stay in my slippers, I mined the pantry and came up with couscous. I love couscous, but it can also be bland and boring and sad when the end-of-dinner clearing includes a still heaping bowl.

With an eye on keeping the supper simple, I felt that I ought to wing it. This, my friends, is my biggest fear: winging it and bombing. If I use a recipe and fail, I can always blame the test kitchens or some drunk copy editor who must have missed something in the proof-reading. But when I open my cupboards and throw in, it’s all on me and my ego.

Funny enough, my biggest lesson learned has been how to build a dish. There’s a reason you sautee onions before garlic … garlic burns quickly and will keep burning as the onions slowly soften. This is just one of those tiny tiny key elements that I’ve soaked up over the years, like the fact that it’s better to start with the flavor and add the couscous rather than trying to add it after it’s been cooked. I’m happy to say that more than a few things have soaked in, which is maybe why you’re here reading this blah blah blah about my starch, because it worked for me and might still win you love and affection.

Winging It Couscous
(with the caveat that I have a pretty stocked pantry)

1. In a medium sauce pot, melt about 3 Tablespoons butter.

2. Chop up about 1/2 a yellow onion (mine was in a baggy in the fridge) and throw into the pot, stirring so often, until slightly translucent.

3. Quarter about 1 1/2 cups of baby portobellas, throw in with the onions and stir about until the mushrooms become golden and soft.

4. Toss in some freshly chopped thyme, salt and pepper.

5. Add a little more than 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.

6. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of couscous (mine is whole wheat). Cover the pot and wait for 5 minutes.

7. Remove the lid and fluff couscous with a fork, stir in 1 hunk of truffle butter.
Serve it up proudly.