I've posted this one here before, with the vinaigrette and the feta and the curry and the raisins this recipe is anything but bland. The only difference between the Near East brand boxed couscous and regular bulk couscous is that the boxes come with packets of dried spices that you add to the water before adding the couscous.

CURRIED COUSCOUS

Serves 6-8 people

2 boxes Near East Mediterranean Curry Couscous
2 cups broccoli flowerets (about one large head)
1 carrot, sliced thinly
6 white mushrooms (sliced)
5 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup raisins
2 tbsp mild curry powder
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
4 oz feta cheese (cut into 1/4 inch cubes)

Prepare couscous according to package directions.
Cook broccoli and carrots in 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently. When partially cooked, add mushrooms and 2 more tbsp of olive oil and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder and stir until well mixed.
Transfer couscous into large bowl. Add vegetables into couscous. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Either serve immediately or refrigerate.

Check this thread for info about Ruthanna's Eggplant Couscous Rolls. The original recipe had to be revised slightly, but it was very good, and I have made it twice.

Lars

I've made this from Moosewood several times. I like it a lot. I have also added diced chicken (shh, don't tell!).

Here is a link that might be useful: Salat Tangiers

I bet it would be good to throw in a pot of soup! After all it's just tiny little pasta. I think some people mistakenly believe it's a grain...it is not, it's just pasta.

I just cook it in chicken stock.
I add green onions sliced on the diagonal. Sometimes I add raisins and nuts; cranberries etc.
You could add garlic. What ever sounds good to you.

Linda

I've made a quasi-tabouleh using couscous. Pretty good. Just find a tabouleh recipe and improvise off that riff.

I add some orange juice to the cooking water, mix in some dried cherries and toasted walnuts and eat it for breakfast.

Here's a link to a fabulous recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Roast pork with couscous and ginger yogurt.

If all you want to do is cook the couscous cereal, all you need to do is cook 'x' amount of the cereal in '2x' amount of broth or water. This is one of the few times I use bullion cubes: take 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, add a Knorr chicken bullion cube, dissolve, add 1 cup of couscous, stir and return to the boil, cover and remove from the heat. After 5 or 10 minutes, remove the cover, fluff the couscous up and add butter, if desired. Very quick way to get a carb fix. If you want to make a real authentic couscous dish, though, keep reading. I've had couscous in Algerian restaurants, and this recipe tastes pretty authentic:

This is a very reliable recipe. It's from 'Craig Claiborne's Gourmet Diet', and I reproduce it pretty much exactly as he has it. I've made it several times, and it's quite tasty. A few things I would note: if you can find 'Harissa' at a gourmet store, you don't need to make the Hot Pepper Sauce. (For that matter, you could use sriracha or your favorite salsa. Not traditional, but it'll still be good.) Also, don't be intimidated if you don't have every last little ingredient--it'll still probably taste good. I've made it without leeks one time, without turnips another--still was good. Also, instead of a cut up chicken, you could use 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of skinless/boneless chicken thighs to save some time.

COUSCOUS WITH CHICKEN

1/2 cup dried chick-peas
2 tbsp butter or margarine
One 2 1/2 pound chicken, cut up into serving pieces
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp saffron (optional)
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 leek, trimmed, rinsed and cut up into small cubes (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup fresh or canned unsalted tomatoes, quartered
6 very small white onions, or one medium onion, quartered (about 1 cup)
4 cups unsalted chicken broth
2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths (optional)
3 small carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths, about 1 cup
1 red or green sweet pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 2" squares
3 very small or 2 medium turnips, cut into quarters, about 1 1/2 cups
2 small zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
Couscous
Hot Pepper Sauce (recipe follows this one) or Harissa

1. Soak the chickpeas for at least 6 hours in water to cover. Drain and cook in water to cover about 2 inches above the peas for about 15 minutes, or until tender.
2. Heat the butter or margarine over low heat in a casserole and add the chicken. Turn the pieces in the butter and sprinkle with cumin, ginger, turmeric, saffron (if used), garlic and a generous grinding of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the chicken starts to lose its raw color.
3. Add the leek, tomatoes, onions and chicken broth and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the celery (if used), carrots and sweet pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the turnips and cook for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and drained chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Press a sieve in the broth and scoop out 3 cups of broth for the couscous.
6. To serve, spoon a generous amount of couscous into individual soup bowls. Serve the chicken and vegetables on top. Ladle a generous amount of broth over each serving. Take a spoonful of the hot broth and add as much hot sauce as you desire. Stir to dissolve. Spoon this over each serving.

Couscous (the cereal)
1 1/2 cups couscous cereal
3 cups strained liquid from the couscous with chicken recipe, above

1. Put the couscous in a saucepan. Pour the hot broth over it. Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Cover and remove from the heat.
2. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until ready to serve. Before serving, fluff the couscous with a fork.

Hot Pepper Sauce

2 tbsp hot crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander

1. Combine the pepper flakes and water in a small saucepan. Bring just to the boil, stirring.
2. Remove from the heat and add the oil and coriander.

Thanks everyone!!
I'll try out a couple of these! I don't have a lot so I should be OK.
I just needed a jumpstart!

Deanna

Traditionally, the couscous is steamed above the simmering stew. see link
It's usually served with the chicken and veg stew as above, and grilled meat and merguez.

Here is a link that might be useful: cooking pot

Islay is correct in that it is traditionally cooked in a couscoussier; the stew simmers along while steaming the cereal. The resulting couscous comes out slightly drier than the technique I described, of just simmering the cereal in twice the volume of broth. (Or, stating that another way, the technique I described ends up with slightly wetter/moister couscous than the traditional method.)

And if you can find merguez (a spicy lamb sausage), that goes excellently well with that chicken stew.

If you want to pursue couscous cookery, you can't do better than Paula Wolfert's book, at the link. I have an earlier version of it, and it's very informative. So much so that I'm thinking about investing in a couscoussier.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paula Wolfert's couscous cookbook