Friday, January 28, 2011

Stock and Couscous

I keep my veg scraps to make stock. Anything scrappish, peels from things, husks of things, stalks of things, ends of things. I have a gallon bag running in the freezer like this:




What, I didn't say it'd be glamorous, it's just food.






Anyhow, you save your bits, and then dump them in a pot with water (as much water as scrap, so in my case, 1 gallon water). And you simmer for like an hour with whatever herbs you have on hand and some peppercorns, and when it tastes like food you strain it and call it stock.


A gallon of water = just over a gallon of stock, so my freezer is full.






[Edited to add: The full how-to on veg stock is here and for roasted veg stock, it's here.]


So when I made the pizza yesterday I made couscous as well. Because I had extra veg, and because we pack lunch.


Rather than use water with my extra couscous, I used the stock, and it's yummy. So it was just instant couscous, extra tomatoes and spinach (canned and frozen, respectively) and stock and seasoning. I used some pepper and a frozen basil cube, because I live on these things. They come in basil, cilantro, ginger and garlic at Trader Joe's.




So it's just couscous, but here it is, lunch made of dinner. Sprinkle some parmesan on it if you don't feel like being vegan today. Or add a bit of salt and feel smug. Egg, meat and dairy? No thanks.




(why yes, my photos are yellow and unappetizing. perhaps I should 'shop them. next time... this is just leftovers)