Mediterranean Couscous  

Discovering new flavours for lunchboxes

Have you tried to introduce your children to new delicious foods from different cultures that you might have tasted abroad?  We are so lucky that our choice of food is so wide and varied now compared to what our parents or even my generation (Generation X!) were brought up on.  As a child, I can remember accompanying my mother to a neighbour’s party and tasting my first slice of salami.  ‘Delicious’, I said to her.  ‘Please can we have some of this?’ She agreed. 

As you may have read in my first blog, I am forever looking for and trying out new recipes, to make my family’s lunch boxes more interesting.  For instance my eldest daughter particularly likes sushi.

To replace the classic ham sandwich, here is a selection of ways to make a lunchbox more interesting.  You can use noodles, (see my first blog Rainbow Noodles), cooked bulghar wheat or quinoa mixed in with some crunchy vegetables with a tasty dressing, some dips like tzatziki or houmous served with vegetable batons or pitta bread, cheesy Quesadillas, veggie spring rolls or you could even have a go at making your own sushi!

Mediterranean Cous Cous is the recipe I have chosen to share with you this time.  The children in my After School Clubs love to see how the tiny grains of durum wheat magically absorb the stock and turn from hard to soft as they fluff it up with a fork.  This is another recipe that can be easily made with your children.  Have fun! 

Ingredients 

75g couscous 

150ml vegetable stock 

¼ red pepper  

1/8 cucumber 

1/8 red onion 

½ tomato 

5 black olives 

25g feta cheese 

for the dressing: 

½ tablespoon lemon juice 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

a pinch oregano 

a pinch salt and pepper 

Method 

1. In a large bowl, weigh out the couscous and add the hot stock. Cover with cling film and leave to one side.
2. Dice the pepper, cucumber, tomato and red onion, cut the olives in half.
3. Using a fork, separate the grains. Add the diced vegetables
4. Crumble the feta on top.
5. To make the dressing combine the lemon juice, oil, oregano salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork and pour over the couscous. Mix well.

At Home 

Refrigerate for up to 2 days.  

Makes 2 children’s portions

| Melinda Johnston

Kids Lunchbox Recipes
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