073 / 75 · Cupboard Rescue Meals

Pea and Egg Couscous

2 bowls · Active 10 min · Total 18 min

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Couscous, frozen peas and eggs make a quick meal with very little washing up. The peas cook in the boiling water used to hydrate the couscous, while the eggs scramble in a small skillet. Lemon and dill keep it fresh. It works best when the couscous stays fluffy and the eggs remain in soft, distinct folds.

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Pea and egg couscous with dill.

Use the right couscous

This method is for fine, quick-cooking couscous, not pearl couscous. Check the packet because the liquid ratio can vary slightly. Bring the peas and measured water fully back to a boil before pouring over the grains, then cover immediately. Fluff with a fork rather than compressing the couscous with a spoon. If a little liquid remains after five minutes, cover for another minute before adding the eggs.

Scramble separately

Adding raw eggs directly to hydrated couscous gives uneven cooking and sticky clumps. A short separate scramble is worth the extra pan. Cook until the eggs are set and reach 160°F/71°C, then fold them gently through the warm grains. For a packed portion, the same loose texture helps it cool evenly in a shallow container. Reheat only the amount you intend to eat and add a spoonful of water if the grains seem dry.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup fine quick-cooking couscous (130 g)
  • 3/4 cup water (180 ml), or packet-specified amount
  • 1 cup frozen peas (140 g)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml), divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped dill (4 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Set out

Small saucepan, Heatproof bowl with lid, Nonstick skillet, Fork

Allergens

Wheat, Egg. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Put couscous in the heatproof bowl. Bring water, peas and salt to a full boil in the saucepan; simmer 2 minutes. Pour over couscous, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
  2. Beat eggs with pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add eggs and stir gently into folds until set and 160°F/71°C.
  3. Fluff couscous with a fork. Fold in remaining oil, lemon juice and dill.
  4. Fold eggs through the couscous and serve, or spread into shallow containers to cool promptly for packing.

Use the freezer as a portion cupboard

Peas can be measured straight from frozen, so the recipe does not depend on a fresh vegetable being left at the end of a shift. Keep the bag sealed and return it to the freezer promptly.

A useful detail

Do not substitute pearl couscous without cooking it according to its packet; it needs a longer simmer.

Another way

  • Replace dill with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
  • Add 1/4 cup crumbled feta (35 g) after cooking; this adds milk.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C. Pack chilled in an insulated bag with two cold sources and refrigerate at work when possible.