Food Storage Friday: Cool Couscous with Fruit and Nuts

I'm going out on a limb on today's recipe because I'm including orange juice from concentrate as one of the ingredients.

Hannah and I have different opinions of what the three-month supply of food should be. I think that you should prepare for the worst: no electricity meaning your freezer/fridge wouldn't be working. Hannah disagrees and thinks that the three month supply would likely be used in a situation where you would have electricity for at least part of the time. So this recipe is for you Hannah.

Although you could store juice in your three-month supply, the kind that doesn't require refrigeration until opening. And really, for this recipe, I bet you could substitute the juice for water, although you might loose a little flavor.


Ingredients: couscous, salt, water, orange juice, oil, dried mixed fruit, and cashews


Couscous is a type of pasta made from wheat, with very small granules. It is a favorite of mine because it can cook in less than five minutes.

Add boiling water to the couscous and salt.


And cover for 8 minutes.

During this time, mix up your oil and orange juice to have ready.

When the time is up, add the orange juice mixture and stir it all together. Cover again, and move to the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. This is a cold dish.

While it's in the fridge, put a loose chop on the cashews, and measure out your dried fruit.


When the 30 minutes are up, add the fruit and nuts and stir. You're done!



Serve! Sorry about the shadowy picture. I had company and I didn't want them to see that I was taking pictures of the food before I served it to them. 'Cause that's weird.

The first time I made this I was expecting a so-so dish, but tried it because it looked so food storage friendly. I was surprised, it was delicious! I ended up making it several times that week and now it's a regular staple at our house.



Cool Couscous with Fruit and Nuts
adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup uncooked couscous
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried mixed fruit
2 Tbsp dry-roasted cashews, chopped

Combine couscous and salt in a medium bowl; add 1-1/2 cups boiling water. Cover and let stand 8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Combine juice and oil; stir into couscous. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Stir in fruit and cashews. Yield: 6 servings (1/2 cup each) as a side dish.