with Aunty Rata
It’s February already. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? Speaking of which, Jackie Foster is running a “Best Tramping Bum” competition and your Aunty Rata has been lucky enough to have a sneak peek at some of the entries. She reckons this one is definitely the front runner…
But don’t worry you have until the end of the financial year (31 March) to get your entries in. The winner may even be announced at the AGM.
But what about recipes? This month I’m going to share with you the secrets of a meal that, if you have been on a few club trips you have probably savoured already as it is a bit of a favourite. This is not surprising as it scores highly on the three criteria for excellence in tramping kai. It’s quick, tasty and hard to stuff up. Like most popular recipes its origin is a little dubious. All good food assemblers are like keas smart, curious and not afraid to borrow and improvise along the way. However, Aunty Rata believes that most of the credit for this dish belongs to Lee Ann Newton our former newsletter editor and great cook.
Lee Ann Newton’s Moroccan Couscous (serves 4-6)
Ingredients
- 120g couscous per person
- Big handful of saltanas or raisins Big handful sundried tomatoes
- Big handful cashews (or other nuts)
- teaspoon vege stock per person or 1 cube per 2 people*
- teaspoons crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons each of cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom#
- Chilli flakes to taste
- 200g feta (another pkt is best for more than 4 people)
- onion
- peppers
- 2 carrots or 2 courgettes
- 1pkt dried vege (optional)
*Chicken or beef is fine
# can be hard to find, you can substitute nutmeg
Method
- Place a cup of cold water in one billy, add sundried tomatoes, dried veges, stock and saltanas. Set aside to rehydrate.
- In another billy dry roast the spices, garlic and chilli flakes. Be careful not to burn the spices just heat enough to release their aromas.
- Add a little water to the billy with the spices and cook the chopped onion. Gradually add the rest of the fresh veges and cook till almost done. Set aside.
- Add sufficient water to the first billy to cook the couscous (generally equal parts couscous and water). Bring water to the boil. Add couscous and set aside. Add a bit more water if couscous seems too dry.
- Return the billy containing the fresh vege and spices to the heat so the contents can be warmed through and their cooking completed. Add nuts.
- If there is room combine the contents of both billies into a single billy and mix well. Serve. If there is not sufficient space then serve a bit from each billy into the punters bowls and they can mix it themselves.
- Top each serving with some bits of feta. Punters should mix this into their own portions themselves. Note: If you fail to dry roast the spices this dish will be bland. Congratulations, you have found a way to stuff it up. You may not be asked to cook again.
Send your trip reports and/or recipes to “Best Tramping Bum” entries go to Jackie although I’m sure our newsletter editor will be happy to pass them along.