Last week, we went out for dinner. Craving African food, we decided for a Moroccan restaurant that had good reviews. It was a disaster. The cous cous they served was appalling. The night after, I made some of my own to erase the memory of that disgrace from my taste buds.

What I had in my pantry:

2 cups of Whole Grain  Cous Cous

2 cups of Shrimps

Costco Vegetable Stir Fry (can’t remember the amount, but I tend to be generous with the vegetables in my cooking, 2 or 3 pounds at least)

Extra virgin olive oil (don’t ask don’t tell policy on the quantity)

1 tablespoon of Butter

Salt

Red Pepper (only if you like it hot)

Sriracha (because I like it hotter)

How I prepared the cous cous: 

I cooked the vegetables with some extra virgin olive oil (be your own conscience on the number of tablespoons…) and a pinch of salt, lowered the heat and covered the pan. Italians like their vegetables well cooked, but again you’ll decide the crispiness of your broccoli. I put the vegetables aside and started cooking the shrimps . After browning a clove of garlic in enough evoo (as previously stated), I removed it from the pan and added and salted the shrimps. Once done, I put them aside as well but kept the broth they left behind, which I enriched with a tablespoon of butter and some red pepper. I adjusted the quantity of liquids required by the cous cous by pouring two cups of water in the pan and incorporated the cous cous. Turned off the heat, stirred the cous cous and covered for a few minutes. Finally, I cut the shrimps in small pieces, and mixed all the cooked ingredients together. Once on the table, my husband and I decorated our plates with some Sriracha. My idea of comfort food when I’m in a hurry. Can’t believe a restaurant could screw up something so easy to make.