Couscous With Tomato, Scallion, And Lemon

I’m not super excited that the clocks spring ahead this weekend.

We’ll lose one hour of sleep. My eating and sleeping habits will be off all week as my brain readjusts. The days won’t even be any longer. All it does is slide the daylight around a little. Well, I guess as long as the shift is toward the afternoon then I’ll have more daylight to photograph my food, which means that I don’t have to rush in the early morning to get all the cooking and photographing done. That’s totally a silver lining. Plus, I don’t need to get into my pajamas as soon as I get home from work because I feel like it’s bedtime at 5:15pm. Let’s face it, I still might hop into my PJs at 5:15pm, but at least it will be because I want to and not because I feel like it’s already passed my bedtime. Subtle difference. 😉

This also means that Spring is right around the corner. (The real way days get longer.) It felt like it was already here this week with temperatures in the mid-70s. When Spring is in the air I find that I’m in the mood for light and Spring-y foods, like this couscous dish. (Couscous, couscous, couscous. Sorry, I just love saying that word because it’s not just tasty it’s also super fun to say.) Little semolina with fresh tomatoes and scallions in a light lemon dressing… yup, this is definitely Spring on a plate.

The original recipe calls for this to be a side dish for two servings, which is perfect for me and my hubby. I also recommend making the couscous mix into a lettuce wrap to enjoy for lunch. The recipe is easy to double, triple or whatever so you could serve this up as part of brunch or a BBQ for loads of people.

Couscous with Tomato, Scallion, and Lemon Recipe
(2 servings)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup couscous
1 tablespoon oil (divided per the directions)
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 teaspoon juice
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tomato, seeded, and chopped finely
1/2 scallion, sliced thin
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a small saucepan, over Medium/High heat, toast the couscous, stirring often, until some of the grains begin to brown. (About 3 minutes.)
Transfer the couscous to a medium bowl.
Heat 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of oil in the (now empty) saucepan over Medium heat.
Add the minced shallot and cook until softened. (About 2 minutes.)
Stir in the minced garlic, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper and cook until it’s fragrant. (About 30 seconds.)
Stir in the water and broth and bring it to a bowl.
Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous in a bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let is sit until the couscous is tender. (About 12 minutes.)
Take off the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork.
Stir in the remaining 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of oil, lemon juice, chopped tomato, and sliced scallion.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.