Serve this no-cook dish with grilled meat or fish, or add grilled veggies and cooked chickpeas to make it a main dish. Buy couscous in bulk to save money. Adapted from “Rice Pasta Couscous,” by Jeff Koehler (Chronicle Books). The author writes, “The grains of the couscous are surprisingly supple considering they’re not steamed, and the only liquid is from washing the grains and the juice of the tomatoes and lemons.” Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 pound medium-grain couscous (about 2 1/2cups)
8 cups water
5 ripe medium tomatoes
Juice of 2 lemons
2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Place the couscous in a large bowl and add the water. Swirl and sift with your fingers for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large salad bowl.
Grate tomatoes: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise, and run a finger through the seed cavity, scraping out most of the seeds. Cupping the tomato in one hand, slowly grate on a box grater until skin peels back and all the flesh is grated away. Discard skin.
Add the grated tomatoes to the couscous along with the lemon juice, cilantro and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Let sit for at least 1 hour. Add the olive oil, and fluff just before serving.
