Green Olive Couscous

I love this couscous recipe.  Eating it from the serving spoon as I dish the leftovers into tubs love it.  It is the perfect mix of flavors, my favorite salty olives with a burst of lemon and the comfort of sautéed onions. It is delicious hot, works great at room temperature, and I even love it cold. The problem is everyone else seems to think it is just “nice” or “works well as a side dish”.  The only other person who ever got excited about it was my dad. The good news is if this dish doesn’t light up your world you won’t have felt like you wasted your time. The most time consuming part is chopping the veggies. I make this for a quick week night meal with shrimp or sausage.  Do you have a recipe you love, but everyone else is lukewarm on?

Green Olive Couscous 

1 cup couscous

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped

¾ cup green olives, chopped (My favorite are the applewood smoked by Mezzetta)

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp cumin

salt, pepper

1) Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add couscous. Give the couscous a quick stir and cover.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the onion until it's softened, and then add the red pepper. Sauté for an additional few minutes.

3) Add the veggies, olives, lemon juice, and cumin to the couscous. Salt and Pepper to taste. Mix well, and serve warm or at room temperature

Recipe Adapted from Isabel’s Cantina