Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbl olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 C)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbl fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 1 C fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges), strained
  • 1 Tbl unsalted butter
  • 1-1/2 C whole wheat couscous
  • 1 tsp kosher salt; more to taste
  • 1/2 C slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1/4 C fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Zest from 1 orange
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. In a medium straight-sided skillet or a large saucepan with a tight lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not browned, 8-10 min.
  3. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the orange juice and simmer rapidly until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent the juice from caramelizing.
  5. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the butter, couscous, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. With a fork, fluff the couscous.
  6. Stir in the almonds, herbs, and orange zest to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking Instructions:

  1. In a saucepan, bring 2 ¾ cups of water (or broth) to a boil.
  2. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir.
  3. Add 1 ½ cups of couscous and remove from heat and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Couscous should be light and fluffy, not gummy. Be sure to allow the couscous to absorb the water.