all the ways to love

I love this couscous dish. More than anything else I've eaten this year. It's healthy. It's easy. It's endlessly variable to use the veggies you have on hand. You can eat it warm right out of the pan, or you can carry it around the Rose Bowl Flea Market all day, eat pizza instead, put it back in the fridge when you get home, and then eat it cold for lunch in the office the next day.

I was concerned that the orange juice used in cooking the couscous and in soaking the cherries would make the dish too orange-y. I have a problem with orange in savory applications - I don't know why, but it turns my tastebuds off. Luckily, it only lent the slightest amount of sweetness, and wasn't necessarily a flavor that could really be picked out in the dish. I added a stalk of celery because I thought it could use a little more crunch, but here you go with the variations - pop in radishes, or cucumbers, or lovely fresh peas come springtime.

Only other change for next time? Double the recipe to have extra for lunches all week.

Pearl Couscous with Cherries + Arugula
adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 4

For the couscous
1 c. water
2/3 c. orange juice
8 oz. Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend

For the salad
3 oz. baby arugula, finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1/2 c. pinenuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar

1. Put the arugula, shallot, celery and pinenuts in a large serving bowl.

2. Put the water and the orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes. When the couscous is done (it will have absorbed all the liquid), add to the bowl.

3. Put the dried cherries in a microwaveable bowl and add the orange juice to cover. Microwave for 2 minutes, then drain and add to the couscous. Drizzle in the oil and vinegar, and toss thoroughly. Serve warm.