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Food

Couscous for Two

Max Berlinger’s thoughtful Mediterranean dish is best enjoyed shared with a loved one.

December 15, 2024
Image courtesy of Max Berlinger.

Image courtesy of Max Berlinger.

Brooklyn-based writer Max Berlinger covers entertainment, culture, and lifestyle. Between deadlines at home, he often turns to his specialty dish: Mediterranean couscous. “I probably make it once a week because my boyfriend likes it,” Berlinger shares, adding that while his other half, a notably excellent chef, can’t quite get the hang of it. “It feels like a very small, everyday act of caring for a person.” 

Ingredients

  • 1½ cup Pearled couscous 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 dollop vegetable Bouillon
  • Onions 
  • Tomatoes
  • Feta
  • Lemon 

Instructions

  1. Toast the couscous by heating oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the couscous to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is toasted and browned. You'll know it's ready when you can smell a nutty aroma.
  3. Add water and a dollop of vegetable bouillon to the pot.
  4. Stir constantly for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is fully absorbed by the couscous.
  5. Remove it from heat and let it cool.
  6. While the couscous is cooling, chop the onions and tomatoes, and crumble the feta cheese.
  7. Once the couscous is cooled, mix in the chopped onions, tomatoes, and crumbled feta.
  8. Squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon over the mixture.
  9. Serve the couscous on its own or as a side dish with roasted salmon or your preferred main dish.
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