Couscous Quinoa with Mint and Tomatoes

By kallen2302

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
• 1 cup couscous
• 2 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/8 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 small English cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 cup diced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
• Zest of 1 lemon (about ½ teaspoon) (or orange)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (or orange)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 scallions, green part only, finely chopped, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water.

2. In a small saucepan, bring 1¾ cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa and cover. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, place the couscous in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of boiling water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and steam for 5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

4. Add the quinoa to the couscous, stir in the cumin and coriander, and fluff with a fork. Spread the mixture out on a sheet pan and rake with a fork constantly until cooled.

5. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the grains and mix with a fork. Chill for at least 2 hours.

6. Taste and think FASS (fat, acid, salt, sweet): You may need a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of salt.

7. Now that you're at YUM, spoon into a large salad bowl and garnish with the scallions.