Lemon Thyme Couscous

The thyme leaves got buried... but I promise, it was there!

No, that is not rice you're seeing on the plate. That's actually couscous, a coarsely ground pasta made from semolina wheat. It is similar to rice in the sense that they are both carbs, but a bit  different in texture.

Anyway, I decided to make couscous instead of rice just to shake things up a bit. The box of couscous has been sitting in my pantry for a few months now, so I thought it was time to use it. I also had a little bit of help from the herbs in my garden. 

As for the meat, I just marinated it with Mama Sita BBQ mix. I always keep a packet or two in my pantry for those days when I crave for Pinoy BBQ. Not to be confused with American BBQ which is usually smoked meat, Filipino BBQ is small slices of meat (usually pork) threaded on a skewer. And because it is usually sold as "street food", it gets its fair share of smoke from the vehicles that pass by (hahaha). 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup couscous
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon thyme 


What to do: 

In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil.

Add couscous, olive oil, lemon juice and thyme. Cover and boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and let stand for about 5 to 8 minutes. Before serving, fluff couscous with a fork.

Serve with your favorite meat dish! 


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. This turned out a bit tangy so you might want to reduce the amount of lemon juice to 3/4 tablespoon.
2. Some people like using Grapeseed oil instead of olive oil.
3. For a stronger herb flavor, double the amount of thyme.