Economeals: Mixed Veggie Couscous

Hi guys!

Since being in France, I have had the opportunity to try so many new foods, including alternative grains and cereals that I never gave a second look to in The States. Among them: barley, risotto, brown rice and couscous! From this point forward, though, I'm making a point to vary my daily diet. Here's how I made a fantastic vegetable couscous to include in my lunches this week (for under €1 per serving!)

Couscous is about €0,80-1,00 per box, and a box makes a ton of finished product. It's fast easy to make: just add boiling water, or broth, to a pan of grains, cover with plastic wrap, and wait five minutes before fluffing with a fork. I used chicken broth, because I had bouillon cubes on hand. 

For vegetables, I used spinach, tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper left over from what I bought at the open-air market on Thursday, all of which I diced into morsels. I also added some lemon juice to tang it up. Any veggie can be added, and there are even raisins in the "Oriental" couscous I had been buying at the grocery store, so it's a pretty versatile base.

Being as I had never made couscous before, I overestimated and made 2/3 of a box. I gave half to my neighbor, and STILL had enough for 3 lunches worth, and some to eat hot. Before assembling my salad, I allowed the couscous to cool on the counter for a little while. Then, I simply tossed in the veggies, and mixed in lemon juice to taste.

Hopefully this will inspire you to shake up your lunch routine with something out of the ordinary. For €1 a box, couscous is worth the risk!

Thanks for reading!