COUSCOUS

Yields roughly 2½ cups/2 to 4 servings

Maya remembers her Libyan grandmother cooking huge pots of this Berber staple for her family in Israel. At Jack’s Wife Freda, we too believe this semolina grain is the perfect go-to starch. It’s deliciously light and satisfying, and a breeze to prepare. Use it anywhere you would use rice or other grains.

1 cup couscous

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 mint sprigs

In a medium bowl, combine the couscous and salt. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, the lemon juice, and the olive oil, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Pour over the couscous, stir, and cover with plastic wrap for 5 to 8 minutes.

Pick the mint leaves from the stems, stack them on top of one another, roll them up, and thinly slice them crosswise into very thin strips.

Remove the plastic wrap and lightly comb the couscous with a fork. Once the couscous is fluffed, add the mint.