NEXT UP: Shrimp & Mushroom Couscous

It's not often that I have the guts/time to cook up a dinner that does not involve spreading almond butter and jelly on two slices of bread. I know it seems funny coming from someone who constantly bookmarks recipes like Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Curried Barley Chickpea Salad, and Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple-Mint Salsa.

However, cooking with a partner is a lot more fun than balancing two pans while crying over a pile of diced onions by myself. When my boyfriend was over the other week, we decided to prepare a recipe his dad had once cooked for us: Shrimp and Mushroom Couscous.

The exciting--and scary--part of this culinary endeavor was that we didn't have a strict recipe to follow. No book. No blog post. No French mouse named Remy guiding our hands (Ratatouille, anyone?). Instead, we had a quick call with BF's dad, some jotted notes, and our taste buds' memories to go by.

The recipe yields about four servings...but we ate the entire thing ourselves. It was that good. The white wine and lemon adds a silky taste to the savory pearls of couscous. Paired with fresh shrimp and meaty mushrooms, you have a delicious, filling meal. Plus, our recipe was super easy. Enjoy!

I used a pot instead of a pretty saucepan. College-kitchen cooking, woo!

Shrimp and Mushroom Couscous

1 tbs olive oil 

1 1/2 cups of Israeli Couscous (We used 1 package of Trader Joe's Brand)

2 3/4 cups water, boiling

1 onion

8 oz sliced mushrooms

Uncooked shrimp (1 package, or about 1 lb)

White wine

Lemon (for flavoring)

Salt & pepper

1. Prepare the couscous by heating 1 tbs of olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add the couscous and sauté until it is lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add in the boiling water and cover. The couscous is done when it has absorbed most of the water (about 10-12 minutes). Set aside.

2. Spray and heat a large frying pan. Prepare 1 cup of diced onion. Sauté diced onion in skillet. Once onions are turning slightly yellow, add in the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft.

3. Add the shrimp to the frying pan and saute the mixture until the shrimp are light pink. Add in the cup of white wine. Cover pan with lid and let simmer for a few minute to soak in the wine flavor.

4. Add the contents of the frying pan (onions, mushrooms, shrimp) to the sauce pan with the couscous, keeping most but not all of the white wine liquid not absorbed (depending on your flavor preference).

5. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4 (or one hungry couple).

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