Once I moved to Kansas City, it didn’t take long for my friend to convince me to give online dating a shot. All my friends here are married—so married that they didn’t know any single guy friends to set me up with. I work from home, too, so I wasn’t meeting eligible bachelors at my nonexistent office. The only guys knocking on my door were from UPS, USPS or FedEx.
One evening, I conceded that none of the delivery guys were my soulmate and that maybe my insistent friend had a point. I poured myself a glass of wine and found myself setting up a profile on an online dating site. I poured another glass and worked up the courage to upload a photo. To my pleasant surprise, messages started flooding into my inbox. Some were sweet, some made me laugh, several were offensively forward (looking at you, BeefCake79), and others were so laden with grammatical errors that I couldn’t take them seriously. Although I dismissed the vast majority of them, I was quite flattered by them all.
I agreed to go out for a beer with a guy who seemed nice and cute, but came home feeling jittery and awkward. I called my best guy friend and we declared, “Next!” After another date, I realized that online dating is a lot like shopping for shoes online. You never quite know what you’re dealing with until you see them in real life and try them on for fit.
I started going on coffee shop dates just for an excuse to get out of the house. I called up my guy friend after each one to share observations. Such as, 5 feet 10 inches online is a lot more like 5 feet 8 inches in real life. Not smiling in pictures? Crooked teeth. Looong paragraphs under the “about me” section? Narcissism confirmed, steer clear.
December rolled around, and I was about ready to give up on this online dating thing. Then a picture of a most handsome fellow with his most fluffy mutt popped up on my screen. He seemed pretty great “on paper”—a free thinker, former vegetarian, home coffee roaster. I decided to play it cool, to let him know I visited and see if he messaged me first. Ba-ding! He complimented my weakness for bacon and we wrote back and forth for a week.
We made plans to meet at the art museum. I was nervous because I’d never enjoyed writing to anyone so much before. I was running a few minutes late, of course, so I hurried over to the gift shop to look for him. He smiled and said, “Hey,” and I knew I was done with online dating right then. He opened up a kids’ book to show me a life-sized photo of a llama. I laughed, and he was done. We explored the photography exhibit we’d come to see—Terry Evans’ heartland retrospective. Then we wandered around the museum until they wouldn’t let us wander around any more, and the days we’ve spent together since have been a blur of smiles and wagging tails. Cheesy, yeah, but also all sorts of wonderful.
This couscous recipe is courtesy of a sweet reader named Enid. She emailed me months ago and I filed her recipe away for winter. The couscous is a quick, light meal or side dish that you can make with pantry ingredients. I was afraid some of the ingredients might be hard to find, but was happy to find whole wheat couscous at Trader Joe’s, and ume vinegar at the health store for under three dollars. Ume vinegar is a plum vinegar with a pretty pink hue that balances out the sweetness of the orange juice and dried apricots. Once I saw the bottle, I realized I’d seen it at several stores, so I hope you don’t have trouble finding it.
I couldn’t resist tinkering around with the recipe just a bit, but that’s not to say that it wasn’t perfect as is. I added a carrot, since I had one and it seemed like a good idea. I misread her instructions to finely dice the onion and thinly sliced it instead, but my handsome fellow and I enjoyed the way it turned out regardless.
- 1 cup whole-wheat couscous
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 teaspoons ume plum vinegar
- sea salt
- 10 dried apricots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 tablespoons dried currants or raisins
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 medium-sized red onion, finely sliced or diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- Pour couscous into a medium-sized bowl and set aside. In a small pot, combine water, orange juice, olive oil, 4 teaspoons vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the dried fruit and ginger. Let simmer for about 1 minute.
- After a quick stir, pour the liquid mixture over the dry couscous. Stir just to eliminate any pockets of dry couscous. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot into ribbons over the couscous, then cover the concoction with a plate or tea towel to trap the heat.
- The couscous will cook by itself in about 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, rinse the sliced onion under running water and then toss it with 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl to mellow the flavor. In a small pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until lightly golden and fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning.
- When the couscous is cooked, fluff it with a fork, then mix in the onion and pine nuts. Serve warm or chilled.
- Recipe adapted from Enid’s orange couscous.
90 Comments
Oh yeah… Love is in the air! I am happy to know that you found a good, handsome fellow. :) happy love day Kathryne!
Happy love day to you, too, Margarita. :)
Such a happy love story, thanks for sharing. :) The bright and inviting couscous complements it well!
OH MY GOSH. This made my heart explode. So, so happy for you lady!
Thank you, Ashlae! xo
That’s such a cute story for Valentine’s Day. Ya know…it makes you feel good to read happy stories! I’m a fan…of the couscous too! What can you use if you can’t find that ume vinegar? Think red wine word work or would that be too strong?
Thanks, Maria. I think red wine vinegar would be a pretty good substitute if you can’t find the ume vinegar, but I hope you can! It’s the perfect complement for the flavors in the dried fruit.
I am ALL over the flavors in this recipe!! A perfect bright and filling wintery dish! And your story….completely adorable….wagging tails!! Wishing you all the best. :)
Yes! So happy to see you sharing your love story on this day of bows, arrow, hearts and Cupid striking right through your heart. So excited to share in the next chapters of your adventure with handsome man. The fact that he’s a good dog sitter only makes it that much better. XO
Thanks, Heidi. He’s pretty great. :) Happy vday!
Ahhh! I love this!! I forgot all about the recipe reading the story. So, SO happy for you! xo
Thank you, Cassie. :) Hope you’re enjoying your first Valentine’s Day in your new home!
Looove this! <3 <3
Happy Valentine's Day friend! Can't wait to meet him! :D
:D Can’t wait for you to meet him! Happy Vday, G.
Awww, such a sweet story. Glad you managed to filter through the duds and find a gem :) Whole wheat cous cous is always on my list of things to stock up on and bring back with me from trips back to North America. I’m plumb out right now, but I might give it a go with regular cous cous. I have no idea where I’d find ume vinegar, maybe at an Asian market or something? I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
I think this would be great with regular couscous, too. Hope you can find the vinegar, but if not, you might try red wine vinegar?
So so cute! Love this story and this recipe, thank for sharing! : )
aw, such a cute story! (and gorgeous couscous, not to mention…). Happy valentines day!
Thanks, Jeanine! Happy V-Day to you and Jack.
LOVE this. So so happy for you!! This post made me laugh and have me hope. (Online dating is totally like shoe shopping! Been there.) Happy Valentines Day!
Reading this post has put me in such an incredibly good mood, thank you so much for sharing and I’m so glad you’ve found someone who seems so perfect for you, Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thank you, Kathryn. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too! I trust that you are enjoying some sweet treats today.
Cutest story ever, I love it! Happy Valentine’s Day (and beautiful couscous)!
This is beyond sweet! Nothing stirs the heart like life-sized llama photos.
So happy for you, Kathryne!
Thanks again, Cara. Hope you are enjoying this day as a newlywed! I think he also showed me a life-sized picture of a goat… anyway, it worked. :)
Loved this story! Gives all of us online daters out there hope!
Hang in there! I had to go on a bunch of so-so dates and a couple of promising-yet-ultimately-disappointing dates to find a great guy. I’m glad I did it, though.
awww such a sweet story! And on a non-romantic note, that pile of pine nuts on top of this salad had me sold immediately!
Thanks, Sarah! Those pine nuts make such an impact in this salad.
What a great story! I love it. :) This couscous sounds pretty fabulous too–love the mix of sweet apricot and carrot with earthy grain!
Wow glad you found someone great!!! Happy valentines dear!
Thank you, Amy. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too!
Aww such a sweet story! Happy for you!
Your story sounds similar to me and my boyfriends’ (we met on OkCupid!)…I knew by date 2 that he was the one. And that was that. :) I’m so happy for you!!
And this couscous…YUM. I’m all about anything moroccan with dried apricots in it…so this is a must-do!
Congratulations on finding someone who makes you happy :) This made my day
Love this recipe, love your blog, and love your story! In fact, it sounds a lot like mine. I met my amazing dog-loving husband through online dating, too. :) Sometimes it really works! One question – how do you think spinach would do in this recipe? I love to add green wherever I can.
Please pardon my delayed response, Jillian. Our stories are quite similar! I think spinach would be a great addition here. If you find that you need to add more dressing, be careful with the ume vinegar—it’s super salty so a little goes a long way.
I am grinning from ear to ear from happiness for you. And now I can say it: “I told you so!” ;-) Happy Valentine’s Day and fervent wishes for a lifetime of love and joy.
Thank you, Sue. You’re so sweet. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Yay! So glad to hear this guy has turned out to be all you thought he might be (and perhaps more) since I first heard of your potential new love interest! (Can I say love? It’s Valentine’s day so I’m using the word freely!) Hope I get to see you and possibly meet him too! Maybe Josh and I need to plan a trip up your way…
Well, I’m totally behind in responding to comments. Sorry, Steph! Yes, of course, come visit any time. You guys can have my apartment all to yourselves.
I love whole wheat couscous; was pleasantly surprised to conclude that it tastes better than the paler version. Something about the scent of couscous always reminds me of being a kid (I was a picky eater) and my mom making dinner…I think that makes it comfort food.
Aww what a cute story! I’m a huge sucker for chick flicks and this would be an awesome real-life-turned-chick-flick story! Happy Valentine’s Day! :)
Cute story! Online dating always gets such a bad wrap, but how else are you going to meet people in a new place? It’s also a great way to meet a lot of people quickly and get lots of free meals ;-)
The salad looks tasty! I bought a huge thing of whole wheat couscous and haven’t touched it yet
Those free meals weren’t so bad. ;) I’m glad I did it! Whole wheat couscous is great, hope you’ll use it to make this recipe soon.
Nice recipe . . . but your dating story is even better. Happy for you that you’re trying this new love on for size. Hope it fits!
Kate – this is such a great story, and I plan to promptly forward it to a number of friends who I have been encouraging to do more online dating. The comparison to online shoe-shopping seems so perfect! Happy Valentine’s Day! (And PS. How did I miss that you live in my hometown – YAY KC!)
Your dating story is too cute! I am glad all those duds led to a winner! Also my best friend met her boyfriend online and they are now living together and blissfully happy! I love these flavors! I think they would translate to any kind of grain.
I love your blog and I’m so happy for you and your handsome fellow! Enjoy!
Thank you, Bonnie!
that was such a good story! swoon! and i too am a couscous fan, especially with sweet elements, like your apricots here, are involved.
What a lovely story and what a lovely recipe! Kudos to you for having the courage to sign up for online dating in the first place… I’m not sure that’s something I could ever do. I could, however, make a huge batch of this salad and eat it all in one sitting. Because I love couscous that much.
This couscous looks wonderful. It sounds like you found a winner. Have fun!
This looks great. I need to make more couscous/grain based meals. They are so warming. And I love the addition of citrus to the mix.
So true about online dating – you never know who you’re dealing with until you meet them in person. I did my share of this for some time and found it enormously entertaining – even though I didn’t find my soul mate there. I did find him somewhere else, so it’s all good in the end.
Awww, such a sweet story. Your writing voice sounds like a wide, sparkly-eyed grin. :) + the couscous looks amazing.
I knew you’d find a good one! So happy for you girly! You deserve nothing but the best.
And you know I’m in love with this couscous dish, right?!?
Woohoo to finding a man that is worthy of your greatness AND does some home-roasting! This is important.
I admittedly don’t do the couscous thing much, but the thought of it sloshing around in ume dressing with pine nuts? I’m down for that in a serious way. So pretty, Kathryne!
Sounds like a keeper. I am so happy you were persistent until you found a keeper. Thankfully, I found my soulmate online, too. It has been almost three years (shy a week). All the best to you! :)
This recipe looks amazing! We love couscous, and you’ve really adding some fresh flavors that will make it sing. Wishing you two the best!
By the way- we used to live in Kansas City! SUCH a great town!
Isn’t it great?! The past week has been crazy with the gas fire and the snow. I’m glad to know you two live nearby.
I’m trying to convince my best friend to give online dating a go and she decided to sign up–but I think is a little afraid of it and unsure still about the prospects. I’ve sent this post to her as a little boost! :)
This couscous salad looks delicious. I keep meaning to buy ume plum vinegar, I’ve heard great things about it. Definitely bookmarking this!
It looks really good, I should try it! I admire also the photos they are beautiful!
Kate, congrats on your love connection! And thanks so much for sharing the recipe on your site- I feel incredibly honored! xo
Thank you again, Enid, for sharing your wonderful recipe! Hope you have a great weekend.
What a nice tale. So glad this Valentine’s Day has been treating you well! I love the looks of this cous cous salad, and can’t wait to make it for a family lunch.
wow i love this post. Looks so yummy and the photographs are so beautiful!
I loved this post! Way to put yourself out there. And this couscous sounds absolutely divine!
So happy for you Kate! Loved how you wrote about online dating. I’ve been thinking about it every now and then but am not quite sure if it really is the right thing for me. Your post was encouraging! ;) Greetings to your Mr. Handsome.
Well, I can’t say it was all fun and games, but online dating turned out to be worthwhile in the end. We’re both glad we did it.
This looks really good – would also work well with quinoa, which I’m currently obsessed with. I love quinoa with dried fruit. I’m also glad online dating worked for you! Online dating wasn’t too kind to me. I went on so many dates with boys I didn’t really like and when I finally liked one or two of them, all they wanted was to keep seeing other girls. Obviously, this turned me off from online dating and two weeks after I deactivated, I met my current boyfriend at work.
Now I want to try this recipe with quinoa! Good idea. I’m glad you found a good guy. All’s well that ends well, right?
This looks delicious! I love couscous.
And, congrats!! My husband and I started dating young so I haven’t been on many first dates – I can’t imagine how nerve wracking that could be! So glad that you found someone wonderful.
First- I love this couscous. Secondly- online dating, omg. I’m so glad you found a good one and are abyss in smiles!
Kathryne, I’m so happy for you and your new beau! Thank you for sharing your love story with the rest of us. I’m sure you brought smiles to so many of our faces:)
xxxooo E
How exciting Kathryn! I smiled through your whole post, I love hearing about others love stories. My husband and I met when we were young and in collage, so I’ve never done the whole dating thing, but am oddly fascinated by it. Thanks for the little glimpse into your dating world : )
Thank you, Jacqui! I don’t particularly enjoy going on first dates, but I’d say it was worth it in the end.
Dried fruit is such a great way to mix up a couscous recipe isn’t it! What a great idea to add orange juice when cooking, I never would have thought of that :)
Thanks for sharing!
This looks so bright and summery! I love this!
BeefCake79! Haha I laughed out loud at that one. Anyway I’m happy that you’re happy. I’ve never done the online dating thing, but who knows I might give it a go. :)
I changed his user name just slightly to protect his privacy. ;) I can’t say online dating was all that fun (I don’t like to go on dates just to go on dates), but I’m glad I did it!
This looks amazing! I’m definitely going to try this, the orange juice must make it extra delicious!
I am so happy for you, congrats on finding your man :) Thanks for sharing your story.
I made this with qunioa and it came out so good! I served it up with a side salad and a good glass of vino and I was the hero of the night. Thanks for all your great recpies and congrats to you!
Thank you, Pearl. I’ll have to try it with quinoa next time!
Kate, this recipe is wonderful! Thank you. It was so simple, yet impressed my dinner guests — and even my husband, who never asked “where’s the meat?” I’m going to put it into regular rotation… great flavors, colors and textures. You make it look so pretty here :)
Thank you, Sophie! I’m so glad to hear that you all enjoyed the couscous.
This sounds like a great flavor profile. I can’t wait to try it out! Do you think it could also work with Quinoa? I seem to have found myself in a Quinoa surplus.
Great question, Megan. I’ve heard from another commenter that quinoa works well in this recipe! You might need to adjust the liquid/OJ and cooking time for quinoa.
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