When Life Gives You Lemons...

Make Lemonade! While I don't particularly like lemonade the drink, one of my favorite places to eat in LA is Lemonade the cafeteria. I'm so proud to say that DTLA boasts not one, but TWO locations of Lemonade. And, lucky me, both are within walking distance! 

One of my favorite dishes is the Israeli Couscous with Truffle Oil (front and center below)....very tasty! I've managed to re-create this dish at home. So, if you aren't fortunate enough to have a Lemonade close to you, you can still try a taste. 

For this dish you will need: 

Israeli Coucous

Olive Oil

Organic mushrooms (I like white)

Parsley

Truffle oil (very important)

Lemon

Parmesan Cheee (optional)

Salt & Pepper

DIY

You can find all of these ingredients at Trader Joes or any other large supermarket, with the exception of the truffle oil. I found my truffle oil at Williams Sonoma and while it is pricey, it's totally worth it because it can turn an ordinary dish into extraordinary! Ok, so here are the steps:

Cook the couscous according to the instructions on the box (duh).  Slice mushrooms and cook in a pan over medium heat with olive oil until they are tender (about 5-10 mins). Finely chop the parsley leaves (I like to use cooking scissors). Once everything is cooked, combine the couscous, mushrooms, and fresh parsley in a bowl. Add a dash of salt & pepper, lemon juice (a whole lemon or more) and a few drops of truffle oil. When the dish is cooled, you can also add parmesan cheese. I don't measure so use your judgement and taste it as you go along! Enjoy!