Cumin Spiced Couscous Salad

Definitely a five-star dish and maybe the best couscous recipe I've ever tasted. HOWEVER, a warning for those who don't know what beans can be toxic if undercooked. (Am I the only one who didn't know this?) Instead of canned black beans I decided to cook dry white beans from scratch because I had them. I undercooked them -- boiled them for five minutes, then let them sit in the hot water for about two hours. I knew they were undercooked because they were a bit crunchy, but they tasted okay. About an hour after we ate, both my boyfriend and I came down with stomach cramps and some serious gas. We felt horrible for about eight hours. After a little Googling I learned that kidney shaped beans can be toxic and, in rare cases, fatal if undercooked. Moral of the story? You learn something new every day.uncontrollably.  -  31 Jan 2010  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

This has become one of my favorite recipes because its quick and easy to make. makes a great lunch too, is just as good cold as it is warm, and if you want to make it heartier , which sometimes i do, you can add some chicken and a side salad and its an instant main course. A few suggestions - the couscous step in the ziploc bag is rather unnecessary. Couscous is extremely easy to prepare. simply mix the cumin, salt, and couscous in a bowl, bring 2 cups of water to boil, turn off the boiling water, add the couscous, cover with a lid, its ready in about 5 min. this is simpler, and more environmentally friendly than using a ziploc bag each time. this way you can simply stir all your ingredients into the pot that already contains the couscous. Also, like many others here, i browned my onion in some olive oil before adding it. I also add a lot more lime than what is called for. The lime really does make the dish. Great dish.  -  24 Apr 2010  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

Delicious! I followed the recipe except I substituted quinoa for the couscous and replaced the corn (didn't have any) with sliced black olives, which went nicely. I did slightly cook the onions and added a handful of sliced green onion tops. As suggested elsewhere, I squeezed every last drop out of 2 limes. Good both warm and chilled. A hit with the hubby, who is a traditionalist. Filling and satisfying, I will be making this again.  -  28 Jun 2010  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)