What's On the Side: Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Capture the flavors of summer in this easy-to-make recipe for Mediterranean Couscous Salad.

Here's the sitch: sometimes you don't have to make everything from scratch. There's definitely no shame in my game when it comes to taking advantaged of packaged ingredients to make my life easier, such as using a box o Near East Toasted Pine Nut Couscous in this salad recipe. (Note: this post is 0% sponsored by Near East; I just love their product. They have no idea who I am.)

Couscous is one of my favorite side dishes since it cooks up in just five minutes. While this particular couscous is delicious by itself, I decided to up the flavor game by adding in some fresh ingredients along with a simple lemon vinaigrette dressing.

The result is a delicious salad that takes less than 10 minutes to put together. This salad is perfect for any summer gathering–and from personal experience, I can tell you that the leftovers make for a tasty light lunch the next day!

Mediterranean Couscous Salad
makes 6-8 servings

1 package Near East toasted pine nut couscous
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped into quarters
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the couscous according to the package directions. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
2. Spoon the cooled couscous into a large bowl. Add the halved tomatoes, diced cucumber, chickpeas, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
3. In a small jar or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I used about a pinch of each.)
4. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous salad and stir gently to combine. Toss with crumbled feta cheese just before serving.

What's For Lunch: Pearl Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables

Hot summer days call for light meals with little-to-no cooking effort. This Pearl Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables is a satisfying way to keep cool during a summer heatwave.

This time last week I was on my way to the Eastern Seaboard for a weekend getaway in southern Maryland with my dear girlfriends from grad school. We try to get together at least once a year for what we lovingly dub "Spring Breeaaaak!" regardless of the time of year. During our trip we tallied all the times we've gotten together since the majority of us graduated in 2004; long story short, the list was impressively long. I love that we are so committed to getting together and keeping in touch.

When it comes to our girlfriend getaways, we do not mess around when it comes to food. We had quite a stockpile of snacks, and while there was plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (aka, filler, ha ha ha), I definitely managed to consume more of the not-so-good for you stuff. (Cheesy poofs for breakfast? Why not?) We also made a brilliant concoction of brookies one night – a layer of brownies baked with a layer of cookie dough on top. Um, yeah, that was delicious. And of course, seeing as we were in Maryland, plenty of crab cakes were eaten as well. Long story short, by the time I came home, I was ready for some light meals.

Enter in this recipe for Pearl Couscous with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables. It's a simple one-pot meal that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Add in some cubed tofu or shredded cooked chicken to make it a full meal, or it works perfectly well as a side dish, too. This recipe makes a big batch, and I've been enjoying it as a light lunch all week long.

Pearl Couscous Salad with Basil Pesto and Summer Vegetables (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup pearl (also called Israeli) couscous
1/3 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
1 medium zucchini, diced small (about 2 cups)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved and seeds removed
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and return to a boil. Then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pesto sauce.
2. Gently stir in the zucchini and tomato until combined. Then stir in the garbanzo beans and crumbled feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve room temperature or cold.

(adapted from this recipe from Bob's Red Mill)

What's On the Side: Mediterranean Couscous Salad

The arrival of June means that summer is right around the corner. And summer is the season of picnics and al fresco dining -- well, once the mosquitoes die down up here in the Northwoods, anyway.

When it's really hot outside, cold salads are particularly refreshing. This couscous salad, which is chockfull of olives, artichokes, tomatoes, and basil, would fit perfectly on a picnic table. The fresh lemon and olive oil dressing adds just the right amount of richness and zing to pull together the salad's Mediterranean flavor. And of course, you can't go wrong with a generous handful of feta cheese.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

For the salad:
4 cups cooked couscous (about 1/2 package)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup jarred artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 large lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large serving bowl, combine together the cooked couscous, tomatoes, artichokes, olives, and basil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbes de Provence. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the couscous salad and stir to combine. Top with crumbled feta cheese before serving.

(adapted from this Two Peas & Their Pod recipe)

What's For Dinner: Moroccan Chicken and Couscous Soup

It appears that as soon as I wax on about the lovely springtime weather, Northern Wisconsin strikes back with a little taste of winter. Over the weekend, our temperatures dropped from the mid 70s back down into the 30s and 40s, and these colder temperatures were accompanied by high winds and moments of intense sleet and snow. Happily, none of the precipitation accumulated. I'm not sure what I would have done if it had.

Due to the return of wintery weather, I decided a warm and spicy soup was on order for dinner on Sunday. I knew that I wanted the soup to include chicken, since I already had a package of organic chicken breasts thawed in the refrigerator. Nothing was piquing my interest on Pinterest, so I cast a wider net and happened upon a Food & Wine recipe for Moroccan Chicken and Couscous soup.

This soup is rich in flavor and the addition of cayenne and cumin adds just the right level of spiciness without being overwhelming. The couscous adds heartiness to the soup, making it a filling meal.

Moroccan Chicken and Couscous Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes six servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2), cut into approximately 1 1/2-by-1/4-inch strips
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
3/4 cup tomato puree
4 cups filtered water
2 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
1 cup cooked couscous, cooked per the manufacturer's instructions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in the chicken, cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides.
3. Add the sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, tomato puree, water, and vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender, 10-15 minutes.
4. Stir in the cooked couscous, and simmer for an additional five minutes.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.

 (adapted from this Food & Wine recipe)

What's For Dinner: Grilled Veggie Kebabs

I had veggie kebabs on my mind today, so while running errands in town, I made a quick stop at Golden Harvest to pick up some veggies. Among my choices were a yellow squash, a zucchini, some mushrooms, a white pepper, a purple pepper, a sweet onion, and a pint of cherry tomatoes. (Woh, that was quite a veggie haul!)

Prepping the meal was pretty easy -- I just rinsed all the veg, then put them onto bamboo skewers. I put the squash and zucchini on the skewers cross-wise, so that the cut-sides would hit the grill. Once D came home from work, I put him on grill duty. In addition to the veggie kebabs, he made a couple of chicken kebabs for himself. To do so, he cut some chicken thighs into small, 2"x2" pieces, then seasoned the meat with garlic pepper before placing the chicken on the skewers. The veggie skewers cooked on the grill for about 12 minutes, and the chicken skewers cooked on the grill for about 15-20 minutes.

To serve the kebabs, I removed the veggies from their skewers (thus de-kebabing, I suppose), and placed the roasted veggies over a bed of couscous. I topped the veggies with crumbled feta cheese and a drizzle of Greek dressing (recipe -- and giveaway!!) coming tomorrow.

What's On the Side: Butternut Squash Stew served over Pearled Couscous

I loved this side dish so much, I decided it deserved a post all its own. Though the following recipe supposedly makes four servings, I'd say it makes at least double that amount. Long story short, I think I'll be eating a lot of butternut squash and pearled (Israeli) couscous this week for lunch. But that's okay -- I think it's delish!

Butternut Squash Stew served over Pearled Couscous (printer-friendly version)

makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 can organic diced tomatoes

1 butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and diced into 3/4" pieces

3 cups organic vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1. Cook the couscous in a rice cooker (I cooked up a massive amount -- 2 cups couscous in 3 cups water and 1 cup veggie broth.) Alternately, cook the couscous on the stovetop according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you cook the couscous on the stovetop, you can wait until after you have started to cook the butternut squash stew to start cooking the couscous. (Using a rice cooker takes a significantly longer amount of time, but it's nice to set it up and forget about it.)

2. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions in the oil until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the minced garlic, cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add in the diced tomatoes (including the juices), diced butternut squash, vegetable broth, and salt. Bring the stew to a simmer.

5. Once the stew begins to simmer, stir in the garbanzo beans.

6. Place the lid on the stockpot and cook for 10 minutes.

7. Uncover the pot and continue to cook until the squash is fork tender. (The recipe says this should take about 10 minutes, in my experience it took at least double, if not triple, that amount of time.)

8. Once the stew is ready, make a bed of the pearled couscous on a long platter, and spoon the butternut squash stew over it. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this Food & Wine recipe)

What's for Dinner: Couscous with Veggies and Feta Cheese

A single-portion meal is again the focus of tonight's dinner. This meal was super-simple to put together and really quick to make, too. You could use whatever veggies you have on hand to enhance this dish; in my case I had a languishing roma tomato and some leftover broccoli florets. And of course, any dish is better with a little cheese (right?); I added some small cubes of feta cheese as a garnish.

Couscous with Veggies and Feta Cheese
makes one serving

1/3 cup couscous
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup no-salt-added black beans
1/2 cup broccoli florets, cooked
1 small roma tomato, chopped
feta cheese to garnish

1. Bring 1/2 cup of water to boil. Stir in 1/3 cup couscous, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, cook the broccoli florets. (In my case, I nuked the leftover florets for about 2 minutes.)
3. Drain and rinse one can of no-salt-added black beans.
3. Chop one roma tomato. Remove seeds.
4. After the couscous has absorbed all the water, add 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, and chopped roma tomato. Stir all the ingredients together.
5. Spoon the couscous mixture onto a plate. Garnish with feta cheese.