Easy Couscous Salad

What happens when you get tired of choosing between pasta and rice? There are other grains out there like barley but most of them take a bit of time to cook. Unfortunately, time is something that many of us don't have during the week. A more unusual option is couscous. Couscous is small pellets of semolina flour, the same stuff that is used to make pasta. You can find it in bulk sections of the grocery store or in the international section. Couscous cooks quickly; faster than rice or even pasta and is very filling. It is used in many countries throughout the Mediterranean. One easy but tasty dish is a couscous salad. To make it you will need:

Couscous Salad

1 C couscous

2 C salted water or chicken broth

1/4 C dried fruit like cranberries

1/4 slivered almonds or pine nuts

1/4 C basil

1 tbsp mint

2-3 tbsp lemon or lime juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp diced onion, shallot, or chive

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 large diced tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

To cook the couscous, bring your water or broth to a boil. Add the couscous, turn off the heat and cover for 5-10 minutes. If you have any extra water at the end, drain it off. The couscous should have a soft but not mushy texture when it is cooked. After the couscous is done, put it into a large mixing bowl or salad bowl and fluff it with a fork. Put it in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. If you are in a rush you can speed this up by putting the couscous in the freezer for about 20 minutes but keep an eye on it. You want it cool, not frozen.

While you are waiting for the couscous to chill, cut your mint and basil into thin strips and chop the fruit, onion and tomato. After the couscous is chilled add everything that you chopped to the couscous and mix it all together. Toast the almonds for a minute or two in an oven or a DRY pan, then add them to the couscous mixture. Keep a very close eye on the almonds, if they smell done they are probably overdone.

In a separate mixing bowl add the garlic, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic and mix them together. Slowly drizzle the oil into the couscous while mixing. Combine it all well, and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

This is a great side dish that goes with many things. I like to have it with grilled fish steaks, especially tuna. You can also serve it as a main dish and make a vegetable salad to go with it.