Couscous

I don't even need a swanky title for this post.  Saying couscous is fun enough.  I like the word, but I love food it represents even more.  I make regular couscous as a side dish all the time.  Usually just the boxed brand, "Near East".  It is a wonderful, quick side dish that's out of the ordinary. 

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch at the Whole Foods grill where my salmon fillet was served over top of Israeli couscous with peas.  Israeli couscous are larger pearls than regular couscous.  A little smaller than a pea.  It has such an interesting texture.  I've have had the Israeli kind of couscous in restaurants, but I've never made the variety here at home.  Couscous is actually just small pearls of pasta.  If you like pasta, you will adore these fun little pearls too. 

Last night, I made Israeli here at home for the first time.  It was a great addition to my side dish repertoire.  We all struggle to come up with different sides besides potatoes and veggies.  This recipe is a great deviation from the norm!

Israeli Couscous with Peas and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (reduced sodium if available), heated to near boiling

1 Box Toasted Israeli Couscous, sometimes just called "toasted couscous"

1 garlic clove crushed with your hand or flat side of a large knife

1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained (no salt added if available)

3/4 cup frozen green peas

Greek Seasoning to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

This is the box of couscous I found at Whole Foods.  Brand is "Casbah". 

Sorry about the flash glare!

 Let's get cooking...

Start with a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized saute pan, over medium heat.  Add in the package of couscous.  Toast the pearls of dry couscous for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pearls are slightly browned and toasty.



Before: You can see the blonde color the couscous starts out with from the package



After: The couscous has browned up and toasted through and is ready to start adding in liquid

Once the couscous had browned, stir in 1/2 cup warmed broth and the crushed garlic clove.  Let this bubble, stirring often until the liquid is soaked into the pasta and pan is nearly dry again. Then add in another 1/2 cup warm broth, following the same stir and absorb method.  Keep adding in 1/2 cup increments of broth once the last addition is absorbed until you have used all the 2 1/2 cups broth. 

Note: This is not the method of cooking on the package, but the way the Whole Foods chef told me to prepare it.  This is actually the way to prepare risotto.  With couscous, it gives the dish a firm, less mushy texture. This is achieved by letting the liquid absorb into the pasta a little at a time; rather than all at once. 

This is after the first two 1/2 cups of broth were added. 
You can see the pasta is starting to puff up some from absorbing the broth.

From start to finish, adding in all the liquid takes about 10-15 minutes.  At the end the pasta should be nearly, if not all the way cooked through.  If the pasta is still too firm at the center, cover the hot pan and remove it from the heat.  Let the pasta sit covered, undisturbed, for 5 minutes to finish cooking through. 
At this point you could add in what ever flavor additions you would like, or none at all.  I love it plain as well. 

Once the pasta was done stir in 1/2 can of drained diced tomatoes and 3/4 cup frozen green peas. 
Also, fish out the garlic clove with a fork, if you can.  (No one wants to bite down on a huge hunk of garlic). 
Stir in the Greek seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. 

Heat the peas and tomatoes up by mixing them through the couscous well.  Serve hot.



Last night I had this side dish along with grilled salmon. Yum-O!

You could really make this "Greek" style by adding in Feta Cheese along with the peas and tomatoes.  I didn't last night because I didn't want to add the additional fat/calories, but it would have been great.
Leftovers are good served the next day as a cold salad.  I'm having my leftovers for lunch today with some fresh spinach mixed in.