posted by Archana on Mediterranean, Protein, Vegging In

1 comment

A wonderful friend told me how delicious Israeli couscous is, so I took her advice and picked some up today at Trader Joe’s. Sometimes called pearl couscous, this chewy grain is made of ground durum wheat and even though it has no fiber, it’s a great source of protein: 18 grams for every cup. A protein source that isn’t beans or dairy? Count me in!

Any vegetable would work with this dish, but I was craving mushrooms, and tomatoes added a punch of color, so in they went!

What to get:

- ¾ cup couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup water
- Mushrooms  (I hate to specify how much vegetables you should use. When you’re vegetarian you generally love vegetables. So pile them on if you’d like! )
- Tomatoes
- 2 tsp basil (I used Dorat frozen basil cubes. Each measures 1 tsp and they are amazing!)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Crumbled goat cheese (optional)

What to do:

Sauté the couscous in a saucepan with about 1 tbsp of olive oil (a little more or less if you’d like) for a few minutes and be sure to keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Once it’s browned a bit, pour in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 12 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. But check on it at about 8 minutes to make sure the couscous hasn’t stuck to the pan (which means it’ll burn). Add ¼ – ½ cup of water.

While it’s cooking, steam the mushrooms in a steamer for 1-2 minutes and chop some tomatoes. (You could sauté the mushrooms in a nonstick pan with some olive oil, but I love steaming because it preserves more of the nutrients.) Once the couscous is cooked, add the mushrooms, tomatoes and basil. Top with goat cheese.

Makes 2 large servings

I was in a cozy mood, so I opted for the hot version, but this dish would also work served cold, perhaps with some balsamic vinaigrette, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes for a delicious spring/summer salad.

Bon appétit!