Couscous Salad

I had a couscous salad once at a chic, hippie friendly restaurant in Utah.  (They had the most amazing pizza!)  When you hear couscous salad, you probably think of something savory like tabouli, but the one I had was sweet and fruity.  I’ve been meaning to make my own version ever since then, but somehow just never got around to it.  Until now. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 1 cup couscous
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 Tablespoon fresh mint
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup dried blueberries 

Wash your mint and remove the leaves from the stems.

Chop.

You’ll only need the zest from about half of a lime. 

Make sure you only remove the green part. 

Juice your lime (it might take more than one to get 2 Tablespoons).  Put the juice into a small bowl and add the honey, canola oil, and salt.  Feel free to use a different type of oil if you prefer.

Whisk those together and add the zest and mint.  Stir them in and set that aside. 

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Remove it from the heat and pour in the couscous.  Stir, then put the lid on and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.  Yes, I said 5 minutes.  How awesome is anything that cooks in 5 minutes and requires on supervision?

Use a fork to fluff the couscous. 

Give the dressing another quick whisk and pour it over the top of the hot couscous. 

Stir until all the little couscouses are coated. 

Chop your almonds.  I actually just cut mine in half.  Put them into a dry pan over medium low heat.  Toss them around frequently and allow them to cook just until the barely start to brown. 

I used dried blueberries, but I’m not sure how readily available they are if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, and most people certainly don’t have them on hand.  Feel free to substitute dried cranberries or, dare I say it, raisins.  Not only are raisins evil, but they’re extremely toxic for dogs, so they aren’t allowed in my house. 

Add the toasted almonds and dried blueberries to the couscous. 

Then just stir it all together and you have a fabulous couscous salad. 

It can be served as is or chilled.  It’s the perfect side to take along to a barbecue because it can safely be out in the heat and will still be delicious. 

What food qualifies as evil in your house? 

Zucchini Fettuccini

Not a noodle!

Side dishes are usually overlooked and kinda boring. No wonder they're overlooked.

This one is definitely not one of those.

There are some days when boiling a huge pot of water just seems like too much trouble. Especially in the summer when it's warm outside and adding humidity to the house is the last thing you want to do. It's not quite that warm here yet, but I've been craving zucchini, and this is a fun way to eat it. I'll bet even kids would be willing to try them this way!

Zucchini Fettuccini

(this serves one, multiply as needed!)

• 1 zucchini
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 clove garlic

Using a vegetable peeler, or a mandolin (if you have one) peel thin strips off the zucchini.

Keep going with the peeler. Don't worry if the strips are even in width, or if they break a bit.

The middle, where all the seeds are, won't work well, so don't worry about it. Just keep turning and peeling the zuke until you've turned as much of it into ribbons as possible.

Heat a large pan over high heat. The goal here is to really sautee these things. You don't want them to steam at all. Zucchini has a very high moisture content, and we want to trap that moisture inside the "fettuccini."

Chop the garlic. Get the butter sizzling, then drop in the garlic. It and the butter will start to brown pretty fast. As soon as you see that golden edge, drop in your zucchini.

Keep the fettuccini moving around and DON'T add salt. Salt will draw that moisture out, and we want it trapped. It takes about 3 minutes for the zucchini to cook.

Topped with a bit of grated parm, or a tiny sprinkle of lemon zest..

These not-a-noodles, make a perfect side dish

Hm. What should I put on the other half of the plate...

How about chicken picatta?

I'll bet the zucchini fettuccini would be great next to Taneasha's little turkey meatloafs too!

What would you put on the other side of the plate?