Grilled Vegetable Couscous

Last summer, I learned to love Israeli couscous.  And this dish has become my favorite vehicle for it.   Couscous is a shaped semolina pasta.  It can be used similarly to rice or small pasta shapes.  It is higher in nutrition than other grain based products, though.  This is an added bonus when I see my daughter enjoying it.

The weather was in the high 80's/ low 90's at the end of last week so I thought it would be great to bust out my favorite warm weather side dish this week.   Except, with two kids underfoot, I don't religiously check in on the weather channel.  So today was in the low 60's.   C'est la vie.  I grilled inside on my grill pan (I love that thing!)

This recipe is originally from a Bobby Flay recipe I found on foodnetwork.com.  All the veggies were balsamic marinated and it had a balsamic dressing on it.  I thought the dressing totally overwhelmed the taste of the fresh vegetables.  So I just grill all the veggies in olive oil, salt and pepper.   I like to toss in some fresh herbs at the end, whatever I have on hand.  Tonight I had some parsley, chives and scallions. I also just throw in whatever veggies I have on hand.  But I always include zucchini, mushrooms and red onions.  Sometimes I have summer squash or asparagus.  I actually had some asparagus on hand and forgot!  I use whatever mushrooms I have, usually button or baby bella mushrooms.   Tonight I used large portabellas.

I can't say enough how much I love this dish.  It's great warm or cold.  It's a great option to have on hand for summer picnics since it has no mayonnaise in it.  It makes plenty so that when we have it for dinner, I have plenty to have for lunch during the week.


Grilled Vegetable Couscous
loosely based on recipe by Bobby Flay
1 large zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 large portabella mushroom, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced into disks
1 large red pepper
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 cups chicken broth

Brush the zucchini, mushrooms and red onion with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Grill over med-high heat until they are softened but still have some firmness to them.  Dice the vegetables and set aside.

Grill the red pepper over high heat until charred on all sides. When finished, place in a zip top bag for 5 minutes.  Remove from the bag and remove the charred skin.  Dice the pepper and set aside.

Add some olive oil to a sauce pan set over medium-high heat.  Add the couscous and toast until light brown.  Cover the couscous with chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cook until al dente.  Drain, if necessary, although my liquid is usually all absorbed by this point.  Keep a close eye on your couscous as it cooks quick.

Toss the couscous and vegetables together in a large bowl and add fresh chopped herbs.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.