A while ago I ran across this interesting food item at Harmons grocery store. It is called "Israeli Couscous". I have used regular couscous in a few meals before. I like it because I think it tastes good, it goes with almost anything, and it is so fast to cook up. It really only takes a couple of minutes. But this Israeli couscous was quite a bit larger than the regular couscous. I used to think that couscous was a grain, but it is actually a pasta. Regular couscous is really small little balls if pasta. I estimate about 3 graduals of it will fit on a pin head. It's really tiny. This Israeli couscous was larger. It was more the size of a BB. It is also known as Pearl Couscous. I thought I'd try it out, although I had no idea of what to do with it yet.
I did an internet search to find recipe ideas, and I ran across this recipe:Pearl Couscous with Roasted Tomatoes and Olives.
Oh Yummy! The picture here is my actual dinner. I roasted 2 whole pints of tomatoes and some garlic cloves. The olives in the recipe were fancy ones that I had never tried before. Usually an olive for me is just the canned black ones, or the green ones you get with the red pimento in them. The olives in the recipe are Kalamata olives. They may be available in the grocery store, I'm not sure. I got these ones I used from Granato's here in Salt Lake. The olives are salty and very flavorful. They were a little expensive, but I think they, along with the roasted tomatoes, really made the dish.
Even though I had to make a few small substitutions in the recipe, It turned out so nice! I used some dried herbs in place of some of the fresh ones it called for. I couldn't find fresh mint, so I used dried from my garden. I used rubbed Thyme instead of fresh. And in place of flat leaf parsley I used cilantro. I don't know if they are similar or not. But I like cilantro and it was delicious in this recipe.
I made chicken breasts that I had marinated in some Balsamic Vinegarette. I think it was the perfect side dish for this. They were very good together. I like the texture of eating fun little balls of pasta. The couscous was very flavorful and fun to eat.
Sounds and looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteI love trying new food.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! That looks so yummy and pretty! I love food that looks pretty! I'm going to check out that recipe.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see you all! Woo hoo!
Mmm, that looks so good! Food is wonderful (most of it anyway). I had a fabulous chicken salad today.
ReplyDeleteThey sort of remind me of frog-eye salad. Do you know what I'm talking about? They are little pasta balls that you put in a fruit salad with whip cream & marshmallow & coconut... Your version looks so good though! I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteWow, I've heard the word couscous before, but had no idea what it was! I'll have to try it. Maybe my sis, Tracy had that while she was in Israel a long time ago?! I'm always up for new dinner ideas, thanks!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I wish I'd tried it in Israel when I was there, but I don't remember anything like that. All I know, Katrina, is that it looks you are a gourmet cook! Way to try something adventurous!
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