Couscous Salad, this week’s recipe choice
During the three years of cooking-the-book, Around My French Table, I’ve been forced into the grain business. We corn-fed Iowa girls know a thing or two about grains. Yes, corn is a grain. The Quaker Oats factory in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, near my home town, is still the biggest cereal mill in the world. Our neighboring states, Kansas and North Dakota, are considered the Wheat Belt to Iowa’s Corn Belt. And, in Manchester, even as kids, we had a slight understanding of the soft Commodities Market.
Mise en Place, the ingredients needed for the salad
Dorie, however, has forced me to keep ingredients such as barley, bulgar, farro, quinoa and wheat berries in the pantry next to my rice bags and Quaker Oats box. While I’m no stranger to couscous, it’s not a grain I use often. This week’s French Friday’s recipe, Dorie’s Couscous Salad, reminded me again that salads do not always have to include lettuce.
The broth, the spices, dried fruit and couscous – ready to blend together
Couscous is a staple in North African cuisine. Geographically, think of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, former French protectorates. It’s their day-to-day spices, a combo of ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin, that make this salad so special. The couscous is cooked in spice-laden chicken or vegetable broth but once it’s cooked, the fruit and vegetable choices are yours. What’s in your fridge or fruit bowl today? Couscous salad is calling. If made a day ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate.
I raised the lid to say, hello. Still cooking.
Since Dorie’s recipe is already in cyberspace, I am printing it below. Here are my additional tips:
1.This recipe makes beaucoup de couscous, ten healthy portions. Besides my lunch, I fed the entire front office staff. (That’s why they love me.)
2. I needed more chicken broth while cooking the couscous. Make extra dressing for taste if served immediately and, definitely, if you’re refrigerating overnight.
3. I substituted dried, tart Montmorency cherries for the raisins and omitted the cilantro. The toasted chopped almonds are a crunchy touch.
Served with a smashed avocado and feta cheese sandwich on whole wheat toast, this was a delicious and filling lunch.
Quite a lunch – Couscous Salad and Stuff-on-Toast
Couscous Salad, Dorie Greenspan, Around My French Table
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
1 T ground ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1 10-oz box quick-cooking couscous (or 8 0z of larger couscous and let it sit about 20 minutes to cook)
1/2 cup raisins (dark or golden)
1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, an cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 carrot, trimmed, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced sugar snap peas
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds
Preparation:
Bring the broth, 1 T olive oil, garlic, 1 tsp salt and other spices to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk the broth just to make sure the spices have dissolved, then stir in the couscous and turn off the heat. Scatter the raisins over the couscous, cover the pan and let sit for 10 minutes.
Fluff the couscous with a fork and turn into a large bowl. Stir in the vegetables, chickpeas, and lemon zest.
Combine the lemon juice, another tsp of salt, and the remaining 1 T olive oil, whisk. Pour over the couscous and toss well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Add cilantro and almonds at serving time.
Member of the Clean Plate Club
If you would like to know more about grains, here’s the Whole Grains Council website. Besides Dorie’s interesting grain recipes, Deborah Madison also includes unique dishes in her Vegetable Literacy cookbook. Find my colleagues’ take on couscous on our French Fridays link. As I mention each week, we are an international cooking group having a wonderful time working our way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table.
Wow, that looks so delicious and healthy! I love grains, this recipe will most certainly make the rotation for my at-work lunches, thank you!
I loved this salad. We still have left-overs. It’s like the never-ending salad. Your toast looks pretty delish. Happy French Friday!
Mise en Place is a good habit to cultivate……getting there!
DH liked it for dinner on the first night… but I had to finish the balance on my own – but it was good!
I totally love your stuff-on-toast!
Yes, we Iowa girls know our grains…and love our corn!!! And our bread. And our couscous! I loved this salad, too…and had a helping for every lunch and dinner till it was gone. Then I wished it wasn’t 🙂
Can I come and work at your office? Seriously, I see a LOT of this in my future – it’s the perfect make-ahead meal!
Hi Mary! Your salad looks delicious. We loved this one and you are right, it makes a ton! We are dropping off a portion to our Algerian friend to get her take on it. On our Wisconsin trip we drove through much of the U.S. Grain Belt and indeed saw corn everywhere. Gary’s family of FORMER Wisconsin dairy farmers have strong opinions on all the corn planted going into ethanol production. They say it has driven the price up and dairy farmers can’t afford it even if they could find someone who would sell it to them. I knew farming was a very different thing in the 21st century but this trip really brought it home!
Gorgeous meal! And lucky that you have a whole office full of people to help you eat this. My husband and I loved this salad but it was just the two of us and by the 5th day… well, we were wishing that we had invited people over to help. We will definitely be cutting it down to size next time.
We adore couscous and are certain that the office staff will be asking for it again next week so you will need to keep it stocked in the pantry for sure!
Yum!! Did you get a new camera too, Mary? These photos look so vibrant! I’m excited that you are sharing your recipes now! It will give the rest of us culinary challenged folks try our hands at creating some of these amazing dishes.
First, let me say, you had me at the smashed avocado and feta. As for the couscous, it was interesting and I am happy that I cut the recipe in half.
What a healthy looking lunch ! Your photos are really gorgeous Mary- I especially loved the close up. Nice to hear about the grain background and yes, funny what we have in our pantries due to Dorie 🙂 I also have to tell you that I love hearing about when you share with the Gant staff. Some of the reactions are priceless but I love the idea of someone thinking of others and simply surprising them with a nice treat. In any job I have ever had, this would have made my day 🙂 Now, to see if I have any avocados so I can try that sandwich…….
This salad was really great, even though in our case, it was a quinoa salad. I think I’m the opposite of you Mary. Since Kevin’s diagnosis, I have far fewer grains in the house than I used to. Luckily, quinoa makes a delicious stand in for most and rice does for the rest.
Well, Dorie’s next book DOES have a recipe for a blueberry and corn tart – hopefully, that will put you more at home 😉
I am pretty sure the office staff loves you for reasons other than food… Just sayin’
XO
This definitely made enough for a crowd. I’m glad I halved the couscous in the recipe because we still have a ton of it left. Good thing I’m enjoying eating it. That front desk staff must adore you, and I love your clean plate. Waiting to hear how this couscous goes over at your dinner party. They will love it.
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I’m trying to insert a picture in my comment. As I’ve said before my tech skills are pathetic so I’m not sure it will come through. Here goes! This is the front of a birthday card a friend sent. It made me think of you!
Well it didn’t work! I’ll try emailing it.
Yes a box of couscous makes a ton but you made your co-workers very happy. We made half a recipe and still had plenty of left overs. I loved the pairing of grilled lemon chicken. I enjoyed your grain story and history. Until next week.
Yummo – I would so go for the cherries in place of the raisins. Wasn’t this salad just delish.
This certainly did make a lot! I wish we had liked it better – I couldn’t bring myself to eat the leftovers. I am happy you (and the front office) enjoyed this. The “stuff on toast” you made looks so good!
Do you like the Vegetable Literacy cookbook? I like Deborah Madison a lot, but haven’t tried that cookbook. I’m glad you enjoyed the couscous. I never would’ve guessed that a French cookbook would teach me to use so many different grains.
I loved this one, and how easy it is to turn your pantry or fridge into a healthy and delicious meal!