Israeli Couscous Salad with Artichokes

Hungry? Make couscous salad. 

Rodney, Randy and I were ravished after spending the morning shopping at Findlay Market. I had bought Israeli couscous and Randy had fresh artichoke salad in the refrigerator. I thought the two would make a quick and satisfying lunch.

When I googled Israeli Couscous I found some interesting facts on Wikipedia.  It's usually steamed, eaten all over the world and traditionally served under meat or poultry. I had no steamer (although I am now in the market for a copper one) so I decided to cook it in chicken broth. I am not a person to cook in water if I have a flavorful broth available. Once cooked I added the artichoke salad Randy had bought at the market, two sliced scallions, and a handful of dried cranberries and walnuts.

Tossed together with a fruity vinaigrette, it made a quick and deliciously satisfying lunch. Especially eaten on this vintage tablecloth.

Cooking Couscous couldn't be simpler. 

For 4 servings;

1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

couple pinches of salt

1 cup Israeli couscous, not instant

Bring the water, olive oil and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, cover, and turn the heat to low.

Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn the heat off, let sit at least 5 minutes and toss with a fork.

Place in a bowl and toss with your favorite ingredients. 

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons grape seed oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.

Couscous is also delicious prepared with blood oranges, julienne fennel, parsley and slivered almonds. I toss it with an orange vinaigrette and there are never any leftovers!

All text and photos are property of The Gypsy Chef

My home seems so plain after my "vintage" vacation!

Granola

I've been making my own granola for several years now. I always found store bought granola too sweet and I like to control what I eat. I started with a traditional recipe that included oil, sugar and raisins. It's evolved into a much simpler and healthier cereal.
This recipe does not form the traditional clusters we've come to expect with granola. Instead the crunch is provided by lots of nuts, and the chew by dried fruit.
It's sweetened with Grade B maple syrup and local honey.
If you would like oat clusters, just add a beaten egg white for every 4 cups of oats before roasting.
Feel free to add any nut, dried fruit or seed you enjoy.
Watch my Granola Video for cooking instruction

8 cups oats
1 cup sweetened dried coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup grade B maple syrup
1/2 cup honey

1 cup diced dried figs
1 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix together oats, coconut and nuts in a large heavy gauge roasting pan.
Pour in the honey and maple syrup and mix well.
Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. At this point give the granola a good stir, paying close attention to the sides and bottom of the pan.
Return the pan to the oven and roast another 10 minutes, at this point the granola should be golden. If not, stir well and return to the oven for another 5 minutes but watch it closely, it can scorch easily.
Once the granola is finished roasting, stir in the dried fruit.
The granola will keep several weeks in an air tight container.

All recipes and photographs are property of The Gypsy Chef unless otherwise noted.