Pearl Couscous Salad With Merguez And Grilled Bell Peppers Food

PEARL COUSCOUS SALAD WITH MERGUEZ AND GRILLED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in 1 3/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer.
• Cover and simmer until water is absorbed and couscous is just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• While couscous cooks, whisk together lemon zest, juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
• Remove 2 tablespoons dressing and set aside for basting.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat cooking.
• Grill sausages and peppers, basting with the reserved 2 tablespoons dressing and turning frequently until browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Slice sausage into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and peppers into bite-size pieces. Put in a bowl with couscous.
• Toss with olive oil-lemon dressing and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PEARL COUSCOUS SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir couscous in the hot oil until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water to couscous and bring to a boil; cover skillet and cook until couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Rinse couscous in a colander with cold water and transfer to a bowl. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil into couscous and stir to coat.
• Place lentils in a small pan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse lentils under cold water in a colander; add to couscous.
• Mix tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, cranberries, raisins, red onion, chives, parsley, green onion, and sumac into couscous-lentil mixture.
• Beat 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; pour over couscous-lentil mixture and stir until coated. Refrigerate salad for flavors to blend, 8 hours to overnight.

GRILLED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Take several bell peppers, cleaned of the stems and seeds. Cut into strips lengthwise. These can be four to six depending on the size of the peppers and your preference.
• Season LIGHTLY with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Brush both sides of the strips with good olive oil.
• Place skin side down on hot grill, until skin blisters and peppers soften (3-8 minutes depending on grill). You can let the skin brown a bit if desired.
• Turn peppers and grill until inner side is done (about half the time of the skin side -- 2-4 minutes).
• Try this with different color peppers. Maybe add a few green onions.
• Try this with Anaheim peppers -- Very good!
• Try adding sliced zucchini, too.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water(or broth) to a boil.
• Add couscous, olive oil and salt. Simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes or until tender to the bite. Drain and cool couscous.
• Combine couscous with kidney beans, peppers, onion, green onion, cilantro, parsley and hot pepper flakes.
• Whisk together honey, lime juice, olive oil and combine with couscous mixture.
• Season with additional salt and pepper. Enjoy!

GRILLED SHRIMP AND VEGETABLES WITH PEARL COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Whisk together vinegar, oregano, thyme, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until salt is dissolved. Add 1/3 cup oil in a slow stream, whisking until vinaigrette is combined.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast couscous, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes. While couscous toasts, stir together broth, water, and saffron in a large glass measure. Add to couscous with 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir vinaigrette to combine, then stir 2 tablespoons into couscous and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature.
• Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).
• Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each skewer (don't crowd, or shrimp won't cook evenly).
• Peel onions and trim root ends slightly, leaving ends intact, then halve lengthwise and cut halves lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. Insert 1 wooden pick through each wedge to hold layers together while grilling, then put onions in a large bowl with zucchini. Toss vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Grill shrimp skewers on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once with tongs, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer shrimp, discarding skewers, to a clean bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.
• Grill vegetables on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until just tender, about 5 minutes, transferring to bowl as grilled. Remove and discard picks from onions. Drizzle vegetables with remaining vinaigrette and toss to combine.
• Spoon couscous onto a large platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange shrimp and vegetables on top of couscous and sprinkle with feta. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GRILLED MERGUEZ AND ONIONS WITH MINT-LEMON COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Make the couscous: In a medium, heat-resistant bowl, combine boiling water, couscous and 1 teaspoon salt, and cover with a plate or lid. Let sit until the water is absorbed, 7 to 12 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
• Meanwhile, light the grill to medium-high or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source.
• Halve lemons crosswise and then squeeze the juice from one half into a large bowl. Add cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. Stir in radishes and set aside to marinate.
• Place onion wedges and remaining 3 lemon halves, cut-side down, in a grill basket and grill until charred on one side only, 2 to 4 minutes. Or place on a sheet pan and broil until charred, 5 minutes. Transfer onions and lemons to a cutting board.
• Either on the grill, or on the same sheet pan as you used for the onions, grill or broil merguez until browned all over, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm while you assemble the salad.
• When onion is cool enough to handle, dice it and add to radishes. Fold in couscous, tomatoes, 1/2 cup mint, 1/2 cup parsley, cucumbers, nuts and a large pinch of salt. Squeeze the juice from a charred lemon half into the bowl. Taste and add more salt and lemon, if needed. Slice merguez on a bias into 1/2-inch pieces.
• To serve, spoon couscous salad onto a platter, then top with sausages and any accumulated juices. Garnish with remaining herbs and a big drizzle of olive oil, and serve with remaining charred lemon halves on the side for more squeezing.