Israeli couscous Archives - Splash of Sherri

israeli salad with couscous

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Sherri

You know how sometimes when you combine two already great foods together they create something wonderful? That’s what happened when I combined Israeli salad with Israeli couscous. It was a marriage of two already pretty terrific foods and when combined they brought out the best in each other. Just like a real marriage – amiright?

First the salad
According to Adeena Sussman who wrote the cookbook Sababa, Israeli salad is the most simple and most Israeli of salads. These words could not be more true. When I was in Israel a couple of years ago I ate plenty of Israeli salad. It was on the hotel breakfast buffet every morning, at the falafel stands, hummus eateries, and many of the restaurants I went to. The freshness of the ingredients and the brightness in flavor make it quintessentially Israeli. The base is simple: fresh juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s like a garden in your bowl!

My recipe is adapted from one I learned in a cooking class given by Timor Dill. He is living here in Columbus temporarily with his wife Merav who is our Shlicha* (an emissary from Israel) and their children. He’s an amazing chef and taught an Israeli street food cooking class at Local Matters. I had just come back from Israel a couple of months prior and was so excited for the class. Timor shared his recipe for Israeli salad, and I have been making it ever since. I put my own splash on it by using sweet teardrop tomatoes and I use a sweet red pepper instead of green.

now for the couscous
The addition of the pearl couscous was a happy accident. As things like this go, I happen to have both in the fridge and added them together. From there I have created endless versions adding one or more of the following: feta cheese, chickpeas, olives, tuna, grilled chicken, a drizzle of tahini sauce, pistachios, or diced rainbow carrots. It can be served as a hearty main dish over arugula, it’s perfect for vegetarians, and with the addition of canned tuna you’ll have a main dish pescatarians will love!

The secret is to toast the couscous in a little bit of olive oil which brings out the nuttiness. Once combined, the couscous absorbs the deliciousness of the dressing, the chew of the couscous with the crunch and sweetness of the vegetables is perfection. Mixed together with the Israeli salad it’s a perfect match.

I know I just shared a soup recipe with couscous but it’s Israeli Independence Day and in addition to the shawarma and falafel we are having for dinner, we are including the most Israeli salad with the addition of Israeli couscous. This is how we are celebrating – happy 72^nd and Enjoy!

ingredients for Israeli salad
1 pint sweet teardrop tomatoes cut in half (about 2 cups)
1 English cucumber seeded and diced to ¼ inch dice (about 1 ½ to 2 cups)
1 red pepper cut into ¼ inch dice
1 to 2 scallions sliced fine (optional)
juice of ½ lemon (or more to taste)
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

directions for the vegetables
Add all the vegetables to a large bowl. Toss in the parsley, green onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix gently. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Ingredients for the couscous
1 cup Israeli couscous
1 ¼ cups boiling water (or box recommendations)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt optional

In a small pot bring the water to a boil. In a medium size pot heat the olive oil on medium heat, add the couscous and mix it around a little bit and allow it to toast for 3 to 5 minutes. The water and the couscous take about the same time. Add the boiling water carefully to the couscous, lower the heat to low, cover and allow to cook according to directions on the package. It usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too dry. Stir and set aside to cool.

Once cool it’s time to make the magic happen! Bring the two together in a large bowl and mix gently serve and enjoy!

*A Shlicha is an emissary from Israel. While here she facilitates connections to Israel with Israeli programing, Israeli experiences, and is dedicated to the Jewish people, our heritage and to Israel. To learn more click here.

quick & easy vegetable soup

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Sherri

A day like yesterday was perfect for my quick and easy vegetable soup with butter beans and Israeli couscous. A day that’s 40 degrees, cold, rainy, grey, and windy. A day where you want to stay in bed to watch old movies or binge watch something on Netflix. A day that would only be made better with a nice bowl of steamy hot soup. The kind of soup my mother would say that can warm your bones. This is that soup.

It seems I have soup simmering on my stove at least once a week – because I do, reason being I live in Ohio – the home of erratic weather, I can make it last minute and it’s hearty enough to be a complete meal. Keeping with the times, it’s filled with pantry and vegetable staples, and can be made start to finish in less than 45 minutes. I always have carrots (and if lucky like today rainbow colored carrots), celery, and onion on hand which is the best start for any vegetable soup. As for my pantry staples Israeli couscous (aka pearl couscous), butter beans (aka white lima beans) and a variety of lentils are always on hand.

A few months ago I bought a couple of cans of butter beans thanks to Vivian Howard and her show on PBS called A Chef’s Life. She uses them in a variety of ways, even making a veggie burger with them. I was so intrigued I just had to get them. What I didn’t realize is they are the same as the white lima beans which I grew up eating. Who knew? Vivian and my mom both used the dry beans and soaked them overnight. I love the convenience of the canned bean, especially for soup and when you don’t have time to plan ahead. The buttery and creamy white lima beans were a staple in my house growing up and my mom added them to various soups and stews. That could be why I like this soup so much.

http://www.splashofsherri.com/2020/04/29/israeli-salad-with-couscous/As for Israeli couscous, I always have that on hand because I just love it! They are nothing like their more well known couscous cousin which has a more sandy texture – fyi, they are not interchangeable. I use this little pearl shaped pasta it in a variety of side dishes and main dish salads like my Israeli couscous with root vegetables and my newest recipe for Israeli salad couscous. The addition to the soup adds a nice little surprise.

These two simple ingredients took my ordinary vegetable soup to a whole new level and I think you’ll love it! It’s so satisfying and nutritious, making it a perfect meal when you are seeking warmth, comfort and something delicious. This recipe makes 10 to 12 servings. Enjoy!

ingredients
1 large onion diced
6 carrots sliced into rounds – about a heaping 2 cups
6 stalks celery chopped – about a heaping 2 cups
2 containers of vegetable broth
1 – 26 ounce container Pomi chopped tomatoes (or other brand)
1 can of butter beans drained
½ cup dry red lentils (sorted and rinsed)
½ cup dry Israeli couscous
1 cup haricot vert or green beans cut into 1” pieces
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped fine (leaves only/yields approx.. 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Costco or other no-salt seasonings
2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon pepper or to taste

directions
Heat an 8 quart pot on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and onions. Sauté onion until translucent, about 10 minutes, and then add the celery and carrots. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a light boil. Add the lentils and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Then add the Israeli couscous and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes add in the haricot vert or green beans. Drain and and add the beans, parsley and other seasonings to the soup. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the green beans are tender.

substitutions:
I’ve become accustomed to adding in swap outs at this time so here goes…If you don’t have lima or butter beans add in a can of cannellini beans or chickpeas. No red lentils, add yellow or green. No vegetable broth, use chicken broth or water. No Israeli couscous you can sub orzo, acini de pepe, or even alphabet pasta. But do not sub regular couscous. You can sub 1 tablespoon of dried parsley for fresh.

israeli couscous with Root Vegetables and my new Favorite Spice Baharat

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Sherri

Yes, I’m a copycat – but only when it comes to food! My Israeli couscous with root vegetables and my new favorite spice Baharat is case in point. It’s so delicious I can’t make it enough. So who am I copying you ask? There is a great vegetarian restaurant here in Columbus called Little Eater. To say I love the food there is an understatement. The flavor profiles they use are so creative and always delicious combinations you wouldn’t ordinarily expect. Among my favorites are the butternut squash and goat cheese sandwich with onion jam, the sweet potato soup, chocolate chip cookies, and this root vegetable couscous. I literally have cravings for it and decided I needed to make it at home.

Israeli couscous is pasta which is toasted instead of dried and it has a nice chew like orzo. It is sometimes called pearl couscous because it looks like little pearls which make it such a pretty addition to any meal or buffet table. It’s also a nice change from rice or potatoes. I add it on top of salads, serve it as a side, place a bed of it under fish, chicken, lamb or stew, or just eat in a bowl as a little nosh. The ratio of vegetables to couscous in this dish makes it very appealing. If you are trying to cut down carbs it’s a way more than 50/50 in favor of vegetables which you can see in the photo. Plus, it’s very quick and easy even with all vegetable dicing. Start to finish you will be done in less than an hour. Sounds good right?

I have to get off topic for a minute to share this tip with you… a few months ago I took a vegetable butchery class at Little Eater with the owner Cara Mangalini. She shared a wealth of knowledge on how to select, prepare, store, and cook vegetables. One of my favorite takeaways was the concept of using nut oils. She used walnut oil in one of the salads we sampled and you could taste something different which may not have been obvious, but it added something so special to the dish. I have just started to incorporate walnut and almond oil in some of my cooking as a finishing oil, or in dressing and strongly recommend you try it.

Another thing she suggested was to try new vegetables and prepare them in a way that is unexpected. Her couscous has rutabagas and currents which is an amazing combination. As much as I like them, unfortunately, I don’t think rutabagas like me very much. Given that I love parsnips (and they me!), I thought I would use them in my recipe. Plus, I think parsnips are an underappreciated vegetable so it’s time to give it a try if you haven’t already. As for the spice, that was easy. Since my trip to Israel last summer, one of my new favorite spices is Baharat* and I thought it would be a nice combination with the root vegetables because it has a nice warming flavor with notes of cinnamon. Baharat, which literally means spices, is an Israeli spice which if you think of as similar to pie spice with a kick and a little exotic, you’ll at least have a frame of reference.

When creating or recreating a recipe it’s always trial and error. I write down all of the ingredients, guess the ratio and give it a try. It took a few tries, but I just kept adding more and more vegetables until I came up with a version I absolutely love and think you will too. Of course, if you love rutabagas, swap them out with the parsnip.

Oh, and Cara, if you are reading this, Thank you for bringing your vegetable forward restaurant to Columbus! I’ll be in soon for another butternut squash sandwich and of course, a chocolate chip cookie. But I’ll be making my version of your couscous at home. Any Columbus peeps reading this, make a trip there, you’ll be glad you did! But in the meantime, go buy some Israeli couscous! Enjoy!

Makes 8 to 10 side dish servings

Ingredients
1 ¼ pound carrots peeled and diced small ½”
1 ¼ pound parsnips peeled and diced small ½”
¾ cup whole roasted almonds chopped**
½ cup cranberries chopped
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar (or other fruity balsamic)
1 teaspoon Baharat
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
For the couscous:
1 cup dry Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous)
1 and 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Dice all of your vegetables into a small dice and place into a 5qt bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place on 2 sheet pans. When roasting, never crowd the pan as the vegetables will steam instead of roasting. Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes checking on them after 10 minutes and toss them around. You want them to lightly roast but still have a little bite to them.

While the vegetables are roasting prepare the couscous: In a small pot, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil with ½ teaspoon salt. While waiting for the water to boil, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-low heat in a 3 quart saucepan. Add the dry couscous and stir around to coat in the olive oil. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes to lightly toast the couscous. Add the boiling water to the couscous very slowly and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed, and the pearls are tender.

While everything is roasting and boiling: Chop the almonds and set aside. Chop the cranberries and set aside. Mince the parsley and set aside.

When the vegetables are ready it’s time to assemble everything. Into a large bowl, add the couscous and vegetables (use a spatula and try to get some of the roasting oil as well), parsley, cranberries, almonds, Baharat, balsamic and toss. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

*If you click on the word Baharat anywhere in this post it will take you to a website which has some history, cooking tips, and different spice combinations of Baharat. I brought some back from Israel with me, but have also found it at a couple of local groceries, World Market and Whole Foods. Each one tastes a little different, but of the 4 I have tried, all were very good – just different.

**Toasting almonds (or any nut) is very easy. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Put the almonds on a sheet pan and place in the center of your oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once you start to smell them, they are done. Make sure to keep an eye on them. You can also buy them already roasted.