Saturday, April 27, 2013

Whole Foods Feasting: Israeli Couscous Pilaf

Israeli is good warm or cold, and this pilaf is a perfect example of that. It's meant to be served warm, but the leftovers are just as good at room temperature or cold.

This makes a pretty large amount - about 2 quarts worth of pilaf, so it's great for parties, potlucks, or large families. You can halve the recipe if you're feeding fewer people.

The container of couscous I bought was about 11 1/2 ounces, but a little more or less isn't going to be critical. The couscous I used was a tri-color version, but plain Israeli couscous would be fine, too.

The herbs here make this a good match for pretty much any roast - chicken, beef, or pork.

Israeli Couscous Pilaf

About 12 ounces Israeli couscous, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry savory
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 small zuchini, quartered lengthwise, then sliced

Cook the couscous according to package directions, or you can also cook it like pasta, in boiling salted water. Drain well.

While the pasta is cooking you can prep the rest of the ingredients and begin cooking. The couscous only takes about 10 minutes to cook.

Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper, onion, and salt and cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables are softened.

Add the capers, thyme, savory, and black pepper and stir to combine. Add the zucchini and continue cooking until the zucchini is cooked to your desired doneness (I prefer it al dente for this).

Add the cooked couscous and cook for a minute or two more.

Serve hot.

This post was sponsored by Whole Foods.
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