Okay, this deserves it's very own thread!
I made it for a family reunion this past Sunday. Since my Dad's side of the family hasn't gotten together in 27 years (old feuds die hard,I guess), I had no idea what to expect. Well, a bit less than a hundred people showed up and it was an absolute blast.
It was a very loosely-organized event (this coming from someone who uses Excel spreadsheets to organize food, decorations, and which serving utensil goes with which serving vessel...) and two huge tables absolutely groaned under the weight of what was brought (next time- 3 tables!). There was also a slightly smaller, although also overflowing, dessert table.
Anyway, beans seemed to be the side dish of the day in various forms (bbq, baked, salads, etc.), and there was also a ton of pasta salads, fruit salads, and veggie salads. But this Israeli Couscous Salad, well, I got compliments right and left (and spent some time writing the recipe on the backs of old envelopes and anything else that we could find). At least 6 people told me that it was their "favorite".
Here is the recipe which Sharon posted:
There really isn't a recipe for the salad. I guess I should figure it out one of these days, but:
1 1/2 cups cook Israeli Couscous, cooled
1 1/2 english cucumber, large dice
grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
5 or 6 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
artichoke hearts, quartered (I used a bit over half a can)
1 cup (or more to taste) feta cheese
Fresh chopped parsley (about 1/2 cup - more to taste)
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
In a small bowl
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1/1 to 1 tsp Turkish oregano
Juice of 1/2 lemon
additional salt & pepper
red wine vinegar
good extra virgin olive oil
Combine the couscous and vegetables. Mix ingredients for the dressing. The amounts are pretty much to your taste. I like a little more lemon and a little less vinegar - and lots of olive oil.
Combine dressing with salad, add feta, combine well and taste for seasoning. I found, this time, that we really preferred the dill and I increased the amount. Usually I use a lot of oregano - not this time. I can't wait to make this with fresh dill!
Vicci's notes: I used fresh oregano but no dill (not a fan of dill), orange bell pepper instead of green, and added chopped Kalamata olives. Oh, and reduced-fat Feta as well. Absolutely delicious and thanks, Sharon, for mentioning it and posting the recipe!
I made it for a family reunion this past Sunday. Since my Dad's side of the family hasn't gotten together in 27 years (old feuds die hard,I guess), I had no idea what to expect. Well, a bit less than a hundred people showed up and it was an absolute blast.
It was a very loosely-organized event (this coming from someone who uses Excel spreadsheets to organize food, decorations, and which serving utensil goes with which serving vessel...) and two huge tables absolutely groaned under the weight of what was brought (next time- 3 tables!). There was also a slightly smaller, although also overflowing, dessert table.
Anyway, beans seemed to be the side dish of the day in various forms (bbq, baked, salads, etc.), and there was also a ton of pasta salads, fruit salads, and veggie salads. But this Israeli Couscous Salad, well, I got compliments right and left (and spent some time writing the recipe on the backs of old envelopes and anything else that we could find). At least 6 people told me that it was their "favorite".
Here is the recipe which Sharon posted:
There really isn't a recipe for the salad. I guess I should figure it out one of these days, but:
1 1/2 cups cook Israeli Couscous, cooled
1 1/2 english cucumber, large dice
grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
5 or 6 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
artichoke hearts, quartered (I used a bit over half a can)
1 cup (or more to taste) feta cheese
Fresh chopped parsley (about 1/2 cup - more to taste)
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
In a small bowl
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1/1 to 1 tsp Turkish oregano
Juice of 1/2 lemon
additional salt & pepper
red wine vinegar
good extra virgin olive oil
Combine the couscous and vegetables. Mix ingredients for the dressing. The amounts are pretty much to your taste. I like a little more lemon and a little less vinegar - and lots of olive oil.
Combine dressing with salad, add feta, combine well and taste for seasoning. I found, this time, that we really preferred the dill and I increased the amount. Usually I use a lot of oregano - not this time. I can't wait to make this with fresh dill!
Vicci's notes: I used fresh oregano but no dill (not a fan of dill), orange bell pepper instead of green, and added chopped Kalamata olives. Oh, and reduced-fat Feta as well. Absolutely delicious and thanks, Sharon, for mentioning it and posting the recipe!