Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays: Summer Couscous Salad

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Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!
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Did you enjoy your weekend?  Summer is in full swing here and the weather has been just beautiful - it finally feels like Summer!  The recipe I am sharing today is one that I make all the time in the Summer.  Usually when I don't feel like cooking and want something easy.  I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand and it doesn't take any time at all to make this.
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Ingredients:
- 5.7 oz package of seasoned couscous (Near East is my favorite brand.  I buy the Mediterranean or Parmesan flavor)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, diced
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach
- olive oil
- Parmesan or feta (optional)
- salt & pepper, to taste
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1.  Prepare couscous according to directions on package.
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2.  Stir in tomatoes, peppers, olives, and beans until combined.
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3.  Stir in spinach until wilted ( the warm couscous will wilt the spinach )
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4.  It's hard for me to eat a meal without cheese so I like to add Parmesan or crumbled feta to the top along with a dash of olive oil.
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{ makes 4 servings }
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I like making this because it's light and healthy.  It's also perfect picnic or beach food because it tastes great cold.
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You have all been linking up some really great recipes...can't wait to see what you made this week!
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{ Please add a link in your post back to this post or add the Tasty Tuesdays button which can be found on my sidebar.  Thanks! }
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Also, I wanted to let you know that my sister is hosting a Shabby Apple giveaway on her blog right now.  You can enter by clicking right here.
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21 comments:

  1. Hi Alissa,
    I have never cooked couscous before, but that looks so pretty and delish that I may just give it a try! Thanks for hosting!
    Aimee

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  2. Hi, Alissa. Thank you for posting this. I have every ingredient to make it in my kitchen except for the red pepper. I think I'll pick that up today so I can make this tonight. It looks perfect. As always, your photos are beautiful, and thank you for hosting Tasty Tuesdays!

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  3. I make a similar salad to this one - I'll be sure to try yours next time.

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  4. This salad looks great! I love the addition of the olives in there!

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  5. I've always wanted to try couscous but never have...yet. Now that I see this I really want to give it a try. Thanks so much for hosting!

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  6. Sounds delicious...and it's really beautiful!

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  7. This looks so good - I can't wait to try it out!

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  8. I absolutely adore couscous! So easy and quick to cook and can make a beautiful salad like this one - and it really is gorgeous.

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  9. I am just now falling in love with couscous and trying to come up with new ways to liven it up. This is perfect, thank you!

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  10. I love couscous and quinoa which I am assuming you could substitute in this recipe.

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  11. It looks so good, I would have to leave the olives out because I can not stand them but everything else sounds awesome.

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  12. Hi Alissa,
    Its nice to be back here.Thanks a lot for hosting and sharing.Your couscous looks really great.I would love to try it.

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  13. Hi Alissa, I've always wanted to try couscous. Your recipe sounds so delicious!!

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  14. We love couscous... it's the quickest most nutritious food for kids!

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  15. This has my name written all over it. YUM!

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  16. hi alissa, this couscous salad looks amazing and so healthy too. it won't leave you feeling full especially during the summer, thanks for sharing this great recipe! meg

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  17. We love couscous in our family. This salad looks and sounds wonderful. thank you for sharing the recipe and hosting this party.

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  18. This is a beautiful couscous salad. One of the most versatile grains, I am always amazed at how good it looks when cooked. I am bookmarking this one to try later.

    Maria @ A Platter of Figs

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  19. I have a box of this in the pantry. I think I'll give this a try. It looks delicious. I bought some ready made at the store and it didn't thrill me but this looks wonderful!

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  20. Your recipe looks really yummy! I just found your blog and I love it! I'm a new follower!
    Jo-Anna

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  21. I'm returning with an update because I thought you'd appreciate it. :) You know how I told you I had almost everything for this, and I planned to make it this week? I'm a big fan of anything with spinach and tomatoes that is also vegetarian. Of course, I love cous cous, too. Chick peas are among my favorite beans. So, your recipe was a no brainer.

    I had to go to the store to buy a red pepper and chick peas. While there and picking up a few other things, I decided to get the Parm cous cous you suggested. I used to buy that brand all the time, and your post reminded me how delicious it was the built in seasoning. (I've been using plain cous cous lately, bought in bulk and with my own flavors added during cooking.) I got busy that night and didn't make your recipe afterall. So, the next morning, I thought I'd throw it together so I'd have it for lunch/dinner. But when I went to prepare it, my red pepper and the beans were nowhere to be found -- mystery since every other ingredient listed on my receipt was in the house. I know I picked them up, but apparently they didn't make it home, which is a total mystery to me. Anyway, I made the Parm cous cous. Even by itself, it's fantastic. I used pinto beans (which actually contributed some nice color) and added the spinach, tomatoes and a little cheese. That was only half your recipe, and it alone was delicious. I'll definitely make this again the proper way, but I wanted to let you know that you totally inspired me even though I didn't manage to get myself together enough to make it properly. So, thank you!

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