Summer Vegetable and Pearl (Israeli) Couscous Salad

I used whole wheat pearl (aka "Israeli") couscous. If you're unable to find it, whole wheat orzo is a nice substitute. They're both great for summer salads. One of the things I love about this dish is that there's a high vegetable to pasta ratio, so you can feel like you're having an indulgent portion of pasta salad, but it still has very little impact. This yields 6 large servings weighing in at approx. 100 calories each and plenty of fiber. I also love the contrast of the crunchy, fresh vegetables, the softness of the grilled squash and the nutty flavor of the toasted pasta.

A small annoyance for me is uncooked carrot pieces in salads. If they're larger than a sliver, I have to chase them around with my fork, trying to get them to cooperate and climb on board. On the other hand, I like carrots and even like the texture they bring. In this case, I grilled them. It was perfect. The outside softens just enough so that they are easily pierced with a fork, but the core stays firm. It also brought out a small amount of the carrots' natural sweetness.

The beauty of this simple, quick summer salad is that you can use whatever vegetables you like. With exception of the carrots, everything was straight from the farm and our garden. I grilled the squash and carrots, but left the remaining vegetables raw for a wonderful mix of textures and flavors.

Summer Vegetable & Pearl Couscous Salad

• 1 c. Whole wheat pearl (Israeli) couscous (or orzo)
• 1 small onion (or 1/2 large onion), diced
• 1 Tbl. olive oil, plus more to coat grilled the vegetables
• 1 1/4 c. vegetable stock
• 2 medium summer squash, halved lengthwise
• 2 medium carrots, peeled 
• 4 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved (or one medium/large tomato, chopped)
• 1 medium cucumber (unwaxed, if possible, so there's no need to peel)
• 2 small, white salad turnips
• 1/4 c. *vinaigrette (I usually use a lemon vinaigrette, but went with balsamic this time)
• fresh herbs, if desired

Heat a grill (indoor or outdoor) on medium-high. While the grill is heating, cut the summer squash lengthwise. If it's particularly large in diameter, slice lengthwise again. Peel the carrots. Mist the carrots and squash with olive oil and season lightly with salt. If you don't have a mister, you can use a pastry brush to lightly apply the oil. Grill on each side until the squash is tender and the carrots are just slightly softened. The grilled veggies also lend a mild smokiness. Turn halfway to grill both sides (for the carrots, you can rotate to get all 4 sides, but it's not necessary). Once they're each done, slice them for the salad.

In a medium saucepan, heat a Tbl. of oil on high. Once you start to see small wisps of smoke, add the couscous to the pan to toast. Stir to coat evenly with oil and stir frequently until the couscous appears lightly toasted. Add the onion and vegetable stock and give a stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed (start checking at approx. 10-15 minutes).

Once the couscous is done, pour it into a mixing bowl and add the chopped carrot, squash and tomato. The warm pasta will relax the tomato to bring out maximum flavor. Add about half of the dressing, so that the couscous absorbs the flavor and doesn't get sticky as it cools. Once at room temperature, add the cucumber and turnips, along with any fresh herbs and the rest of the dressing (careful not to overdress). Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve room temperature or cold. I served this batch under sauteed tilapia with a quick lemon, thyme and caper pan sauce (which is why I didn't go with lemon dressing). The lemon worked well with the balsamic, but offered enough contrast so that it wasn't a one-note dish.

*Vinaigrette

I usually do a 2:1 ratio of fat (oil) to acid (some prefer 3:1), but since I had already used oil when toasting the couscous and on the grilled veggies, I went closer to a 1:1 ratio and seasoned with just salt and pepper. I used a fruity olive oil & aged balsamic vinegar, but you could use any combo of flavorful oil to acid (vinegar or citrus juice), whisk until emulsified and season to taste. As for herbs, when using a lemon vinaigrette, I often use thyme or tarragon and parsley in the salad. I love fresh oregano with the balsamic. Basil would be a nice addition, as well. I also love doing fresh mint with lime. Get as creative as you like!

I Fought the Slaw and the Slaw Won

Okay, we both won. It got to taste good and we got to eat it. Today's slaw went perfectly with our Independence Day meal and would be welcome in this house as a part of any sort of summer barbecue fare. Bok choy gives it a wonderful, fresh crunch and apple lends a touch of sweetness.



Bok Choy and Apple Slaw (yields approx. 8 servings of 2/3 cups each)

• 1 head of bok choy, whites cut lengthwise the width of matchsticks then into 1" strips, greens chopped (I only used 1/2 of the greens)
• 2 large green apples (unpeeled) and cut into matchsticks (a mandolin makes this very easy)
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/3 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained)
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise (your favorite will do- I prefer light olive oil or homemade)
• 2 tsp. celery seed
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. prepared horseradish (optional)

As soon as you cut the apple, mix with a spoonful of the yogurt. The acid in the yogurt will help keep it from turning brown. Mix everything together and enjoy!

Tip: This can easily be made the night before. The bok choy stays crunchy, the yogurt keeps the apple from browning and the flavors have more time to marry. Leftovers are equally as good the next day.

Hummus and Goat Cheese Salad

When I was on the west coast, there was a Gordon Biersch around the corner from my office. Yes, the beer was tasty, but not being a big drinker, that's not why I went there. My primary go-to was their warm goat cheese and hummus salad, served on warm parmesan flat bread. Their flat bread was made with white flour, so I'd let myself have a small wedge and leave the rest. It was somewhat torturesome, but the rest of the salad was so tasty and filling that it didn't matter too much.

Since moving away, I've made the salad myself several times, though usually forgo the flat bread. Today, however, I wanted that contrast of the warm bread and cool salad merging with the soft gooey goat cheese.

I made a simple flat bread (whole wheat flour, salt, water, carmelized onions and olive oil. Edit: I outlined how to make it here.) and composed the rest of the salad while it baked. The salad itself was a simple one of romaine lettuce and fresh tomato with a lemon vinaigrette (approx 2 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, thyme-- whisked until emulsified). Roasted red peppers are also very nice in this salad. I didn't have any peppers on-hand.

I topped it all with leftover tomato basil hummus and disks of goat cheese I'd rolled in seasoned whole wheat panko and baked for approx 8 minutes (I've also encrusted the goat cheese with toasted sunflower seeds on other occasions- it depends on what I have in my pantry that will provide some crunch). Warning: the goat cheese is extremely soft after baking. Transfer carefully with a small spatula onto the salad or you'll end up with goat cheese goo (which, let's face it, still tastes pretty incredible, it's just not as pretty). I'll admit I'm less careful with the goat cheese if it's just for myself because I'm just going to mix it all up anyway ;-)


The warm, oven-fresh flat bread tastes good on its own or topped with a bit of salad, but it's even better dipped into the hummus and/or a spread of the warm goat cheese.