Israeli Couscous

We tried this recipe for Couscous w/Artichokes, Feta, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes a long time ago, but I couldn't find the right kind of couscous. I could only find the little tiny kind - Moroccan? - and it just wasn't as good. So, I came across the official "Israeli" kind in the bulk bins at CM, so I decided to give it a second try.

I read the reviews b/c a lot of times other people will say what they serve with a dish, and that gives me ideas. One person suggested a cucumber salad and steamed kale as a side, and I thought that sounded good.

I made a chopped cucumber salad with mint, jalapeno, lemon, garlic, and plain yogurt as a dressing. It was too hot, and the mint wasn't enough flavor - I've had better cucumber salads. Here's a beginning shot.

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Then I got started on the main dish. These are the kind of sun-dried tomatoes I used. They are NOT packed in oil, and I used the whole package. I got them at WalMart.

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I reconstituted them by following the directions in the recipe.

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The Israeli Couscous. This was super easy to cook. Once again, just followed the directions - just boiled in veg broth. No draining required.

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These are the mix-ins for the couscous dish. Flat leaf parsley, chopped chicken (we grilled extra over the weekend and I saved for this), marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta. All of the contents of the artichoke jars goes in - once again, no draining. You just mix all the ingredients in and grind a little black pepper over it.

While the couscous was cooking, I steamed some kale in a steamer basket. This is SO EASY! I just trimmed the ends and then chopped. I didn't remove the rib, although I saw some websites that recommended that.

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The final product:

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This was great! Very easy, flavorful, and it made enough for leftovers for both of us. It is MUCH BETTER with the right kind of couscous. Much better texture, and it's not as gloppy.

I'm excited about the kale. It was really easy and flavorful - I just added salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar and tossed in a serving dish. Now we have another healthy green side to add to our menu.

The cucumber salad - like I said, I've had better. :)