Spicy Israeli Couscous with Summer Squash

This side dish is delicious warm or cold. It has a little bit of spice from the red pepper flakes, but the amount can be easily adjusted to taste. I use Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous blend which also includes red quinoa, split dried garbanzo beans, and orzo. We ate it with grilled Palestinian chicken and green salad- a gold standard Middle Eastern meal in our house! The recipe was adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

• 1 1/4 cups Israeli couscous
• 1 3/4 cups stock (I used chicken stock)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow summer squash (or 1 small)
• 1 cup diced zucchini (or 1 small)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder (I used sweet curry powder)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt, more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring stock to a boil and then add couscous. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Yields 3 cups of cooked couscous.)
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add and sauté the squash, zucchini, red onion, and garlic for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the chickpeas and spices. Then gently stir in the cooked couscous. Cook until hot, about 8 minutes.
4. Garnish with parsley before serving.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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