ISRAELI COUSCOUS SALAD

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Salads, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

For a long time Israeli couscous was hard to find, and I only enjoyed it in restaurants, or by placing special orders online. Now it’s available almost everywhere! Even one store in our small town carries it in bulk, so I buy as little or as much as I want. Heads up: when you buy Israeli couscous in bulk, make sure to tie the plastic bag very well, and handle it with loving care. Those cute little balls of semolina flour travel long distances when spilled on the floor. It’s amazing the lessons a cook learns! 😉

Israeli couscous has an interesting history. It indeed originated in Israel, in the 50’s, with the name of “ptitim.” It was conceived in a time of austerity, as an attempt to deal with the scarcity of food, including the almost complete disappearance of rice. Back in Israel it remains a popular food item for kids, available in all sorts of cute shapes, like stars and hearts, to please the young audience. Abroad, Israeli couscous became a trendy gourmet ingredient, as we all know well. It’s versatile and has less tendency to form lumps than regular couscous. It can be dressed up in countless ways and it’s equally tasty warm or cold, as in this delicious salad, adapted from a recent issue of Food and Wine.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS SALAD WITH ARUGULA PESTO
(adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

6 cups packed arugula (6 ounces)
2 cups Israeli couscous (12 ounces)
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup full fat yoghurt (or low fat if you prefer)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup red cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, peeled and diced

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the 6 cups of arugula and blanch for 10 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the arugula to a colander. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, drain well and reserve.

Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste to make sure you don’t overcook it. Drain, and spread on a large baking sheet, drizzling with a very small amount of olive oil (use a spray bottle if you have it) to prevent the little balls from sticking. Let it cool to room temperature.

In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, tossing, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool.

Squeeze the excess water from the arugula, coarsely chop it, and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Transfer the arugula to a food processor. Add the pine nuts, garlic, cheese and the 2 Tbs of olive oil, processing until the arugula and pine nuts are chopped. Immediately add the yogurt, process until smooth, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the couscous to a large serving bowl and stir in some of the pesto, using as much or as little as you like. Gently fold in the tomatoes and cucumber pieces. Adjust seasoning, and….

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We loved this recipe! And I’m especially happy about my modifications of the arugula pesto. Purists may roll their eyes, but I reduced the fat content of this baby to levels previously unknown to mankind! Imagine my audacity, going from 1/2 cup of olive oil in the original recipe to 2 Tbs olive oil + 1/3 cup of yogurt! That, my friends, is a drop from 954 calories down to 175. I am not a fat-o-phobe, but I’ve played with yogurt and buttermilk long enough to learn that they often substitute well for oil, as illustrated in this example: the acidity in the yogurt kept the arugula bright and it added an interesting sharpness to the pesto. Of course, you may also ignore my adaptation and use the full amount of olive oil. As Emeril Lagasse says, “…you won’t hurt my feelings.” 😉

Olive oil is one of the healthiest options among fats, but any fat packs a huge load of calories. If you struggle with weight issues (who doesn’t?), then be attentive to the amount of olive oil in your recipes and restaurant foods. Salads are deceptively high in calories. Consider asking for dressing on the side, and use it sparingly. Another dangerous option that seems healthy and light: buffet platters of grilled veggies, such as eggplant and zucchini. They are prepared with a substantial amount of olive oil, and eggplant in particular soaks it up like a sponge. Be aware, make the right choices, and exercise portion control. When you’re cooking at home try my low-cal pesto and see what you think. It’s good to splurge with the real thing sometimes, but it’s also wonderful to find an alternative that makes you feel good when you leave the table. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Heavenly Home-made Fromage Blanc

TWO YEARS AGO: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

7May2011

GAMBERETTI CON RUCOLA E POMODORI

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Nope, this recipe didn’t come from an Italian cookbook. I hope Martha Stewart won’t mind that I took some liberties with the title for her creation, but it just sounds too lovely in the language of Dante: “… Gamberetti… Rucola… Pomodori,” …just beautiful!

This year I insist on “quick and easy dinners,” because life is awfully busy for us here in LA. It’s now our final month at UCLA, so this type of recipe is a life-saver. Cook some pasta (we used cappellini, that’s ready in five minutes), grab some lettuce for a simple salad, and all of a sudden you’ll have a meal from a trattoria by the Mediterranean Sea.

SAUTEED SHRIMP WITH ARUGULA AND TOMATOES
(adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, June 2010)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, lightly smashed
1 pound large shrimp
4 cups baby arugula leaves
salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and sautee for a couple of minutes in gentle heat, until it gets fragrant and starts to develop some color. Remove the garlic and discard it. Add the tomatoes, season with a little salt and pepper, increase the heat, and cook, stirring often, until they blister and release some liquid.

Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, not more than 4 minutes. Add the arugula leaves, a little more salt, and toss until wilted. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pan, and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning, and serve over pasta or white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My preference for arugula or spinach is always changing. Sometimes I settle on spinach, for its mellowness and delicate taste. Then, my mood switches and I grab bag after bag of arugula at the store and bring it home. Its leaves are sturdier, it wilts with dignity. 😉 And the peppery bite, no spinach can match it. As you might guess, I’m going through the arugula phase right now.

ONE YEAR AGO: Grissini

27Feb2011

SOFT SPOT FOR CHEVRE

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Phil and I influence each other’s gastronomic likes and dislikes. Before we met I wasn’t fond of sushi, couldn’t understand all the passion for guacamole, and twisted my nose at maple syrup. Now I’m addicted to sushi (with no intentions of rehab), I’ll eat guacamole any time, and I can’t imagine a blueberry pancake without the heavenly nectar drizzled on top.

Phil, on the other hand, wouldn’t touch a raw tomato, felt queasy around foie gras, and didn’t like the smell of goat cheese. Those days are over, which is great, because I didn’t want to skip this pasta, with creamy goat cheese enveloping cremini mushrooms and arugula. You can use any pasta shape you prefer, but pick a mild goat cheese that will quickly melt in the hot pasta.

CREMINI MUSHROOM PASTA WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ARUGULA
(adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook)
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1 pound spaghetti (or another shape of your choice)
2 pounds cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 cups baby arugula
3/4 pound soft goat cheese, crumbled (room temperature)
freshly minced parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente. Heat the olive oil and butter on a non-stick skillet, add the garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms until they release liquid and it almost completely evaporates. Reserve, keeping warm.

When the pasta’s ready, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, return to the pot and add the cremini mushrooms, arugula, goat cheese, and parsley. Gently toss everything to wilt the arugula, add some of the pasta water to get a smooth consistency, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

(makes 4 substantial servings)

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you don’t like goat cheese, then this pasta is not for you, just skip it, because the “flavor of the barnyard” (as Phil calls it) is pronounced in the sauce. The original recipe called for regular arugula, but instead I used baby arugula because the sharpness of the goat cheese pairs better with a milder green. If you want to tone it down even more then use baby spinach, or even Swiss chard, although you’ll have to saute it first. My other adaptation was to skip the 1/2 cup of olive oil that was intended as its “finishing touch.” Despite my love for olive oil, I’d never add 955 calories of fat to a pasta that’s perfectly fine without it. I am not a fat-o-phobe, but have my limits.

We like to go vegetarian one day during the week, and this is a great option if you’re trying to skip meat whether occasionally or permanently. It’s delicious!

Note to self: to make it even faster, saute the mushrooms in advance, and re-warm them right before adding to the pasta.

ONE YEAR AGO: Seared Tuna is my Private Idaho