Some of you might be thinking…What the heck is Israeli Couscous?
Some of you might know exactly what it is and are obsessed with it.
Before this recipe, I was with the “What the heck is Israeli Couscous?” folks. Now however, I think I can officially say I am in the “obsessed” club.
I have tried regular couscous and it was good. I will still make it and eat it and love it, but I don’t know if it will ever be the same now that I have had Israeli Couscous.
First of all it is bigger than regular couscous. Which means, in my opinion, it holds more flavor! It is moist and chewy and delicious. It isn’t like quinoa either. So do not be fooled. It reminds you of pasta noodles, but formed into tiny round party bubbles for your taste buds.
I found it one day when I was wandering around the aisles of my local Trader Joes. (They have Israeli Couscous in local grocery stores too.)
I decided to be adventurous and buy it on a whim.
So today when I got home I thought to myself…today is the day to experiment with dinner. I might have chosen today because David is out of town visiting our parents on his Spring Break. One less person that would go hungry if I butchered dinner is what I must have been thinking.
Let’s just say that it is super delicious and I am glad that I made it when I was home alone…more for ME!!
This recipe is great by itself for dinner or lunch. It can also be a wonderful side dish as well! I think I might pair it with grilled chicken or a steak when I make it for my man. 🙂
Israeli Couscous with Caramelized Onions and Zucchini
Serves 2-4 people
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 Zucchinis
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 1/3 cups Israeli Couscous
- 1 T butter
- 2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 3/4 cups Chicken broth (Vegetarians you can use water instead)
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Rinse your zucchini and then cut them up into quarter sized pieces.. Place them to the side. You won’t be needing them for awhile. Next, peel your onion and cut it in half. Then cut each half into similar sized slices.
Grab your onion slices and place them in an 8×8 glass baking dish. Coat the slices with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then sprinkle with them with salt. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Make sure to stir them around halfway through.
While your onions are cooking in the oven, heat up a medium sized sauté pan with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the israeli couscous and stir until combined. Toast the couscous until it is a golden brown color (about 5 minutes).
Once the couscous is toasted and your mouth is watering from the toasty scent filling your kitchen, add the chicken broth to the pan. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for about 12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Keep your cooked couscous on low heat while your veggies are finishing up in the oven.
You will start to smell the delicious caramely oniony aroma start to escape from your oven. When you do and the onions have started to turn into caramelized goodness, add your zucchini to the baking dish. Stir all of the veggies together until your zucchini is coated with olive oil. If you need to add more olive oil go for it.
Put the dish back into the oven and cook the vegetables together for another 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.
Once the vegetables are finished, scoop them into the couscous pan. Stir everything together. Salt and pepper to your liking and enjoy!
It may seem like a simple dish with not that many ingredients, but it is bursting with flavor. Caramelized onions, toasted couscous, crunchy fresh zucchini… I could not get enough of it 🙂
Wanderlust Wednesdays 