Summery Side - Israeli Couscous with Scallions & Dried Cherries

Around this time each year, I get to thinking about new ways to zhush up an old favorite in our house - Couscous. Couscous is our standby summer side because it's a wonderful make-ahead dish that tastes great at room temperature and lends itself to all kinds of creativity. 

Israeli Couscous with Scallions & Dried Cherries, Photo:NK

I love that it feeds a crowd, and with the right accoutrements, I find it far and away more exciting than your everyday traditional pasta salad. 

With all those barbecues and summer parties around the corner (we'll tell you about our Memorial Day celebration very soon), you can never have too many ideas for potluck dishes. 

As far as types of couscous go, we strongly prefer Pearl Couscous, also known as Israeli. This larger variety holds up really well and just feels a bit more stick-to-your-ribs than its smaller-grained cousin (I should mention that "regular" cous cous is actually more a grain - semolina to be exact - than a pasta, per se). For more ideas and info, check out last year's special Couscous recipe HERE. 

I hope you'll also stick around for today's latest colorful twist on this scrumptious side. I used dried cherries and lots of scallions to create a tart and savory dish that ended up being quite satisfying (with tons leftover for later in the week). It also made a welcome accompaniment to my the tasty roast beef dinner my husband cooked up for me. 

Israeli Couscous with Scallions & Dried Cherries, Photo: NK

Here's how to make it:

Israeli Couscous With Scallions & Dried Cherries 

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

2 Cups Dried Pearl aka Israeli Couscous (approx. an 8.8 oz box)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided

2.5 Cups Free Range Organic Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth)

3 Ounces Dried Cherries, finely chopped

4 Whole Scallions, both white and green parts, thin sliced

1 Large Clove Garlic, finely minced

Lemon Juice, 3 squeezes - optional

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Lots of Black Pepper

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, toast the Couscous by swirling one Tablespoon Olive Oil in the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Add the dried Couscous and stir fairly constantly until the grains begin to become slightly golden but not black. This should take 2 or 3

Fast to prepare and feeds a crowd, Photo: NK

minutes but watch it closely to avoid burning. Pour the toasted Couscous into a bowl and set aside. Toasting brings out more flavor and makes the small, round pearls even more visually appealing. 

2. In the same large saucepan, bring Broth to a boil and add the Couscous. Turn flame down to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until Couscous is cooked through and the liquids have disappeared. Ideally it should still have some bite to it, and be somewhat al dente. 

3. Now add minced Garlic and remove from the heat. Place in the refrigerator to chill. This can be done a day in advance. 

4. When ready to finish, stir in the Scallions, Dried Cherries, three squeezes of Lemon Juice and the remaining Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Give it a good stir. Add the Salt a quarter teaspoon at a time so you can adjust it to your taste. Finish with ample Black Pepper. Stir again and store in the fridge until ready to serve. This will keep well overnight and for several days after. The flavors should have time to blend before serving as the definitely get better and better with time.

Enjoy! 

Simply Grilled - Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Last week's July Fourth holiday was just as it should be - a day of fun in the sun and an excuse to fire up the old all-American grill. Today, I'd like to share the fastest and easiest dish of our spread, super simple Shrimp Skewers that looked beautiful and tasted even better. 

Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers with Grilled and Chopped Scallions, Photo: NK 

Next time you're looking for an easy yet impressive appetizer or the surf to accompany your turf, Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers are a great choice. Make them if you are a Sriracha lover who can handle moderate heat and if you enjoy sweet and spicy flavor profiles like I do. 

First, Some Handy Tips:

1. Soaking the wooden skewers for about a half hour is a good idea before using them on a grill in order to prevent any burning. 

Photo: NK 

2. Martha Stewart, from whom this recipe was adapted, very wisely advises that you use two skewers for each row/serving of Shrimp. Pierce one skewer through just about at the tail, and another through the opposite head end. Doing this allows you to flip the skewers more easily and prevents the Shrimp from curling up. I used these shrimp skewers as an accompaniment to a hamburger, so for us, about four large Shrimp per person was just right. 

3. If you can get your fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp leaving the tail on, all the better. Cleaning Shrimp is one of my least favorite cooking chores, and frankly, it takes time! Buying pre-cleaned shrimp (preferably wild) or paying a bit extra to have the cleaning done for you is a huge part of making this dish as easy as it should be. 

Scallion Garnish , Chopped and Grilled Whole, Photo: NK

4. For a pretty green edible garnish, we opted to scatter the Shrimp with chopped Scallion and whole Grilled Scallions. To grill, we simply brushed the whole Scallions with oil and dusted them with Salt and Pepper. We let them cook for the duration of the Shrimp's cook time, turning once on the grill until they charred a bit. You could certainly garnish this creatively with other greens such as Cilantro or Parsley, but Scallions fit well with this Asian-inflected dish and I just love the look of them with char marks. 
Let's grill... 

Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 as an appetizer or accompaniment, 3 as an entree

Ingredients:

Sriracha Honey Glaze, Photo: NK 

24 Large Shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tail left on
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder 
2 Tablespoons Sriracha 
1/4 Cup Honey
Salt and Pepper

Vegetable Oil for brushing the Shrimp and the grill
Optional Scallions for chopping and a few whole for grilling 

12 Wooden Skewers, soaked

Method: 
1. Light a charcoal,gas grill, or heat up a grill pan. Soak wooden skewers for 20 min to a half hour

2. Lay peeled and deveined tail-on Shrimp on a work surface. Make a row of 4 Shrimp. Skewer the Shrimp through the tail end just before the tail, and through the opposite end (where the head would be). Repeat until you have 6 skewers of with 4 Shrimp Each. 

Glazed Shrimp, Photo: NK

3. Brush Shrimp all over with Vegetable oil and  Sprinkle Shrimp all over with Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper. 

4. Prepare the Glaze by Mixing Sriracha with Honey and sprinkling with a healthy dose of Black Pepper. 

5. If using, brush Whole Scallions with Oil and sprinkle lightly with Salt and Pepper. Chop the extra Scallions. 

6. Place Skewers (and whole Scallions, if using) on the hot part of the grill. Grill the Shrimp until they start to become opaque - about 3 minutes. Flip and brush generously with the Sriracha and Honey Glaze. Cook another 3 minutes and serve immediately, scattered with chopped Scallions and Grilled Scallions. 


And there you have it. Enjoy!  

Meatless Monday - Pistachio Basil Pesto with Scallions

Our Italian food mood continues with today's Meatless Monday recipe - a stellar yet simple pasta dish adapted from one of my favorite restaurants, Frankies Spuntino (check them out HERE). With two NYC locations, proprietors Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli have, for nearly a decade, turned out tasty Italian small plates by focusing on fresh, local ingredients and un-fussy preparations. My Mom and I discovered their Carroll Gardens Brooklyn location, Frankies 457, soon after it opened and well before it became so darn popular. To think ... we used to be able to waltz right in.

Orecchiette with Pistachio Basil Pesto and Scallions, Photo: NK

What's great about today's plate? Orecchiette with Pistachio Basil Pesto and Scallions is brightly flavored, easy, and casually elegant. It's as perfect as an appetizer as it is as a main course and even tastes great at room temperature if you'd prefer it to be more like a pasta salad. Even better, this dish is a good way to use leftover Basil (which we happened to have plenty of from our last dish of Pappa al Pomodoro HERE). Frankies' original recipe uses an equal amount of Mint rather than Basil. Feel free to try both ways of making it depending on which herbs you have on hand! 

Orecchiette with Pistachio Basil Pesto and Scallions
Serves 2 
Adapted from Food and Wine/Frank Castonovo and Frank Falcinelli of Frankies Spuntino 

Bright Green Pistachios, Photo: NK 

Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Roasted, Salted Pistachios, shelled
2 Scallions cut into 2 inch lengths, stacked alongside eachother and julienned

Scant 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons roughly chopped Basil Leaves
1 large Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1/2 Pound Orecchiette Pasta
Salt 
Black Pepper

Method:

Set a pot of lightly salted water to boil. 

In a small food processor, process the Pistachios until coarsely chopped.  

Processing the Pistachios, Photo: NK 

Next, add the Olive Oil, Basil Leaves, and Garlic. Pulse about 10 times to combine. 
Transfer Pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmigiano Cheese. Fold in the julienned Scallions and set aside.

Once water comes to a boil, cook the Orecchiette according to instructions (usually 10 minutes for al dente). When Pasta is cooked, drain into a colander over a bowl, and reserve a 1/4 cup of the Pasta Water.

Adding the Cheese and Scallion, Photo: NK 

Return drained Pasta to the pot over a low flame. Stir in the Pesto/Scallion Mixture and the Pasta Water. Continue to cook over low heat for a minute or two, tossing, until Pesto has coated the Pasta fully and the liquids thicken. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of Salt - this will really make the flavors pop.  

Plate, and optionally sprinkle with a bit of Parmigiano Cheese and some Black Pepper.

Enjoy!
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