I'm going to a potluck Shabbat dinner tonight with the fine folks of Keshet Houston.
I did not, however, realize that it was a potluck until Wednesday night. So, I needed a good, simple parve/dairy recipe in a hurry. A quick Google search led me to this recipe, which I modified slightly with the addition of grilled eggplant and artichoke hearts.
I prepared it last night and let it sit in the fridge until dinner.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- One (1) cup Israeli/pearl couscous
- Six to eight (6 - 8) Tbsps. lemon juice, to your liking
- Three (3) cups chopped, flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- One (1) 8 oz. tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- One 12 oz. cucumber, seeded and diced
- One (1) bunch scallions, chopped
- One (1) 16 oz. eggplant
- One (1) can artichoke hearts in water, drained
- Salt (and pepper) to taste
1. Cut the eggplant into one-inch (1") cubes, drain the artichoke hearts, and place them in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Let sit while you prepare the couscous.
2. Heat one (1) Tbsp. of olive oil over medium/medium-high heat in a medium saucepan and add the couscous. Stir it until it starts to brown and smell toasted. Add two (2) cups of water, some salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender.
3. Heat one (1) Tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and artichoke hearts, and pepper to taste (optional). I cooked these until they were browned. When the eggplant and artichokes are ready, mix them into the couscous and let cool on the counter while you prepare the vegetables.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the prepared parsley, mint, tomato, cucumber, scallions, and lemon juice.
5. Mix the vegetables into the bowl with the couscous, eggplant and artichokes. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and stir well to mix. Add some more salt if needed.
6. You can serve right away, or refrigerate it. Enjoy!
I'll update with how it was received after dinner!
Update: It was a hit! And I've been enjoying the leftovers ever since.