Monday, August 20, 2012

Wild rice and Israeli couscous salad



This is a concoction that will get you will points with the 'rents, or, if it's too late for that, an invitation to come back to the family reunion next year (in spite of what you said while in your cups this time around).

There will be no recipe, only a list of ingredients. Why, picnic breath, you ask? 'Cause I measured only the rice and couscous and nothing else. When you make your dressing, keep tasting it. When it tastes right to you, it IS right. Add more or less of the ancillary (aka canned) ingredients. It won't matter except to you and those you are feeding. Knock yourself out.

One last word: this batch, which I catered for a dinner for 20, got me re-engaged the same night for a picnic for over 30 two weeks later. So no sneezing at this. I sneezed all the way to the bank.

Wild rice and Israeli couscous salad
3 cups chicken broth
a 4 oz box of wild rice (don't get that wild and long grain rice mix - just don't do it)
1 cup Israeli couscous
scallions, chopped
garlic, chopped
hearts of palm
bamboo shoots
water chestnuts
small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
some of the liquid from the artichokes
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a boil. Add wild rice and simmer 50-55 min. Drain, reserving liquid. Cook the couscous in the same liquid for 10 min., drain and rinse with cool water to stop cooking.

Add the other ingredients more or less to your taste.

Here's my approximate dressing:
olive oil
lemon zest
rice wine vinegar
sesame oil
garlic
red pepper flakes
SunnyD
fish sauce
salt and pepper

Put these together and taste, taste, taste until you like it. Pour it over the salad when it's time to serve.

5 comments:

tinyskillet said...

It sounds good! I have some quinoa ready to make a salad out of, I am making it this way, thanks. I have to use that jar of artichoke hearts!

Kitchen Belleicious said...

love the combo of the rice and couscous. Brings the couscous to a more heartier level!

Unknown said...

You do love your SunnyD :) Actually, I love that you keep finding uses for it.. especially with something like this. The salad sounds delicious and it's no surprise you got a gig from it!!

Chris said...

Wild rice takes forever to cook, does it not? I was planning on making couscous this weekend in a stuffed bell pepper thing I'm working on. If I have wild rice in the pantry I'll add it in too. I think I have some because it seems like I only ever use it in small quantities with other grains.

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I've just recently fallen in love with Israeli couscous and would love to try your salad. SunnyD? Interesting!

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