Cuckoo for Couscous

Wow your friends and lover with this easy, colorful and scrumptious summer lemon-basil couscous dish. It can be served warm, but preferably chilled in this smokin' hot weather!

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
"Brittany Blend" green bean and carrot mix (fresh-frozen)
1 jar oven-roasted tomatoes (or roast Campari tomatoes yourself at 400 degrees for about 20-25 mins)
1 cup grilled artichoke hearts (you can do these on an indoor grill as well)
Zest of one lemon, juice of two lemons
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Ricotta salata cheese (a very salty block of Italian cheese - almost like Feta, but much more dry)
1 7-ounce box of brown rice or whole wheat couscous, cooked.
Fresh basil

Method:

Into your frying pan, add your chopped shallot and garlic, then sauté. Don't burn it, though. Remove from the burner and set aside.

Add the green bean and carrot mix into the pan and season with salt and pepper. You may add some more spice (e.g. red pepper flakes) if you like it hot.

In a bowl, add your warm or chilled couscous, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Be sure to season the couscous with salt and pepper.

Incorporate the green bean-olive oil-shallot concoction into the couscous-tomato-artichoke mixture. Stir well.

Taste it to see what it needs, then sprinkle some basil and ricotta salata over the top for a final touch.

Serve chilled on a nice platter. Makes a perfect light lunch or dinner!

For more information, visit www.hollypinafore.org .