CousCous Salad - Tasty Tuesday!

Memorial Day is next Monday, and I can't wait.  Around here, that always have plenty of food and family and friends - and of course, fun.  My focus right now is on the food.  While I have some favorites that I know we'll pull out, Mister Man's bacon cheddar stuffed burgers for example, I always like to try to find something new and different just for fun.

As I scrolled mentally through the possibilities, I decided I wanted to do something with tomatoes and avocadoes, but I didn’t want to do a straight avocado salad. I’ve done that before As I strolled through the grocery store picking up ingredients – tomatoes, avocado, onions, garlic, and the like, I decided I wanted to make it with couscous, not the least of which because I have a huge bag of couscous at home and hadn’t used it in awhile.

It was a good call. I got creative with the ingredients and the cooking, and oh did the salad turn out delicious. It’s literally making my mouth water just looking at it. When I make it on Monday for our Memorial Day barbecue, I’ll add a little queso fresco to it (which I left out so dairy free Little Miss could eat it), but aside from that I am satisfied with attempt one. So what are you making for Memorial Day?

CousCous Salad

Ingredients:
1 c couscous (I used the Israeli pearl couscous, but feel free to use what you have)
1 1/2 c chicken stock (or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian/vegan)
1/2 c chopped onion
2 T olive oil
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (please don't use the nasty bottled stuff)
2 T dried parsley (or 1/4 c fresh, chopped)
2 t salt
2 avocadoes
2 limes, juiced
1 t sugar or honey
1 c corn kernals (frozen or fresh and roasted)
1/2 c queso fresco

Directions:
Heat the stock to the point of steaming but not boiling in a saucepan.  While this is heating, add the olive oil to a different hot pan - not a nonstick one, but a good cast iron or heavy aluminum one.  Once it starts to shimmer, add the onion and let it cook for a couple minutes while you chop your tomatoes.  Add the tomatoes and then chop the garlic and add it.  Add the couscous, as well, and stir for a couple minutes while it toasts.

Pour the hot stock atop the couscous.  Add the salt and parsley (only if you're doing dried - if you're using fresh, add it at the very end when you add the lime juice),  and cover the pot to simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes.

While the mixture is simmering, cut the avocado into cubes and crumble the queso fresco.  Once the couscous is cooked, stir in the corn and lime juice (and parsley if you're using fresh), along with the sugar.  Once this is mixed, add the avocado and gently mix it.  Sprinkle the queso fresco atop the salad and serve while still warm or chill and serve the next day.  This will keep for just a day or so because of the avocado, but I doubt it will last that long!

Enjoy this and more with Blessed With Grace and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Also posting now with A Southern Fairytale and her Mouthwatering Monday.