Recipe: Israeli Couscous Salad

Recipe: Israeli Couscous Salad
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Salad:
1 Cup Israeli couscous
1/2 Cup golden raisins
1/2 Cup toasted pecans
2 scallions, minced

Dressing:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs. champagne vinegar
zest of a small orange
juice of one small juicing orange
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried thyme (I used one small sprig fresh)
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

The ingredient list
Israeli (pearl) couscous is made of hard wheat rather than semolina. It is similar to pasta.
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet until they become fragrant. Remove from heat, let cool and coarsely chop.
Zest the orange
Boil the couscous for about eight minutes.
Drain and set aside to cool.
Squeeze the juice from the orange, then whisk together all dressing ingredients.
Gather together the pecans, raisins, scallions and dressing.
Blend all ingredients into couscous and enjoy!
This recipe is good warm or chilled. Turn it into a Thanksgiving side by substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.