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What's for Dinner: Whole Wheat M'Hamsa Couscous Salad
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Whole Wheat M'Hamsa Couscous Salad
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Couscous is a great alternative to pasta because it cooks so quickly. This recipe was inspired by a dish I saw on the menu at Le Pain Quotidien, a bakery/restaurant in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood. It's made with M'hamsa couscous, a hand-rolled sun-dried couscous from Tunisia that has an especially toasty flavor. (You could, however, substitute any brand.)
I like delicata squash because its skin is edible, but this dish would be just as terrific made with roasted butternut squash.
- 1 delicata squash
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups water or broth
- 1 cup M'hamsa couscous
- 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh parsley, minced
- 1/3 cup minced fresh mint leaves
- Juice 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Feta cheese for garnish (about 1/3 cup)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
With a sharp knife, cut delicata in half lengthwise. (Don't worry about peeling; the skin is edible.) Scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into 1/2-inch segments, creating moon-shaped pieces that have slight bumps around the curve.
Arrange pieces in a single layer in a metal baking pan and coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Salt gently. Place in oven and roast 10 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the squash in the pan so that the light sides are now touching the pan and the brown sides are facing up.
Continue roasting, turning every 7 to 10 minutes until both sides of the squash pieces are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring water or broth to a boil over high heat. Add couscous, stir, cover and return to boil. Turn off heat and let the couscous rest for 7 to 10 minutes, then fluff with fork.
Toss couscous with remaining olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions and parsley and mint. Add lemon juice and roasted squash, and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and top with feta.
Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish, or 5 to 6 as a side dish.
First Published November 28, 2012 12:00 am
