Toasted Couscous Or Orzo Salad With Grilled Summer Vegetables Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• 2. Transfer the orzo to a large mixing bowl, remove the lemon zest and let cool about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, if using, feta cheese, parsley, capers, dill and lemon juice. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, garlic and mustard with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the olive oil slowly while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
• To marinate the vegetables, combine the vegetables in a shallow dish and pour half the vinaigrette over the veggies and toss. Let them marinate 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Next, either grill or roast the vegetables. If you want to grill on a charcoal or gas grill, place the veggies on the grill or preferably on a grill screen and cook until cooked through and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. They should be tender but not soft. Remove the vegetables as they are cooked - they will cook at different rates. To roast the vegetables, spread all the vegetables except the tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F oven for 40 minutes. Add the tomatoes in the last 15 minutes of roasting time.
• Let the vegetables cool.
• Cut the vegetables into smaller pieces. Cut zucchini and squash into 1/2 inch pieces. Quarter the tomatoes (if the skin peels off, discard it) and cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Cut peppers and onions into 1-inch pieces.
• While the veggies are cooling, put the broth in saucepan and bring just to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to keep broth warm.
• In a saute pan or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and stir often until toasted to golden brown.
• Add enough stock to cover the couscous by one inch.
• Bring to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes until al dente.
• Drain couscous and let cool to room temperature.
• Add the vegetables, basil, thyme, and parsley to the cooled couscous. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the mixture and toss. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Add the dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 cup of the olive oil to a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add all the prepped vegetables. Toss the vegetables to coat them in the marinade.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is heated, add the vegetables in batches, being sure to keep them in a single layer and not to overcrowd the pan. Grill until the vegetables have nice char marks and are beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the vegetables and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a rimmed baking sheet. Keep grilling until all the vegetables are cooked. Cool slightly, then cut the vegetables into small bite size pieces. Save any leftover marinade to build the dressing for the salad.
• To the serving bowl with the leftover marinade from the vegetables, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Whisk to combine. Add the cooked orzo and the chopped grilled vegetables and toss to combine. Add the feta, parsley and dill and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately or keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the couscous and toast until golden brown. Add 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Set aside.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat. Toss the zucchini and peppers with the vegetable oil and some salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables, flipping occasionally, until just tender and lightly charred, about 20 minutes. Remove from the grill and, when cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces. Mix the grilled vegetables together with the couscous.
• In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Toss the lemon vinaigrette, feta and mint with the couscous salad. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 the marinade over the vegetables and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Preheat the grill. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and grill the vegetables until just cooked through. Cut the zucchini and peppers into 1/2-inch pieces, cut the tomatoes in half. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the couscous and toast until lightly golden brown. Cover the couscous with the hot stock and hot water and bring to a boil, cook until al dente and drain well. Place in a large serving bowl, add the grilled vegetables and herbs and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Place the couscous in a bowl with the cold water. This will start to soften the couscous and you will see the water disappear as its soaks in. While the couscous is softening, we need to blacken the peppers. I do this by placing the peppers directly on the naked flame of my gas burner. If you don't have gas, then blacken under the grill. Both ways you need to blacken the peppers on all sides, so turn when need be. When fully blackened, place in a sandwich bag, wrap in plastic wrap or cover in a bowl for 5 minutes until cool. This will steam the skins and make peeling and deseeding easier. Remove the skins and seeds and roughly chop. On a very hot ridged grill pan, lightly char the asparagus and patty pans on both sides then toss them into the bowl of couscous with the peppers, spring onions, chilies and torn or chopped herbs. Mix well. Add the olive oil and lemon juice dressing and toss well. Finally, taste and season with salt and pepper and a couple of dribbles of red wine vinegar for a slight twang. It's a beautiful thing.
• Mix together all the ingredients