Couscous Salad

I saw Giada make this on her show.  It looked really cool and presented such a nice looking and different side than I normally see.  We were preparing a meal for friends through the Caring Bridge program.  If you are not familiar, Caring Bridge is an organization designed to help pull people together in support of Cancer patients.

We were responsible for providing a lunch.  Our menu was grilled salmon served cold with a fat free yogurt dill sauce.  The side but the star was the Israeli couscous.  The dish gets its flavor from smoked paprika and a balsamic dressing.  I adapted the recipe using red peppers I had roasted and canned and by using aged balsamic instead of white balsamic.  I liked the color it gave the dish.

Recipe
Israeli Cous Cous (adapted from Giada):

Dressing
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Couscous
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ⅓ cups (8 ounces) couscous
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 package baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
 4 oz feta cheese
1 roasted red pepper, drained and diced
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Dressing
Add the oil, balsmic, vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper in a dressing bottle and shake until fully mixed.

Couscous
Bring a pot of water to boil.  Add the couscous.Cover and simmer until the couscous is just tender and the liquid is absorbed, 9 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mix together the spinach, tomatoes, cheese, peppers and parsley in a large bowl. Add the couscous and the dressing. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve.  Enjoy!