Israeli Couscous (Salad)

A unique Mediterranean toasted pasta. Found several cold serving recipes that will make this food product a great picnic item to share with the girls at the beach. I love this pasta served hot with sauteed onions, chopped parsley and spices so shifting the experience to cold might not be such a stretch.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked couscous
1 tablespoon butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup canned chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup creamy salad dressing
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place 1 teaspoon butter in a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup couscous and stir until coated in butter. Add 1 cup water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all water is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, set aside to cool.

In a salad bowl, combine the couscous, red onion, bell pepper, parsley, raisins, almonds and chick peas. Stir and mix well. Whisk together the salad dressing, yogurt, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over salad; stir until well blended, chill and serve.

Recipe Location: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/978/Couscous-Salad115332.shtml