Berry and Avocado Couscous with Lime Vinaigrette

~Jackie~

Steve and I were up in the mountains the other weekend trying to decide what to have for dinner and of course I’m on Pinterest and am intrigued by a picture of cous cous, I spend more time looking at pictures of food rather than people haha. Our idea was to make some grilled salmon as our main dish (nothing is better than eating some fresh fish hot off the grill, enjoying the cool breeze of the mountain air, and listening to the mountain stream go by… ahhh) and have cous cous as our delicious side dish. I knew the recipe I found would be a hit with Steve because he really likes Israeli cous cous (as opposed to the smaller, regular version) and he LOVES limes (the tangy vinaigrette is made from fresh lime juice, lime zest, and apple cider vinegar). This dish turned out to so incredibly good that we ended up eating it for dinner the following night and again a week later with some grilled pork loin! #sidedishwin 

I always love doing a little research on the foods I’m eating just to learn a little bit about them. I obviously didn’t have to do much to figure out the Israeli couscous comes from Israel, but it was interesting to learn that it is only called Israeli couscous outside of Israel; in Israel they call it Ptitim and have been since the 1950’s. Couscous is such a great universal ingredient to keep stocked in your pantry because it can be used in many different dishes, hot or cold, and it is quick cooking. I think Steve likes this particular kind of couscous because it is similar to Kraft mac-n-cheese shapes, I mean who doesn’t love those. It is a small pasta, not rice, that’s shaped into little balls creating a great texture and mouth-feel. However, this recipe does not include a dried fake cheese sauce packet, but I made up for that with great fresh flavors. WIN. 

To make this dish you only need about 15 minutes; the couscous cooks up quickly in boiling water in just 8-10 minutes and in the meantime you can prepare your dressing and prep the other ingredients. To make the dressing; whisk together oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, a dash of sugar, and some salt and pepper. So easy. Then chop up the avocado, strawberries, red pepper, red onion, and cilantro. The first time I made this I used fresh corn on the cob and grilled it, but you can always use defrosted frozen corn. Additional delicious ingredients to add are pine nuts and blueberries. Once the couscous is cooked and slightly cooled, mix in the dressing and all other ingredients and serve warm or store it in fridge for a few hours to cool. Either way it’s delish. 

I like to serve this as a side dish to grilled fish or meat, but it can also be served as a main dish with some fresh grilled shrimp or chicken mixed in. It is a great dish to bring to a summer BBQ or pool party because it does not contain any dairy and can be served warm or chilled. The unique combination of sweet berries, creamy avocado, tangy lime, and pop of corn is so addictive you will be making this every week too once you try it! Enjoy!