High Protein Israeli Couscous Salad with Asparagus and Cherry tomatoes

Israeli couscous is actually a type of toasted pasta, and can be used in different ways, besides the most obvious one, which is to serve it as a starchy side dish. In the following recipe, I’ve used it as a base for a high protein colorful salad. The protein in the salad comes from the mix of tofu, chickpeas and Lupini beans. This combination of legumes and grain is highly nutritious, yet fairly light, compared to other proteins.

Pan Fried Turkey Cutlets with Israeli Couscous-Lentil Salad and Roasted Okra

The following dishes can be made and served on their own, or, as I have done here, served together as a quick summer dinner.

Chicken Liver with Balsamic Vinegar and Date Syrup, with Israeli Couscous

Chicken livers, much like other offal, are not very popular cooking ingredients these days – most probably because they require some preparations before using. It is a shame, as chicken livers are highly nutritious, with high content of heme iron, folate, B and A vitamins.

Israeli Couscous with Mushrooms

Israeli couscous is actually a type of toasted pasta, but the best way to cook it is to treat it like rice, with measured amount of water. This way of cooking will result al-dente and separated grains.

Chicken Thighs with Israeli Couscous and Peppers

This “all in one pot” colorful and tasty dish is easy to prepare and great to have on a cold winter’s day. It’s hearty, warm and satisfying, yet not too heavy.

I’ve used colorful Israeli couscous, but any type will do. Just don’t be tempted to switch the Israeli couscous with similar shaped pasta, as regular pasta will not be fully cooked with this small amount of liquids, nor will it keep its shape the way the Israeli couscous does.

Scallops with lemony cream sauce + Israeli couscous salad

When I found these beautiful fresh wild scallops at the store, I quickly grabbed a few.