Couscous Salad

Birthday and Mother's Day were all wrapped up into one for me this year. Donuts for breakfast. Kisses, love and lots of birthday wishes from Aubrey.

Flowers (and some honey-do's checked off the list from Wayne).

A picture from Tyler.

And we cooked for Ted and Sue in the evening for Mother's Day. Middle Eastern steak and chicken kabobs with peppers and onions (using this recipe to marinate it all...overnight), roasted green beans and strawberry cream cheese pie for dessert.

And, a favorite Couscous Salad. This is a tried and true favorite. In fact, I made it again last night as a side with our cookout foods.

Couscous with Marinated Artichoke Hearts

1 3/4 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup minced green onions
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill (1 t dried)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts *
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1. Place couscous in large bowl; cover with 2 cups boiling water. Stir; let stand 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir in oil, salt and pepper.

2. Stir in artichoke hearts, green onions, parsley, dill, lemon juice and garlic. Transfer to serving bowl. Cover. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (Salad can be made to this point up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving). Just before serving, sprinkle with walnuts and cheese.

* To toast walnuts, spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

16 (1/2 cup) servings