Palestinian Maftoul (Couscous) Salad

Adapted from Laila Yasin, serves 4-5

Date made: 3/16/2011

1/2 lb maftoul

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 c raisins

1 green onion, diced*

1 bunch parsley, diced*

1 tsp Za'atar

juice of half lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan bring 2 cups of water and dash of salt to boil.
Meanwhile, saute maftoul in 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  When water has begun to boil, add maftoul to water, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.

Fluff with a fork and transfer to a tray to cool.

Add a 1/2 cup of water to raisin and simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain and let cool.

Add maftoul, 1/4 c olive oil, raisins, parsley, onions, and lemon juice to a serving bowl and mix well.  Add Za'atar, salt, and pepper, to taste.

So the majority of this dish isn't really local, but I've been meaning to make it ever since I got back from Israel/Palestine and Canaan Fair Trade.  I really love this salad; it's really fresh and healthy, and I feel that it tastes so much better after experiencing the culture and the land from which it originated.

I didn't have all the ingredients that the original recipe from Laila called for, so in addition to the above, you can add a 1/2 onion (diced and sauteed) and one diced cayenne or chili pepper, if so desired.

I brought the salad to a party with some co-workers, and it was all gone by the end of the night.  Although there were far more people present than the recipe yield, I'd like to think that it's still pretty good.

Turnips with Swiss Chard

Adapted from cdkitchen, serves 2-4
Date made: 3/15/2011

3 turnips, halved and sliced*
1 bunch swiss chard, roughly chopped*
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
lemon zest of one lemon
juice of half of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic until it starts to brown.  Remove garlic and set aside.
Add turnips and saute until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
Raise heat to medium-high and add garlic, swiss chard, and lemon zest and saute for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat off and cover skillet.  Allow to steam for about 5 minutes.
Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.


So it's been about a month since I posted my last recipe.  It's been busy, starting the new job with AmeriCorps and everything.  February/early March was a really bad month for cooking with PSO and then Mardi Gras I ate out a lot more than I should have.  Now that the new job is starting to set in and my bank account balance is starting to decline, I'm going to get better at cooking in and trying new recipes!

On Saturday, I did make a variation of Collard Greens and Turnips using kale and beet greens instead.  Jason said it turned out pretty tasty, and I thought it was a good use of the produce, so I think I'm going to continue to revert to this recipe for an easy meal when I'm short on time and don't feel like cooking.