Israeli Couscous

I found a recipe for herbed couscous but I modified it so heavily that I thought I'd share my modified version, partly to be generous and partly so I can remember it!

The original called for fresh parsley, which I didn't have, but I do have some kale bravely growing out in the leftovers of last year's garden, despite the freezing night temps we've had for most of March.  

My family likes the Israeli couscous (the little balls) better than the other tiny crumbly kind... toasting it in the olive oil first gives it a little tooth that I really like.  If you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the cheese, it's vegan and still really flavorful.  Personally I'm doing a pescetarian kind of thing and it went great with the lemon pepper tilapia I made tonight.

Israeli Couscous with Kale

2 Tablespoons of olive oil 
2 cups Israeli couscous (I used the tricolor)
1/2 clove garlic
1/3 cup of fresh kale, chopped fine
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 Tb. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired.

Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the couscous, toss to coat.  Add the garlic, cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until toasty.  Toss in the kale and stir until it's just a little wilty.

Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for around 10 minutes.  Before all the liquid is absorbed add the lemon juice, herbs, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle on a little bit of Parmesan cheese right before serving... I thought it was missing something so I added it as an afterthought and it was marvelous.

I halved this recipe, ate more of this than I should have and still had leftovers, so unless you have a family of more than 4, or you like leftovers, you might consider halving it too.