Name: Couscous Summer Pilaf
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 cup israeli couscous; 5 cup water; 1 heaping cup cucumber (quartered and thinly sliced); 1 large stalk celery (strings removed and diced); 2 null scallions (minced); 0.25 cup fresh dill (minced, or more, to taste); 11 leaves basil (thinly sliced, or more, to taste); 4 null apricots (medium firm, ripe, pitted and diced OR 3 medium firm, ripe nectarines, pitted and diced); 1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes (halved (red or yellow, or a combination)); 1 medium avocado (firm, ripe, peeled and diced); 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2.5 tbsp lemon juice (or more, to taste); null null salt (to taste); null null freshly ground pepper (to taste); null null mixed baby greens (as needed); 0.25 cup toasted pine nuts (or 0.33 cup toasted slivered almonds)

Instructions

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1

Bring water (5 cups) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the israeli couscous (1.5 cups) and cook at a rapid simmer for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water until the couscous is at room temperature.
2

In a mixing bowl, combine the couscous with the cup cucumber (1 heaping), stalk celery (1 large), scallions (2), fresh dill (0.25 cup), leaves (11 basil), apricots (4) or nectarines (3), cup cherry tomatoes (1 heaping) or grape tomatoes, avocado (1 medium), extra-virgin olive oil (3 tbsp), lemon juice (2.5 tbsp), [salt] and [freshly ground pepper]. Toss well to combine.
3

Line a large serving platter with some [mixed baby greens]. Mound the salad over them, letting some of the greens show along the edge. Sprinkle the top with the toasted pine nuts (0.25 cup) or toasted slivered almonds (0.33 cup). Serve at once or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.