Couscous Salad With Grilled Vegetables

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 red onion cut into 3 inch wedges
• 2 medium sized zucchini, cut lengthwise into 4 wedges
• 3 large leeks, (white and pale green parts only) halved lengthwise and once in half
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 3 inch strips
• 10 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 4 tablespoons plus ¼ cup of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
• 2 ½ cups of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 10 ounce box of couscous
• 1 cup of pitted and halved Kalmata olives
• 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons of drained capers
• 4 tablespoons of thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Place your hand over the heat and count to 5 steamboats. If you need to pull away before reaching number 5 than the grill is too hot. Turn the heat down and leave the lid up for a few minutes until it’s the appropriate temperature.
2. Cut all of the vegetables and place on a large tray. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and ensure that everything is well coated. Season the vegetables generously with salt and pepper.
3. Oil the grill on the barbecue. Place the large vegetable wedges on the grill. Cook and char for approximately 2-4 minutes per side.
4. Place them back on the tray and let them cool.
5. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Place the dry couscous in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over top and cover in plastic wrap. Leave to sit for 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, chop the grilled vegetables up into bite sized pieces. When the couscous is ready, stir to fluff it up and mix in the vegetables.
7. Add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, olives, capers and basil and mix. Cover again with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve.

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