RECIPE: MEDITERANEAN COUS COUS SALAD

INGREDIENTS
- 4 oz of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 oz of Fresh Basil
- 1 Package of Pearled Cous Cous
- Red Onion (1/2 Each)
- English Cucumbers (1 Each)
- 1 Cup of Grape Tomatoes
- 1/2 Cup of Kalamata Olives (Pitted and halved)
- 1/2 Cup of Crumbled Feta • Lemon (1 Each)
- 1 oz of Fresh Oregano
- 1 Cup of Stancato’s Italian Dressing
- 1/2 Cup of Pinenuts
- Pinch of Salt and Pepper
DIRECTIONS
- 1. Extract color from fresh basil for 1-2 seconds in boiling water, place in food processor with Extra virgin olive oil, blend, longer the better, strain out chunks with sieve
- Boil Cous Cous for 8 minutes and cool
- In saute pan lightly toast pinenuts
- With a mandolin or slicer, slice half of cucumber into ribbons
- Dice the remaining cucumber, 1/2 of the grape tomatoes, 1/4 of a red onion, and chop 1/2 of the fresh oregano
- Mix the diced vegetables with chilled cous cous, chopped oregano, zest of lemon, and 6 oz of Stancato’s Italian dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste
- Slice remaining vegetables in half as well as Kalamata olives, for plating
- Using cookie cutters, place cylinders of pasta salad on plate, wrap with cucumber ribbons and garnish with fresh sliced vegetables, fresh oregano, toasted pinenuts and crumbled feta
- Drizzle salads with remaining 2 oz of Stancato’s Italian dressing and premade basil oil
- Optional garnish of lemon wedge