Couscous Salad

We have been traveling around California, Nevada, Utah and Oregon.  We even crossed over the northeastern tip of Arizona.  We covered a lot of miles and really enjoyed ourselves.  We visited with cousins in Las Vegas and Palm Springs.  We saw a dear friend who recently moved from Las Vegas to St. George, Utah.  While in Oregon we visited with my sister and her husband.  Then we traveled to Eureka, Ca. to visit with our youngest son and his family, as well as my Mom.  Now, we are home but leaving tomorrow to pick up our teenage grandson.  He will be visiting with us for about a week.  We will see if he is up to playing in Grammy's Kitchen.

Food is always on my mind and we ate very well on this trip.  Thank you to everyone who cooked for us and suggested places for us to try. They were all wonderful and I would visit each of them again.  I came home with so many things on my mind and it has taken me time to organize my thoughts and to get something posted.  You all know I love Costco and that I like to buy their rotisserie chickens.  I wanted to make a chicken salad but I ended up making a Couscous Salad that is very yummy, with or without the chicken.  Oh, I should tell you that I also have a thing for Mangos.  Add this recipe to your collection of salads to serve your guests.  I think I may be making it for our Holiday Party this year, if I can find ripe Mangos then.  Oh, the best way to know that your Mangos are ripe is to gently squeeze them in your hand.  They should have a nice give to them and feel like a ripe Avocado, not squishy.

                                             Couscous Salad

2 cups Cooked Couscous (prepared according to instructions on package and cooled)

Dressing:

Zest from 1 Lime

Juice from 2 Limes

1 clove Garlic, chopped fine

2 fresh Serrano Peppers, with seeds removed and chopped fine

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.  Pour dressing over Couscous and toss lightly.

Add in:

2 Mangos, cut in medium size cubes

1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped fine

1/2 cup Red Onion, chopped fine

2 cups Cooked Chicken chopped in medium cubes (I use the rotisserie chicken from Costco)

Ripe Avocado, sliced for garnish on top

Toss everything together lightly and refrigerate until chilled.  This salad can be prepared a day ahead and keeps well for 2 days.  I served mine on a bed of Butter Lettuce and with a little Sour Cream Sauce as a garnish.  

Sour Cream Lime Sauce Garnish:

1/2 cup Sour Cream

Juice from 1/2 lime

2 teaspoons Milk (to thin the sauce)

Combine these ingredients and put into a plastic squeeze container with a small opened tip - like catsup or mustard containers.  Of course, you can use a spoon if you don’t happen to have a container.   

Serves 4