Pearl Couscous Salad

a perfect meal prep, BBQ side or pot luck dish for the summer

When I was fresh out of college in San Francisco there was a neighborhood grocer that used to sell this delicious, bright and addictive couscous salad in their prepared foods section. I was rarely able to get groceries without also grabbing a half pint. On an entry level salary, this was a big swing. Eventually, I became a chef and decided to recreate it. Armed with only my memories, I’ve made this apricot white balsamic couscous salad hundreds of times and dare I say I like it even more?

It’s perfect to make ahead for meal prep, as a side dish to dinner, to bring to a potluck or my favorite - to have in the fridge to snack on all week long. It’s fantastic hot, and even better cold like a classic pasta salad. We had it this week for dinner alongside a grilled steak. I made it earlier in the day and had it chilling in the fridge. When it came time for dinner, all we had to do was fire up the grill. My preferred way to feed a family during a busy week day.

You can find the recipe at the bottom of this newsletter. But first:

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What I’m Eating

I first made this two days ago for breakfast. I didn’t have my usual breakfast sandwich supplies on hand after our return from Portland and just put together what we did. Some milk bread, mayo, American cheese, scrambled eggs and sliced and salted tomatoes. I have made it every morning since. A happy, perfect accident. Go heavy on the tomato and mayo, it’s a must.

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What Alden’s Loving

We decided to take a last minute road trip to Portland to rest and relax as a family one last time before baby girl arrives. The highlight of the trip (apart from delicious food and family time) was definitely our journey to Powell’s Books. We scored so many amazing kids books I’ve never seen before - all used and more than half price - and I have to share with you. If you have young kids, I can not stress enough how big of hits these books have been. They’re adorable, funny, cheeky, and most of all extremely entertaining for mom and hold Alden’s attention even when he’s riled up. A big ask of a little book.

By far our favorites are the Chris Haughton books: Shh! We have a plan , Maybe… and Oh No, George! Honorable mention to How To Put An Octopus To Bed and Spider In The Well. Both were staff picks and boy did the staff pick right. If you’re looking for some new reading material with your young kids, these are it.

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MVPs Of Our Road Trip

Bird is historically atrocious at car rides. I find that his biggest issue is with instability. He’s a big dog and the small seat doesn’t do much in the way of supporting him through turns and stops and starts. I snagged this dog car seat on Amazon a few days before we left and wow the difference was night and day. He handled the journey like a champ! The base is sturdy and solid extending over the seat giving your pup a solid platform to rest on. We put his dog bed inside to make it extra cozy. He crawled right in, we zipped up the side and were on our way. They have ones that fill the whole back seat but I loved this option as it is designed to fit next to a car seat so your young kid & pup can share the back seat if needed. I can’t recommend enough, I’m so glad we have this now and bringing Bird along can be much less of a stressor.

Nothing makes Alden hungrier than being in a car so a road trip means non stop snacking. I knew I wanted some healthier options than things that come in a package in the snack aisle, so I wanted to pack things I prepped like sliced fruit and cheese sticks. Given that 90% of our food budget goes to berries and fruit I didn’t want to face the inevitable dropping of any and every container of fruit I passed back to Alden. I grabbed this snack tray before we left. It just pops into the existing cup holder in their car seat and man does it work like a charm. It’s simple and easy to clean. It’s flexible so it fits snugly and rotates out of the way easily. Best of all, it’s only $7. Unexpected bonus: it ended up eliminating a ton of crumbs that usually collect below and in his seat.

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Below this paywall you’ll find my recipe for Pearl Couscous Salad. If you choose to be a paid subscriber to access, I thank you! Developing recipes (well) takes time and can be quite costly in ingredients. If you upgrade to a paid subscription, you will receive new recipes 2x per month (minimally).