Caprese Couscous Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish.
• Pour boiling water over couscous in a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let couscous soak until the water is completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Slice the tops from tomatoes and take a very small slice of the bottoms so they will be stable upright. Use a spoon to remove and discard the tomato innards. Put tomatoes in the prepared baking dish.
• Bake tomatoes in the preheated oven until lightly charred at the edges, about 20 minutes.
• Line the inner walls of each tomato with 4 basil leaves.
• Toss mozzarella cheese with the couscous; stuff into tomatoes. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top of the stuffed tomatoes.

Steps:

• Whisk the lemon juice, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil to blend. Set the dressing aside.
• Cut the regular tomatoes into 1/2-inch thick slices, and the plum tomatoes into wedges. Cut the cherry, grape, and teardrop tomatoes in half. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter. Drizzle the dressing over. Sprinkle with the basil and additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Steps:

• Arrange the tomatoes, cheese and basil on a serving platter. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients; drizzle over salad. If desired, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Cut roasted red peppers into 16 large pieces. Starting at the edge of a serving platter, place a slice of tomato, a basil leaf, a slice of mozzarella cheese, a piece of roasted pepper, and another basil leaf. Continue in that pattern, forming a spiral from the outside in, until all the ingredients have been arranged; salad should end in the center of the platter. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and black olives.

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the tomato, mozzarella, shallots, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic, toss well then refrigerate, covered, to marinate for 30 minutes.
• In a saucepan bring the water to a boil and gradually stir in the couscous; remove from the stove, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes.
• With a fork, fluff the couscous then let cool.
• Add the cooled couscous and chopped basil to the tomato mixture in the bowl and toss.
• Garnish with whole basil leaves and serve.
• Note: part-skim mozzarella cheese can be substituted.