What's in Your Fridge Friday: Roasted Caprese Couscous

Can you believe it's already Friday again?? I can, because I literally wait for it all week long. And after one of the busiest weeks in a while, I had quite a lack of grocery items hanging around. So what's in your fridge on this fantastic Friday? Let's see what was in mine.

I always have cherry tomatoes on hand (unless there is something completely wrong with me) because they are my absolute favorite. They are always slightly sweet and juicy and they go well in everything from salad to spaghetti sauce. I also happen to have a new pot of basil that I'm nursing in my backyard and praying that the snails don't find. Growing herbs is a great way to give yourself multiple meal options as it opens up the variety of flavor profiles you can create. And a leftover tub of baby mozzarella balls gave me the idea to make a caprese salad. But seeing as I can have caprese salad anywhere, I decided to spice it up and make it a Roasted Caprese salad. Since I felt like the salad would need a little extra weight behind it to make it a meal, I added the rest of the whole wheat Israeli (or Pearl) Couscous I had in the pantry. Instant classic.

I coated the tomatoes in Olive Oil, salt, pepper, italian herbs, a little garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Then I broiled them....

And they came out like this, perfectly charred and caramelized.

I chopped up the basil and sliced the mozzarella balls in half. You don't have to halve them, but I wanted more cheese throughout the salad.

And here it is, a perfect summertime meal that took about 15 minutes to prepare. I added a few slices of grilled chicken over the top because my basketball playing husband needed some extra protein, but this would make an awesome lunch or dinner just as it is. You should probably make extra. 

Roasted Caprese Couscous Salad

Cherry Tomatoes

Basil

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese 

Israeli Couscous

1 tsp. garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Olive oil

Italian seasoning

Balsamic Vinegar

I didn't write the amounts I actually used here because its really up to you. There's no rules as to how many tomatoes or how much cheese you need. Whatever you have is perfectly fine. I'll just share the technique. 

Coat your tomatoes in oil, herbs, salt and pepper, garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Broil on High for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally until they burst and become slightly charred. Cook the couscous according to package directions and place in the fridge to cool off. In a large bowl, combine the mozzarella, basil,  and cooled couscous. When the tomatoes are done, let them cool off for a few minutes as well. Add them to the bowl and coat everything with a bit more salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Stir well and place in the fridge until ready to eat. 

Enjoy!