Nutty CousCous with Asparagus

Forget everything you know about grain salads- this is a complete revelation.

Do you see those nuts down there?  They aren't ordinary nuts; they are roasted nuts.  Still not convinced?  I don't blame you, but it get's better.  What if I told you that after getting them nice and toasty in the oven, their next order of business is to be ground into a very aesthetically pleasing rubble only then to be tossed with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and Israeli couscous?

I'll give you a moment.

 

Oh!  And look who decided to join the party....

I told you it was an epic salad.

Do know that I am not due all of the credit, as this was adapted from Laura Calder's recipe for Nutty Pasta.  I used couscous instead of pasta, varied the ratio of nuts, added asparagus, and omitted the orange zest. 

 

3T. raw almonds
2T. pistachios
1T. pine nuts
....
2 c. water
1.5c. Israeli couscous
....
1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch long sticks
....
1T. extra virgin olive oil
1 squirt of lemon juice (I unapologetically used a plastic lemon)
1/4c. grated parmesan

-Begin by roasting the almonds and pistachios for 7 minutes in a 325 oven.  Add the pine nuts to this and continue to roast for another 8 minutes.  When you take the nuts out of the oven, they should have the fabulous aroma of toasted nuts,  but if you have to guess, then I would toss them back in the oven for another 2 or 3 minutes, as oven temperatures can vary.

-Let cool and chop (by hand or with the aid of a food processor) until rubbly.  You are not looking for a powder here, but something along the lines of a brown, white, and green flecked confetti, if you will.

-Meanwhile, combine the water and couscous and a pinch of salt into a pan large enough to hold them and bring to a boil; reduce and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.

-Bring yet another pot (I know!) of water to boil and blanch the asparagus, removing after 2-3 minutes and submerging in cold water to cease it's cooking.  Drain and put into a large bowl.

-To the asparagus, add the olive oil, parmesan cheese, nuts, and lemon juice. 

-Drain the finished couscous and toss with the ingredients in the large bowl; check for seasoning and serve either chilled or at room temperature.

Note:  This salad makes for fabulous left overs.   I think it is because the nuts are cut so small but they didn't seem to go mushy like most nuts do while in the ice box.   After I made it, I separated the rest of it into my usual glass jars and when it came time to put together my lunch before work, I just hard boiled an egg to go on top and it was even better than the day that I made it.  Also, there is nothing in this salad that will spoil, so I ate mine at room temperature, as in I didn't put it back in to the ice box when I got to work.  It just sat happily in my lunch tote until its consumption, but if you are finicky about that sort of thing, there certainly isn't harm in eating it cold.