Fresh Plate Project: Mediterranean Week

A good friend of mine Colleen and her friend started this really cool blog called Fresh Plate Project.  They also have a facebook group.  It's closed but you can ask to join.  So far, everyone has posted some really great recipe ideas.  The way it works is that every week there's a theme and everyone shares their culinary endeavors or recipes they want to try.  So far the group has 28 people!  No more need to feel uninspired in the kitchen.

So, because work is not insane and I actually had time, I went to the grocery store and cooked tonight!  Past times that I've cooked I've been staffed on something crazy almost immediately afterward so I've avoided cooking for a little while (no joke).  Anyway, without further ado:

The recipe I wanted to do was Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Shrimp.  HOWEVER, Food Emporium had other plans.  The shrimp in the case look sketch-y, there weren't any English cucumbers (yes, there's a difference—apparently), the only pita/ pita chip-like item was onion and I'm pretty sure it had high fructose corn syrup!, and after all that, didn't quite seem worth it, right?  SO.  I made my own salad inspired by the Real Simple recipe linked above.

Meaghan's Mediterranean Inspired Salad

Ingredients:

- 1 15.5oz can of chickpeas rinsed (or 1/2 cup dry chickpeas, soaked and cooked)

- 1 container grape tomatoes halved or quartered depending on size (I love heirloom ones)

- 1/2 jar of pitted kalamata olives (coarsely chopped)

- 2 bunches of basil

- 1/4 medium yellow onion

- 1/2 cucumber (chopped)

- Couscous (any ol' box/ container will do)

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

- Romaine lettuce

- Feta Cheese

- Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Start the couscous cooking on the stove following the box/ jar directions.
2.  Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, kalamata olives and basil in a medium bowl with the olive oil and red wine vinegar.
3.  Mix it up! and add salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Place lettuce on plate and then dish out the goodness.  I placed about half a cup of the couscous on one side (I used pinenut couscous by Near East) and then the salad on the other.  I spooned some remaining liquid from the bottom of the bowl over the couscous and salad.  Top with crumbled feta cheese or sliced pressed feta cheese.  Voilà!!