Israeli Couscous with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta and Lemon

  • 1 cup Israeli couscous
  • 1 jar roasted red peppers or 2 fresh red peppers (if you like to roast your own)
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

To roast your own red peppers, rub whole peppers (stems still on) with a bit of olive oil and season with salt. Place them on a sheet tray and into a 450 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the skins are black and puffed. Remove from oven and cover with tin foil to steam (this will help the skins to come off). After about 10 minutes, uncover them and let cool. The skins should peel right off and stems and seeds scrape right out. For the couscous, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook Israeli couscous just like pasta, until al-dente, then drain and transfer to a bowl. Slice roasted red peppers into thin strips and add them to the couscous. Add red wine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, almonds and about 3-4 Tbsp of olive oil. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with feta and chopped parsley to serve.