Curried Couscous and some thank-u's

My youngest son and I are the only ones in the house who enjoy couscous. Since that is the case, I don't make it very often. That said, I was pretty excited with this week's Barefoot Bloggers choice from Ellyn at Recipe Collector and Tester. Her choice was Curried Couscous from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. And can I just tell you, I was not disappointed! The cool thing about couscous is that it is super-quick to make! Pour over boiling water and voila!....5 minutes later you have couscous! Add your favorite flavors and you have a quick meal or side dish. Ina chose a flavor profile that I probably would not have and now that I've tried it once, I know that I'll make it again. Curried Couscous From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten slightly adapted serves 6 1 1/2 c. couscous 1 Tbs. unsalted butter I omitted this 1 1/2 c. boiling water 1/4 c. plain yogurt 1/4 c. good olive oil 1 tsp. white wine vinegar 1 tsp. curry powder 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt I used 1 tsp. Smoked Bamboo Sea Salt 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 c. grated carrots 1/2 c. minced flat leaf parsley I used cilantro 1/2 c. dried currants I used 1/4 c. raisins & 1/4 c. dried cherries 1/4 c. blanched, sliced almonds 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white & green parts) 1/4 c. small-diced red onion Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions and red onions; mix well and taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature. This was a great, simple dish that was packed full of flavor. The dried cherries that I used added a bright, tart bite and the cilantro added a brightness. I didn't find it lacking without the butter. The reason I didn't add the butter is because I never do (and I like it that way). This makes a great side dish or a wonderful "light" meal all on it's own. I do have a chicken breast marinating in some yogurt and spices that I'm going to throw on the grill (pan) for lunch and serve with this couscous. Great choice, Ellyn! Head on over to Barefoot Bloggers to see how everybody else's Curried Couscous turned out. I also want to say thank you to the lovely Mommy Gourmet of My Original Recipes for passing the One Lovely Blog Award on to me. If you don't already know her, go pay her a visit...she just shared with us how to make homemade Ricotta- YUM! I'd also like to say thank you to Rebecca of Chow and Chatter for passing this Friends award to me. If you're looking to learn about healthy eating and living...and finding some delicious recipes, head on over and pay my friend Rebecca a visit, I know you won't be disappointed! **and if you haven't yet decided to Pay it Forward and want to....click here to join in!**