Aaaaaand we're back

After a brief hiatus brought about by, you know, a wedding and a honeymoon (no big deal, right?), we are BACK! We almost have all of B's stuff into my condo, and every day it looks more like a home and less like a Stephen King novel come to life. Yay, marriage!

But anyway, we're back. It took a week, but we finally have the kitchen organized enough to actually cook. And since this is my first meal I've cooked as a WIFE (oh, how I love saying that!), I wanted it to be good. I wanted to cook something that I've really been wanting to make a while.

You know how sometimes you go to restaurants and you think, "This is why I pay you for my food - because I could NEVER make this." I do that frequently with gnocci - ever since studying abroad in Italy I've been in love with it, but the stuff you buy in the grocery store? Not terrific. Then there are those times you go to restaurants and think, "This is really good - but I bet I could make this."

B and I wound up with a coupon for a free meal to a new restaurant in town, Babaziki. So we went, and as one of my side dishes I ordered the tabbouleh. I have no idea how I managed to make it to the age of 30 without eating this stuff before, but HOLY COW. I fell in love. It was ridiculously flavorful, light, and so incredibly satisfying. We went back, and I got it again. And as I ate it the second time, I started thinking, "I can TOTALLY make this."

Hence tonight's menu. Personally, I don't think it's as good as Babaziki's, but for a homemade version you really can't beat it. It's easy and very healthy (and we need that, after all we ate on our honeymoon!). Give it a try at home, and Greenvillians, go test it against the real version and see which you like best!

Glad to be back, sweet readers - look forward to many more food posts featuring some of our newest kitchen gadgets we received as wedding presents. Check out our new flatware in this pictures!

Copycat Babaziki Couscous Tabbouleh

Ingredients:
1 cup couscous (we used the whole wheat kind from Trader Joe's)
1 cup fresh tomato, diced (about one large tomato)
1 mini Persian cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
zest and juice from 1 lemon
zest and juice from 1/5 limes
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook couscous according to package directions. Mix with all of the ingredients, and adjust to taste. Enjoy!