Learning how to make your Steam oven work for you makes food preparation much more effortless and certainly less stressful when cooking multiple foods simultaneously. In this video, I demonstrate how to prepare an Orzo pasta salad at the same time as Broccoli, and couscous for a delicious salad. 

Quick cooking grains such as couscous and bulgur can be cooked by pouring boiling water over them, covering the pan, and leaving the grain to absorb the water or you can cook them in the steam oven using the Steam-mode.  Of course, the benefit of using your steam oven is that you can cook some vegetables at the same time for an easy delicious salad or side dish.

If your oven doesn’t have small-sized pans to cook the ½ cup of couscous, use a small Pyrex or other ovenproof casserole dishes.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup whole wheat couscous (I used the Trader Joe’s brand)

½ cup water

2 large broccoli crowns, florets, and some tender slices of the stem only

½ red onion, minced

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup toasted almonds (toasted in regular Bake mode 350 for 10 minutes)

½ cup toasted pepitas (toasted with the almonds)

Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp apple cider or golden balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION

Heat the steam oven in the steam mode at 212 degrees.

Place the couscous in a small solid pan and add ½ cup of water and a pinch of kosher salt.

Place the broccoli florets and stems in the perforated pan.

Slide the pans into the oven and set the timer for 6 minutes. Remove the broccoli and set it aside to cool before adding to the remaining salad ingredients. Leave the couscous in the oven for another 6 - 8 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large shallow bowl and prepare the dressing.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup, mix well and add a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Link: Orzo Pasta Salad Grilled Artichokes