Crisco Pure Olive Oil in Israeli Couscous with Cremini Mushrooms

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was chosen to receive three Crisco olive oils for which I was asked to use to use one of them to prepare one of my favorite recipes.  Easy enough!  I was delighted to receive the box of oils - it felt like Christmas. :)

In the box, there were three different olive oils: Light Tasting, Pure, and Extra Virgin. The Light Tasting oil is extra mild in flavor. It is great as an everyday cooking oil for frying, cooking, stir-frying, and baked goods. The Pure olive oil is described as having a mild and smooth flavor and is great for sauteing, grilling, roasting, and marinades. The Extra Virgin olive oil has a bold and fruity flavor and is good for dipping, drizzling, dressings, and sauces.

To be able to really taste the flavor of the olive oil, I chose a relatively simple recipe that I make on occasion. It is simple, but delicious.

Israeli Couscous with Cremini Mushrooms
Ingredients

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 cup Israeli couscous (regular couscous will not work)
• 4T Crisco Pure olive oil
• 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 hot pepper, minced
• 2T fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• Salt to taste (I used a couple different kinds)

How to make it:
I started off by boiling the water in a small saucepan. In the meantime, I heated a saute pan to medium-low heat and added 2T Crisco Pure olive oil.

Once it was fully heated, I added the mushrooms and let them saute for a few minutes.

As soon as the water began boiling in the saucepan, I added the couscous, brought it to a boil again, then removed it from the heat and covered it with a lid. I let the couscous sit for 10-12 minutes covered.

Dry Israeli Couscous

After I let the mushrooms saute for about 3 minutes, I added the hot pepper and wild porcini sea salt as well as a pinch of truffle salt. The mushrooms began releasing their juices so I let them cook for another 5 minutes or so before adding the fresh herbs. I then added the fresh parsley and thyme. I let it all cook for another 4 minutes or so (12 minutes total) until all the juices had cooked off.

I uncovered the couscous and added 2T of Crisco Pure olive oil to it. As you can see the Israeli couscous is much larger than regular couscous and has so much more flavor too!

Then, I added the couscous to the mushroom mixture and cooked it together for just a couple of minutes.  That's it!

When I tasted it, it tasted great!  The Crisco Pure olive oil had a more pronounced taste than the olive oil I typically use and I really enjoyed it mixed with the mushrooms and couscous. It really helped bring out the flavors.  I might just be a Crisco fan now!

Disclosure: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received 3 bottles of Crisco olive oil.