Guest Post: Little Bit of Thyme: Cous Cous Salad

I started Group Training with some of the mums from school.  Help me.  The only thing that is remotely okay about this is that since it starts at 6am, and my kids are generally awake by 5am I am the only one from the group who doesn't feel betrayed by being up at that hour.  In preparation for our first session our trainer sent us this completely irrelevant really helpful and inspiring list to stick on our fridge. Here's a look:

Don't you love the way personal trainers are even emphatic in print?

Let me say that I love that the YES! list includes coffee and dark chocolate.  However, I am here to tell you that no NO! list that includes pasta, bread and cereal is ever gaining any traction with me.  If I removed carbs from my diet would literally cease to be. (Okay, you're right, not literally, figuratively alright? Figuratively!)  And yoghurt?  Yoghurt!  Sorry, but in my book yoghurt is a downright health food - the breakfast I have when I am on a health kick. For realz.  So yeah, the only place this list is being published by me is here, as a source of ridicule, because I'm happy to be up and at em and powering through some 'Burpees' (what the hell?) at 6am, but there's no way I am giving up half of my food pyramid.  Just no way.

So forgive me if it seems a little disingenuous to be sharing this gorgeous, healthy and delicious looking salad with you.  Consider it an act of good will.  Because those of you who know me know that I am way (WAY!) more likely to be found baking chocolate chip cookies than making cous cous salad. Never the less, a girl can dream of one day eating like a grown up, can't she?

And in that spirit here is a beautiful and apparently very easy cous cous salad recipe from  Tash at Little Bit of Thyme. 

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Guest Post:Little Bit of Thyme: Cous Cous Salad 

Cous Cous Salad Photos by Little Bit Of Thyme

Couscous Salad (serves 6)

Ingredients:

250gr pearl couscous (Israeli couscous)

1 small brown onion chopped finely

2 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp olive oil (and extra for dressing)

3 large tomatoes cut into segments

1 lebanese cucumber halved, deseeded and cut into slices

100 gr feta cheese

handful of pistachios (unsalted and peeled)

handful of pitted and chopped dates

handful of dried cranberries

handful of fresh coriander washed and chopped roughly

one lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onions.  Cook onions until transparent.

2. Add the couscous and cook until the couscous gets a little colour and is coated with the oil.

3. Add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper (watch the salt, as the stock often has quite a lot in it) stir and then cover. Stir occasionally.  It should take about ten minutes to cook. Fluff the couscous and pour into a large bowl for serving.

4. When the couscous is cooled, add the rest of the ingredients and fold in gently.

5. Squeeze one lemon over the salad, season again if it needs it. Pour about three tablespoons of olive oil all over the salad and mix again.

6. Ready for eating!  

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What do you think? Will you give this one a try? If you do let me and Tash know in the comments.  I'll be in the kitchen licking the spoon.

Listen to: I Like Eating Salad Dr Steve & Fidget

Images of Salad via Little Bit of Thyme
Graphic via One Small Life