Oh my goodness, can you say YUMMY??? This is delicious and not too hard to put together. The only things I needed to run to the store for were: avocado and arugula. There are lots of textures and sweet and salty tastes with a pop of lemon, crunchy and chewy. It has it all!! Shara, a friend of mine from Seattle shared this after reading that I am new to the couscous world. She subs out the quinoa with Israeli Couscous (found in Trader Joes) . For my first try with this recipe, I stayed with the quinoa since it is gluten free and Couscous is not. My husband (Mr. meat and potatoes) ate every bite and said, Dandy…. That’s the word I’m looking for from him… If he says it’s ok..it’s not ok and he’s not eating this again. You’ve all been there, right? Shara had a couple of tweaks of her own and I’ll include those, plus any tweaks I made and why. Shara, layers hers and I mixed mine all together. ( as per recipe instructions) I used this as my entre and Fred had his as a side with roasted chicken. Don’t miss out on this wonderful blend that is colorful, satisfying and so good.
Dressing:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 minced clove of garlic (Shara roasts her garlic, I did not)
juice of 1 medium lemon (I zested my lemon and added some of that to the salad)
2 tsp. maple syrup ( or you can use honey )
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (Shara recommended this and I took her advice. I wouldn’t leave it out!!)
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp chopped chives (I have fresh chives in a hanging pot. It is so much fun to run out and grab something you need for a recipe right in your own backyard. I used to be able to do that with lemons while in Arizona š )
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
SALAD:
1 cup cooked quinoa (1 cup water, 1/2 c. quinoa, simmer for 12 minutes, cover and set aside till water is absorbed)
1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
a few big handfuls of Arugula (I love this lettuce… has a pepper kick that is just right!!)
1/2 of the zest from the lemon
1/4 c. diced dried apricots ( I used cranraisins because my husband doesn’t care for apricots and I didn’t have any on hand)
1 small avocado, cubed ( believe it or not, my grocery was out of avocadoes so I substituted mild guacamole. I will continue to use the guac. It was easy and so good and I loved how it blended into the salad so every bite was perfect!!)
ON TOP:
1/4 c. chopped toasted almonds
1/4 c. chopped chives
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
One addition: lightly cooked or roasted asparagus
I threw all salad items into a large bowl and Drizzled 3/4 of the dressing and tossed thoroughly. Added the toppings and drizzled the remaining dressing.
