Couscous Salad

                                    

Isn’t it bad enough you have to come up with a dinner recipe every single day, does anybody really think about what’s for lunch? I confess a lot of the time my lunch consists out of peanut butter on toast, or something else on toast, not much variety going on. So, recently I have been looking for some healthier ideas that are quick and easy to prepare.

Since summer is almost here, we shift to lighter eating like salads. Not just the usual green salad that is mostly lettuce leaves. I want some variety there too, so this couscous salad sounded like something I would eat. I have found adding certain fruits to salad brings more flavour to the dish. I also struggle to get in my daily fruit allowance, so this is a win-win way for a light and healthy lunch. You can either make it for yourself or increase the ingredients for more people.

To make for two, you will need:

•      2 Peaches
•      30 ml of mixed seeds
•      About 56g feta cheese (2 wedges)
•     100 g of couscous

Method: couscous with feta and peach salad

First, take your peaches and peel off the skin. Some people can be allergic to the tiny hairs found on the skin. Cut the peach in half and remove the stone, then chop the peach into bite-size pieces or bigger pieces if you prefer.

While you are doing this, make sure you have put the oven on to 180°C. Place the peaches, the seeds, and the feta onto a roasting tray and drizzle over a little olive oil. Place the tray into the oven and allow it to cook for about 12 minutes.

Take your couscous and follow the instructions on the packet to cook. You only require boiling water to cook the couscous. Place the couscous into a bowl, add a little drizzle of olive oil, and cover with boiling water. You can use a 1:11/2 ratio, for example, for 60 ml of couscous you will need 90 ml of water.

Cover your bowl with a paper towel or plate and leave the couscous to stand for about 15 minutes. If it is cooked properly, it will be nice and fluffy. You can add some salt and pepper and maybe a squeeze of lemon if you have any. Made too much couscous, no worries, you can store it in the fridge for about 4 days.

Toss in the roasted peaches, feta, and seeds into your cooked couscous and serve. Of course, you can use this salad as a side dish for the main meal as well. You can also purchase couscous that comes in a variety of flavours from the store. You can also try a variety of added ingredients instead of the above. Think beetroot, avocado, peppers, pumpkin, cucumber, tomatoes, and the list can go on.

Couscous is high in fibre and protein and low in fats, even though it is high in carbohydrates it does have fewer calories than rice. Unfortunately, it does contain gluten but eaten in moderation, it can be a great addition to most diets.