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Cous Cous Salad with Pears, Cucumber, and Celery

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Salad
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Dressing
  • 4 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 2 TBSP Lime juice plus zest of one lime
  • 1 TBSP Sesame oil
  • 2 TBSP Honey
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
  • 1/4 C loosely chopped nuts--I used pecans, but walnuts would work
  • 1 Pear, cored, and cut in quarter inch dice
  • 1 Small cucumber, cut into quarter inch dice
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into quarter inch slices
  • 1 C Pearl cous cous
  • 1/2 C Spinach
  • 1 C water

Method
 

Dressing
  1. Mince the garlic, if using. I used a garlic press, so I get the flesh of the garlic without the fibers. I
  2. Add all the ingredients to a prep bowl and mix. Adjust salt, pepper, and more honey to taste.
Salad
  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Line small cookie sheet with parchment paper (NOT waxed paper, unless you want to practice with your fire extinguisher!)
  3. add lightly chopped nuts to cookie sheet.
  4. Place in oven for five to ten minutes, tossing once. Let cool on small plate.
  5. Bring one cup of water to boil
  6. Remove water from heat and add one cup of cous cous. Cover and let sit for five minutes. While it sits, continue with the recipe. You can do this step a day ahead.
  7. Core the pear and cut in quarter inch dice. One pear is enough for two big salads.
  8. Cut enough cucumber into quarter inch dice so that you have, by volume, the same as the pears.
  9. Cut the celery into quarter-inch slices, adjusting the number of stalks so you have about the same volume as the pears.
  10. Place the pear, cucumber, celery, and spinach in salad bowl.
  11. Fluff the cous cous--assuming five minutes have passed! If the cous cous is hot, rinse under cold water in a colander. Once cool, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients and toss.
  12. Add the dressing to taste. You should have enough dressing for four salads, so if you're cooking for two, you can save this in the refrigerator for at least a week.