Coconut Couscous Salad
Recipe adapted from 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes
(Makes 4 large servings)

Salad
2 cups precooked couscous
1 cup mandarin orange segments (fresh or canned)
1 small bunch fresh chives
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper
shredded mint leaves, to garnish

Dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice
½ tsp finely grated orange zest (skip this if too hard)
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Cook the couscous according the the instructions on the packet. Then remove from heat and put in a bowl and let it cool. Be sure to stir or “fluff” the couscous frequently so it doesn't get mushy (I use a fork for this).

Slice the the mandarin oranges so you only get rid of any pulp or skin, and place into a small bowl. Using scissors (or a sharp knife) snip the chives into small pieces (1cm long) over oranges into bowl.

When the couscous is cool, mix in the oranges, chives, coconut and cinnamon.

To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together and season. Pour over the couscous mix until thoroughly combined. Cover and let chill for one hour to let the flavors develop, then serve the salad, garnished with the shredded mint leaves.

Calories: 330; Sugars: 18g; Protein: 7g; Fat: 7g;  Carbohydrates: 63g; Saturates: 3g

Variation: the original recipe used dried apricots instead of mandarin oranges. Before they added the chives to them, they cut them into small strips.