Garden Couscous Salad

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 2/3 cups boiling water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup whole pitted ripe olives (i use small)
• 1/2 cup snow peas, diagonally halved and ends removed (i do this in a v shape)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, strips (about 1 and 1/2 inches long)
• 1/2 cup small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup carrot, thinly sliced (adds to presentation if you use a patterned slicer for these)
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (i've always used rice vinegar as i've never found one labeled rice wine vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon gingerroot, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon bottled red pepper flakes

Recipe

• 1 salad: stir couscous into boiling water in saucepan.
• 2 add 1 tablespoons olive oil.
• 3 cover and remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes.
• 4 uncover and fluff with a fork. let cool while preparing other ingredients.
• 5 combine couscous with olives and prepared vegetables in salad bowl.
• 6 add dressing when about ready to serve.
• 7 dressing: combine orange peel and juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, red pepper and olive oil in a jar. (can add 1/4 tsp salt if desired).
• 8 pour over couscous salad and toss to mix.