Life is about adventures. Of course, the day-to-day tasks and careers and so on, always get in the way. So I guess, it’s the weekends that are really about adventures.
This last Saturday, we traveled north up to the Santa Ynez Valley for wine tasting in the most adorable little town of Los Olivos. It was our second time there in about a year and I would go back in a heartbeat. As short-lived as a day of wine tasting was, we did our best to extend our weekend away with a couple of stops on our 3-hour excursion back home. First to get split pea soup at the famous Pea Soup Andersen’s, then to catch the views driving down the 101. Finally we made our way to Somis Nut House in Moorpark. The nut house is much more than a nut house – it’s a heaven for a both sweet tooths and health nuts alike. I ended up with a pound of dried currants, among other things, and spent the rest of the drive home concocting new recipes in my head.
Winter salads should be warm, green and bursting with nutrition – and dried black currants are a powerhouse of nutrition! Besides being cholesterol-free, high in protein, iron and potassium, just one cup of this super food contains nearly 10 grams of dietary fiber. Beyond their nutritional factors – their flavor is sweet and tangy and adds just the right amount of tart to a rich, green salad. Can you seriously think of anything better?
This salad turned out even better than I could have expected. While nothing about it seems traditional for a holiday fare, I do have Thanksgiving on my mind and I’m thinking it might be another great addition. Can you imagine? At this rate, my Thanksgiving repertoire will consist of no turkeys, but a whole lot of salads!
Simple Greens Salad with Couscous + Currants
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 ⅓ cup Israeli Couscous
- 1 ¾ cup Water
- 1 Red Onion
- 1 ⅓ cup Dried Currants
- ¾ cup Pine Nuts
- ½ cup Shaved Parmesan
- 5 oz Arugula
- 7 oz Baby Spinach
- Juice of 3–4 Lemons
- Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in saucepan and sauté couscous over medium heat until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add water to couscous and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
- Mix diced onions and 1 tbsp olive oil, then place on cooking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Roast in oven for 13 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine couscous, arugula, spinach, onions, currants and pine nuts in bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over salad.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan
Notes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5