Couscous Salad Recipes

These recipes are great to take to a holiday party to as an on-the-go lunch. They are fairly easy to prepare and are served cold. They can all be made with either couscous or quinoa.

Garden Couscous

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain couscous
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup cut balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Directions:

1. Cook couscous according to the directions on the package; fluff with fork.
2. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, chives and parsley in a large bowl. Fold in couscous.
3. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over couscous and vegetables and toss to coat.
4. Chill up to 24 hours and garnish with feta cheese before serving.

Southwest Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain couscous
• 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup corn

Directions:

Cook couscous according to package directions; fluff with a fork. Toss couscous with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Cranberry Pecan Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces plain couscous
• 1  cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• juice of one lemon
• pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Prepare couscous according to package directions. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice; set aside. Pour prepare couscous into a large bowl and fluff with fork. Add dried cranberries, scallions, and pecans; stir well. Add dressing and mix until salad is completely coated. add a pinch of salt, or more, to taste. Chill overnight. Fold in blue cheese before serving.

Soup Recipes for a Fall Day

Who doesn't love a bowl of hot soup on a cold fall day? These recipes are easy to make and will leave you with leftovers for the upcoming week. You can even freeze your leftover soup to have a quick meal ready to go in a couple of weeks.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound of chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 20 ounces cream of chicken soup (I use campbell's healthy request)
• 8 ounces water
• 2 cups salsa
• 16 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the chicken and cayenne pepper, and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir and cook 2 more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with a pinch of cheddar cheese if desired.

Turbo Fire Chili
Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 8oz whole kernel corn, canned
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 8oz black beans, canned
• 8oz pinto, chili, or kidney beans, canned
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pkg Lawrey's Chili seasoning
• 4 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
Brown turkey. Drain and discard any fat. Place all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Top with 1 oz. cheese, if desired. *If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook it on the stovetop at a simmer for 2 hours.*