Vibrant Couscous and Veggie Medley

(from Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen: Where Good Flavors and Good Health Meet)

With its mild flavor, couscous (granules of semolina made from durum wheat) is very versatile and easily becomes the backdrop for a wide variety of seasonings. The spices in this recipe offer a solid kick, while the apple and chickpeas offer contrasting textures. Nutritional goodies: 3 Tablespoons (1 ounce) of couscous contains 3.2 grams of protein and no fat. Chickpeas are also a wonderful source of protein, containing a whopping 10 grams per ½ cup.

2 cups water or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup whole wheat couscous

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 cup cooked chickpeas

¼ cup minced chives or scallion greens

¼ cup dried currants

¼ toasted sunflower seeds (optional)

¼ freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon lemon pepper, or to taste

In a 2-quart saucepan, whisk together the water, spices, and ½ tablespoon olive oil. Bring to a boil and slowly whisk in couscous. Stir 1 minute, cover, remove from the heat, and let sit until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl, continuing to fluff until the couscous releases all of its steam.

Toss in the carrot, apple, chickpeas, chives, currants, and sunflower seeds.

In a small jar, combine the remaining half-tablespoon olive oil with the lemon juice, salt, and lemon pepper. Pour over the couscous and toss until thoroughly blended. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed (the salad should taste lively and pleasantly puckery).

Chill for at least 4 hours. Bring to room temperature, toss, and adjust seasonings before serving.