During one of my cooking classes, a male participant exclaimed, "This is the best thing I've eaten since I left home!" It was the pumpkin oil. It made all the difference. This specialty oil from Austria's Styria region is similar to olive oil, but more dense with a delicious, full-bodied taste. It's the gourmet touch not only in salad dressings, but also on pasta, vegetables and fish or drizzled on bread. It's high in omega 3, iron, calcium, magnesium, rich in vitamins C and A, and is reported to lower cholesterol and benefit the prostate, ovaries and bladder.
1/2 cup
Couscous
Water - between 3/4 and 1 cup
pinch
Sea salt
1 cup
Cooked chick peas
1 small
Carrot, diced
2 stalks
Celery, diced
1/2 cup
Sweet or red onion, diced
1/4 cup
Fresh mint leaves or cilantro, finely chopped
2 TB
Roasted black sesame seeds
Dressing
2 to 3 TB
Pumpkin oil
2 TB
Balsamic, brown rice, or apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons
2 to 4 drops
SteviaClear
Sea salt to taste
1
Boil water. Stir in couscous and salt. Remove from heat and cover. Allow 5 minutes for grains to absorb water. Gently fluff with a fork.
2
In a small saucepan, blanch carrots in 1/2 cup water for 2 minutes.
3
In a large serving bowl, combine all ingredients and gently fold in dressing.
4
Adjust seasonings to taste. Allow flavors to meld for 30 minutes.
