It’s T minus 4 days until Noninna, my dearest friend’s Paris wedding. I cannot wait! It’s going to be one of the most magical weddings, I just know it. With her big day just around the corner, I’m struggling to stay away from all the leftover Halloween candy and chestnut praline latte’s – it’s been rough – and getting more greens and protein in. It’s kind of hard to want veggies when .. BREAD!
Yes, that’s how my brain works. Bread always wins. In most cases, I would say eat the bread (see #8), but this is a special occasion we’re talking about. It’s not every day that Nonnina gets married. And that’s why I’ve been on the soup and salad diet. Basically I’ve been actively choosing soups, salads and lean protein for lunch and dinner, which means I have to get creative. If you haven’t already, check out my soups section, there are some really good, vegetable-based soup ideas in there.
My salad game, on the other hand, is slightly weaker. Some of my better salad are Roasted Garlic Potatoes and Arugula Salad, Skinny Chicken Salad, Grilled Salmon Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing, Roast Veggie and Freekeh Salad, Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Salad, and Calamari Salad. Now I’m adding a new one to my long list of favorite salads and that is, Spinach Couscous Salad.
Ingredients
- 1 package Baby Spinach
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1-2oz crumbled Goat Cheese
- 1/4 cup olive Olive Oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- To prepare the couscous, bring 1 cup water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon butter and stir in the couscous, turn off heat and cover for 5 minutes.
- In a small skillet, sauce garlic with 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the pine nuts and fry until lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil and place on a paper towel (you can toast the pine nuts in the oven for a healthier alternative)
- In a large bowl, mix together the baby spinach, prepared couscous, garlic, pine nuts and goat cheese
- Toss with 2 tablespoons Olive oil, lemon juice and salt
