Saffron couscous salad
Servings: 4 people
Carbohydrate Serves: 2.25 per person
(1 carbohydrate serve = 15 grams of total carbohydrate)
The lemon zest really picks this salad up and separates the flavours that can sometimes be lost in a couscous glug. To turn this gestational diabetes side dish into a meal, think about adding a drained can of tuna in springwater for your protein hit. (Main carbohydrate containing ingredients are listed in bold.)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 large red onion, halved, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads in 50ml of warm water
- 1 cup cooked couscous
- 1 large red capsicum, hulled, sliced thinly
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 6 kalamata olives, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 small lemon, finely zested
- 200g/ 7 ounces of low fat greek yoghurt to serve
- 4 pieces Mountain Bread or low GI flat bread (1 piece per person)
Cook couscous according to packet instructions.
Heat olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes until translucent and soft. Add tomato paste and ground spices, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spices are fragrant. Add saffron in its water, cooked couscous and stir well. Add capsicum, tomato, olives, parsley, orange juice and lemon zest and combine well.
Serve with 1 piece of flat bread per person and a dollop of yoghurt.
Variation: Mix in a drained can of tuna in springwater.
Post-GDM suggestion: Add some chorizo for extra flavour.