Lebanese couscous salad with griddled vegetables and a spiced yoghurt sauce

Low-fat vegetarian recipe for a training diet

We often make a large amount of this salad and keep it in the fridge to snack on when we train. It keeps for two to three days in the fridge and the flavors seem to improve over this time. It is not only packed with vitamins from the herbs and vegetables, but the couscous is a good low-fat, slow-burning carbohydrate. If you are planning to go to the gym after work, put a tub of this in your lunch box.

It also makes a good vegetarian evening meal, or an accompaniment to a piece of grilled chicken or lamb chop.

Method

1. Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a glug of olive oil. Pour over 150ml boiling water.
2. Heat the griddle or frying pan and slice the courgettes and aubergine lengthways — about ½cm thickness. Brush them with olive oil and cook on each side for a few minutes (so that nice stripes appear).
3. Chop the herbs roughly.
4. When the couscous is ready, fluff it up with a fork and then add the herbs, the spring onions, the tomatoes, the ground coriander, the lemon juice and the olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper accordingly.
5. Mix the yogurt sauce ingredients together, pour into a bowl and gently pour a little fruity olive oil around the edge of the bowl.
6. On a large platter, arrange the aubergine and courgette slices around the edge, dress with ½ tbs balsamic vinegar and ½ tbs olive oil and then pile the couscous into the middle. Decorate with pomegranate seeds and serve with the sauce.

Ingredients

• 125g couscous (wholemeal if you can get it)
• Bunch of flat-leaved parsley
• Bunch of mint (25g or large handful)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped up small
• 2-3 spring onions, sliced finely
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• Plenty of salt and pepper
• Pomegranate seeds for decoration

For the griddled vegetables:

• 2 decent sized courgettes
• 1 aubergine
• ½ tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs good olive oil

For the yoghurt sauce:

• 250g good quality natural low-fat yoghurt
• ½ tsp each ground cumin and coriander
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• Salt and pepper
• Small clove garlic, crushed
• Mint leaves, chopped

Vital Statistics

Serves: 2
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Good for: Excellent balanced, low-fat meal, good for training
Calories (kcal): 458.5
Protein (g): 12.9
Carbs (g): 40.8
Fat (g): 27.1
Fiber (g): 4.9
http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/lebanese-couscous-salad-with-griddled-vegetables-and-a-spiced-trans-yoghurt-sauce/