Orange Scented Couscous Salad with Almonds, Cilantro, and Cucumber

Orange-Scented Couscous Salad with Almonds, Cilantro, and Cucumber
From Cooking Light Magazine
*make this a veg-friendly salad by eliminating the chicken breast

1 cup orange juice, divided
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup prechopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

Combine 3/4 cup orange juice, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, coriander, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add couscous and cranberries. Cover and let stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork. Transfer couscous mixture to a large bowl.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add nuts, chicken, and next 3 ingredients (through cilantro) to couscous; toss.
Combine remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, lime juice, and mustard, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over couscous mixture, tossing to coat. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 396(24% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 1.5g,mono 6.4g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 24.1g; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 58mg; SODIUM 690mg; FIBER 4.1g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.7g

David Bonom
Cooking Light, APRIL 2006