The flavours in this salad are reminiscent of the bazaars of the Middle East. Enjoy this dish followed by a refreshing glass of mint tea and sticky pieces of Turkish delight for a light, nourishing, flavoursome meal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 12 baby onions, peeled and halved
• 1 tblsp ras el hanout spice blend
• 1 tblsp sugar
• 3 oranges
• 400 gram can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 150 grams green beans, trimmed and blanched
• 1 cup picked parsley leaves (Italian parsley is best)
• 1 cup (total) sliced dried apricots and/or fresh dates
• 1 cup (total) pistachio nuts and/or toasted flaked almonds

Roasted Garlic Dressing

• 1 bulb roasted garlic (see Cook\'s Tip)
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup wine or cider vinegar
• 2 tblsp honey

Method

1. Pour 1½ cups hot water over the couscous and stir to mix. Set aside for 5-7 minutes until the couscous has absorbed all the water. Fluff with a fork. Stir in 2 tblsp olive oil or butter, cover and microwave on high power for 2-3 minutes, then fluff again for the lightest couscous possible. Set aside to cool.
2. Heat the ¼ cup of oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook over a moderate heat, stirring regularly until the onions are almost cooked and lightly golden. Sprinkle in the ras el hanout spice blend and the sugar, then stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. Set aside.
3. Grate the rind of two of the oranges, then peel away the thick skin on all 3 oranges before dicing or segmenting them. In a large bowl, toss together the couscous, onions, orange rind and flesh, the chickpeas, green beans, fresh parsley, apricots/dates, nuts and Roasted Garlic Dressing.
4. Serve without delay to stop the couscous saoking up the dressing.

Roasted Garlic Dressing

1. Cut the garlic bulb in half horizontally and squeeze the pulp into a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, orange juice, vinegar and goney and season with salt and pepper if wished.

Cooks Tips

To roast garlic, place a whole bulb in a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, then wrap securely to enclose. Cook at 180ºC for about 1 hour or until a skewer can easily be inserted into the soft pulp. Allow to cool, as the pulp is high in sugar and will burn you if you try to squeeze it out when hot.