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I adore Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. In fact, despite all of the sweet treats you see on this blog, I’m a pretty ardent follower of the Mediterranean diet—I eat lots of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables; moderate amounts of healthy fats, nuts and cheeses; and stay away entirely from red meat. This couscous salad represents everything I love about Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food. Chock full of prunes, onions and pine nuts, and flavored with spices and a splash of citrus dressing, the salad is very fresh and very filling. After eating a dish like this, I always feel like I’ve done my body a big favor.

This recipe is an adaptation of one in Joyce Goldstein’s Mediterranean Fresh. Since I bought this book a few months ago, I’ve completely fallen in love with it. Not only does it include recipes for different salads and small plates, it has a whole section dedicated to different dressings, so you can mix and match them with different dishes. So even if you try one salad recipe with a particular dressing, you can try a different suggested dressing the next time for a whole new take on that salad. How yummy.

This couscous salad has quickly become one of my favorites from the book. You could eat it as a side to a main course, but I’ll often eat it for lunch on its own. Many times I’ll add chickpeas to make it even heartier. This time I made it with the citrus dressing, but Joyce suggests a mint vinaigrette or a citrus cinnamon dressing as alternatives.

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Recipe: Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts, Prunes and Saffron Onions
Adapted from Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings by Joyce Goldstein
Serves 3 to 4

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped prunes (about 10 prunes)
• 2 1/8 cups water
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup whole grain couscous
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• About 1/4 cup basic citrus dressing (recipe below)

Put the prunes in a small bowl, cover with 1 1/2 cups hot water, and set them aside to plump.

In a small saucepan, combine the saffron with 1/8 cup water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Remove from the heat and steep for 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan and cook the onion over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the saffron infusion and orange zest and simmer 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the couscous in a 9-inch baking pan or Pyrex baking dish.

Combine 1/2 cup water and the orange juice, spices, and salt in a suacepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour over the couscous and cover the pan tightly with foil. Let sit for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Drain the prunes well. Toss the prunes, onion, pine nuts, and citrus dressing with the couscous. Adjust the seasoning and add salt to taste. Place on a platter or in a bowl.

Recipe: Basic Citrus Dressing
Adapted from Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings by Joyce Goldstein
Makes 3/4 cup

• 1/2 cup mild and fruity extra virgin-olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.