Cooking With Permjit K. Sandhu

With the 2020 New Year upon us, many of us have made resolutions to eat healthier, exercise more or to simply take more time for ourselves. 

It is a well-known fact that the holidays are a time to spend with loved ones, as well as devouring delicious hearty meals and rich, creamy desserts all packed with calories. I have always found that the best way to reset oneself is to chop and slice up some vegetables and prepare a healthy salad. 

My favourite salads always have the following components: sweet, savory, crunchy, tart, nutty, and colour. For my family, I always prepared a salad alongside our meals, especially for dinnertime to counterbalance the richness of the meal. I made so many different salads from iceberg lettuce and tomato salads to the more fancy Waldorf salad, but my family’s favourites were the Mediterranean-style salads. The varieties of vegetables, herbs, nuts and cheeses are endless! 

Traveling the world and dining at ethnic restaurants piqued my interest in international cuisine. Many years ago, my daughter and I visited a French restaurant. While waiting for our meals to arrive, the server rolled a cart with a large wooden bowl, a smaller glass bowl and a whisk over to other patrons. As I watched the server, she added the oils, vinegars, herbs and spices to a glass bowl and whisked all those ingredients together to create a thickened dressing. She then poured the dressing over the salad contained in the wooden bowl and tossed it up with her wooden utensils and served it up on a salad plate. While watching this unfold before my eyes, I was intrigued by her performance. She made it look so effortless and inspired me to be more adventurous in preparing my own salad dressings. 

The following recipe is a family-favourite in my home. There are many textures and the blend of flavours ensure each crunchy bite is different from the last. 

Mediterranean-Style Couscous Salad

Serves 10-12 people

Ingredients: 

• 1 Cup Dried Couscous 

• 2 Bunches of Parsley, finely chopped

• 2 Bunches of Cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 Red/Orange/Yellow Bell Pepper, diced

• 1 Carrot, peeled and grated

• 1 Apple, diced

• 1 Medium Cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, diced

• ¾ Cup Walnuts, chopped

• 1 Cup Dates, chopped

• 1 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled 

Preparation: 

1. Boil 1 ½ cups of water. Add the dried couscous, stir, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool. 

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. 

Vinaigrette Dressing: 

• ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

• 2 Tablespoons Honey 

• 1 Garlic clove, finely chopped or pressed

Whisk the above ingredients until homogenous. 

Drizzle on salad when ready to serve. 

Pro Tips:

• You may add/modify ingredients to suit your tastes. For example, chickpeas or diced chicken breast for protein. 

• Remove the seeds of the cucumber to avoid the salad becoming soggy. 

• Use fine couscous instead of large pearl couscous. 

• Pomegranate can be used for added colour and tartness.