Pomegranate and Couscous Salad - Lunch on "P" Day

It's lunch time on "P" day and I'm using POMEGRANATES

I made Pomegranate and Couscous Salad. This is a delicious and nutritious alternative to rice or salad, making an exceptional side dish for any main dish. Couscous is a soft grain that puffs up like the texture of tiny rice. The sweet tang of the pomegranates balance nicely with the subtle bite of mint and onion. The lemon brings it all together. Yummy!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 large pomegranate, seeded
1 cup (just shy of a cup) couscous
250 ml (or 10 oz can) boiling chicken stock or water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, juice only (I only used 1/2 of 1, as that's all I had on hand, sadly)
3 to 4 Tbsp olive oil
3 to 4 Tbsp chopped, fresh mint
3 to 4 Tbsp chopped leeks
**Start slow and adjust to your own liking

Directions

1. Place the couscous in a bowl (or large pot). Pour the boiling stock or water onto the couscous and mix in the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. Cover tightly with cling film and allow the couscous to sit in a warm place for around 10 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the cling film and fluff the grains with a fork. Allow the couscous to cool completely.

3. Stir the chopped herbs and pomegranate seeds into the couscous. Add more olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs to taste. 

Enjoy!

POMEGRANATE

This fruit is packed with nutritionally rich, sweet, plumpy seeds. Punicalagin, an antioxidant, is found abundantly in pomegranate juice and it is effective in reducing heart-disease risk factors, improving circulation, and reducing inflammation. 

Pomegranates have more antioxidants than other super foods like acai berry juice or green tea.

Among being rich in Vitamin C, they are also full of soluble and in-soluble dietary fiber. Regular consumption of pomegranates has been found to be effective against prostate cancer, diabetes and lymphoma. 

It has a good supply of B-complex Vitamins, folates, Vitamin K and minerals. 


Pomegranate, fresh
(100 g - nearly 1 cup)

Protein  1.67 g
Fiber  4 g
Folates  9.5 %
Pantothenic Acid  3 %
Pyridoxine  6 %
Riboflavin  4 %
Thiamin  5.5 %
Vitamin C  17 %
Vitamin E 4 %
Vitamin K  14 %
Potassium  5 %
Iron  4 %
Magnesium  3 %
Manganese  5 %
Phosphorus  5 %
Zinc  3 %


Have you amped up healthy eating with Pomegranate seeds?