This is a quick and yummy salad that can serve as a meal itself. I like to serve with lemony grilled shrimp for a more substantial meal.
Here is what you'll need:
1 box whole wheat couscous
3 small yellow beets, scrubbed, trimmed, and cut in halves (quarters if they are on the large side)
1 bunch of arugula
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small shallots, sliced
6 dried apricots, diced
zest of one meyer lemon
juice of one meyer lemon (zest it before you juice it!)
Dijon mustard
olive oil
Start by drizzling the beets with olive oil and roasting them at 375F in an ovenproof dish for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, heat 2 T olive oil in a saute pan and cook shallots over medium-low heat until caramelized. Cook the couscous in according to directions using your favorite broth instead of water, remove from the pot, and place in the refrigerator to cool.
Now make the dressing by combining 1t of mustard with the juice of 1 meyer lemon. Slowly add 1/4 c olive oil the this mixture, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and set aside.
The beets should now be done (they should be easy to pierce with a knife). Place these in the refrigerator to cool as well. While the beets cool, combine the fennel, arugula, couscous, caramelized shallots, apricots, and meyer lemon zest in a large bowl. Cut the cooled beets into eighths and add to the salad. Dress generously and finish with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
