Recipe Exchange

A few days ago, I blogged about not being able to get from meal to meal without a snack. My friend, Ronnie Fein, commented that she has the same problem, but unlike my reaching for a piece of fruit, she often chooses a complex carb. She sent along the following recipe for a couscous salad, which she often makes as a side dish, and eats leftovers for a snack. Ronnie also notes that although this recipe features couscous, it can be made with any grain -- wheatberries, barley, farro, quinoa, and she often changes the nuts to pistachios, almonds, etc.!

COUSCOUS SALAD WITH MACADAMIA NUTS

1 cup couscous

1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1 stalk broccoli, cut up, or 4 to 6 asparagus spears

1 cup cut up cherry tomatoes

5 Tblsp. lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. salt or to taste

• Prepare couscous as directed on the package. Set it aside. Toast the nuts lightly and set them aside to cool. Steam the broccoli or asparagus, drain the pieces under cool water, drain and let cool. Chop into chunks. Combine the cooked couscous, nuts, vegetable and cut up cherry tomatoes. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard and salt and mix well. Pour over the couscous. Let rest at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

One of my favorite snacks is an orange and a cup of herbal orange spice tea. I love the double dose of citrus. If a have a few extra minutes, another fave is a sliced apples, sprinkled with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, and microwaved about 3 minutes to soften the apples. It's a no-crust apple pie. OK -- it's not even close, but it seems a tad more elegant than eating an apple as is. A handful of almonds or some string cheese is also a wonderful way to keep me sated.

The next recipe I clipped years ago from EatingWell magazine, a terrific side dish, and an even better snack.

SESAME CARROTS

2 cups baby carrots

1 Tblsp. toasted sesame seeds

Pinch dried thyme

Pinch of kosher salt

• Toss carrots with sesame seeds, thyme and kosher salt in a small bowl. Can be sautéed for a few minutes or eaten as is. Makes 3 2/3-cup servings. Per serving: 33 calories; 2g fat; 0g sat fat; 1g mono fat; 0mg cholesterol; 8g carbohydrates; 1g protein; 2g fiber; 72mg sodium; 220mg potassium.