Inspired by my trip to Toronto where I enjoyed a couscous salad with mint and a tasty mustard dressing at a French bistro, I whipped up this recipe for a healthy meal on this hot summer evening.

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain couscous, uncooked

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 bundle or handful of fresh mint, finely sliced

A few slices of red onion (however much you prefer)

Cucumber, sliced (you can leave it out if you’re not a fan of it)

Mixed salad greens, spinach, or arugula (whichever you prefer; use about a handful for each serving)

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Dijon mustard (you can add more if you want your dressing to be spicier or to have a stronger mustard flavour)

Instructions

1. In a small pot, bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. When boiling, add in couscous and give it a stir. Cover pot and remove from heat. Allow five minutes for couscous to cook, then fluff with a fork. At this point, I typically transfer the couscous to a bowl so it will cool quicker.

2. To make the dressing, combine the maple syrup, lemon juice, canola oil, and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Use a fork to combine the ingredients until you have a blended consistency.

3. Use about 1/2 cup of cooked couscous, a large handful of salad greens and as many vegetables to go with the salad as desired. Drizzle with the salad dressing.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Bon appetit!

Note: Feel free to use other vegetables in your salad as desired, such as bell peppers, olives, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, carrots or celery.