Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

My DH & I just love this salad.  Love love love!  It has everything you need in it, and it's so easy to just shove in a container and run out the door.

I'm all about simple meals, so I serve this as an entire meal (though I believe it's normally an appetizer).  My 2 sons are in a "I hate this" phase and are no longer obsessed about chick peas, so instead of serving this with toasted pita bread, I've started serving it with tortilla chips, which I only give out 3-5 at a time to bribe more bites of salad out of them.  My DD only 14 months, can't get enough of this salad - yay for one kid not complaining!

Here's my variation from the original recipe from Canadian Living.

Ingredients 

1 c. couscous (this is my variation - the original recipe calls for bulgur)

1 can drained and rinsed chickpea

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 c. diced English cucumbers

1 c. minced fresh Italian parsley

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1/4 c. chopped fresh mint

Dressing

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

(Don't be too generous with your lemon juice - it can be very strong!)

Preparation:

In saucepan, bring 1-1/3 cups water to boil; stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until no liquid remains. Transfer to large bowl, fluffing with fork. Let cool to room temperature.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, onions and mint.

Dressing:

In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper; pour over couscous mixture and toss to combine.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Such a big hit whenever I make it! I've adapted it since I originally posted it on a previous page (http://www.squidoo.com/canadadayparty), so if you need exact measurements, try the one on that page, otherwise, give the below salad a try!

- Raw spinach (optional, add romaine lettuce)
- Strawberries (I cut into 4 pieces)
- Feta cheese sprinkled on top
- Red onions sliced & cut into 1 in. pieces (I only like a small taste, so I use about 1/4 c.)
- Handful of *toasted walnuts (or any nuts)

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoons poppy seeds

Directions

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, sliced onion, nuts & cheese.
2. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, milk and poppy seeds. Shake well and pour the dressing over salad or serve with dressing on the side.


*toasting the nuts brings out a better flavour - if you haven't had toasted nuts before, you've missed out! Throw some on a cookie sheet and put in a 350 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes.