Happy International Waffle Day!

Mmmm! Waffles!

Ok, so this is just going to be a recipe post.

Last night we made Couscous, Lentil and Arugula Salad with Garlic Dijon Vinaigrette from the latest issue of EatingWell magazine (March/April 2009). It was AWESOME! We will definitely be making this a regular I think. In case you couldn't guess, what it is supposed to look like is on the left and what it did look like is on the right. The dressing is so delicious, we will be making that to keep in the fridge as well.

Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each (It made enough for the two of us for dinner plus 1 lunch, but we were both pretty hungry)

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth or water (I used chicken broth since I had it on hand)
1 cup whole-wheat couscous (I used regular couscous since I had it on hand)
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup French green lentils or brown lentils, rinsed (I used Goya lentils, which I think are brown)
4 cups arugula, any tough stems removed, or mixed salad greens (we couldnt get arugula so used mixed spring greens)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (we used half an English cucumber)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

We also added 1 avocado, sliced

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Combine oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and garlic in a blender, a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a medium bowl. Blend, shake or whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To prepare salad: Bring 1 1/4 cups broth (or water) to a boil in a small saucepan. Add couscous, cover, remove from the heat and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine 2 1/2 cups water and lentils in another saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until just tender, 15 to 25 minutes. (Green lentils will be done sooner than brown lentils.) Be careful not to overcook the lentils or they will fall apart in the salad. Drain any excess water and let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. If arugula leaves are large, tear into bite-size pieces. Toss arugula (or greens) with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette in a large bowl, then divide among 4 large plates. In the same bowl, toss the couscous and lentils with another 1/4 cup vinaigrette; divide the mixture among the plates. Top each salad with cucumber, tomatoes and feta and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. (Cover and refrigerate the remaining 1 cup vinaigrette for up to 1 week.)

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 549 calories; 18 g fat (5 g sat, 10 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 79 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 15 g fiber; 579 mg sodium; 630 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A & Vitamin C (25% daily value), Iron (20% dv), Potassium (18% dv), Calcium (17% dv).
4 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 5 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 medium fat meat, 3 fat

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate the vinaigrette (Step 1) for up to 1 week.

As I mentioned, we added a sliced avocado and we served it with toast points because I had bought a yummy loaf of bread that I wanted to have, but was unnecessary. Very very very good.