Whenever Trader Joes starts selling a new product, I get excited. Finally, Israeli couscous! Don’t worry if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s, though, you can buy it at most groceries. For some reason I usually cook with fine couscous, but unlike its smaller cousin, Israeli couscous looks like tiny pearls and have a wonderful, light texture.
When I made it for dinner recently, my husband said “why haven’t you ever made this before? I love Israeli couscous!” (after 8 1/2 years together, who knew?). He wasn’t the only one that loved it. Kenya dug right in to this dish and enjoyed every bite.
I took a few of my favorite Moroccan flavors like mint, olive oil, lemon and tossed in several other nutritious items to make this recipe that can be served warm or cold. I even came up with a way to cook everything in one pot so there’s no big mess to deal with and it’s ready in minutes. This recipe really is everything that weelicious stands for: easy, fast and fresh!

Israeli Couscous Salad (Makes 6 Servings)

1 Cup Israeli Couscous
1 1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Small Yam, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
1/4 Cup Pine nuts
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Bring the water to a boil, add the couscous and yam, reduce to a
simmer.
2. Cook for 12 minutes.
3. Combine all the ingredients and serve.

Several years ago I went through a major “bar phase”. No, I wasn’t getting 
smashed all over town, I was consuming Luna, Lara and other similar types of 
protein bars at a rapid rate. It became such an obsession that two of my girlfriends and I actually set out to form our own bar company — just imagine getting to cook one of your 
favorite foods all day, every day. We had a name, a mission statement, and developed recipes for every flavor of bar under the sun and 
they were delicious (I think). But unlike the majority of bars on the market that 
are jam packed with additives and sugar, our goal was to make something 
completely organic, packed with protein, devoid of sugar, and full of flavor. The bigger goal was to do all this using as few ingredients per bar as 
possible. The bar business became a casualty of our busy lives, but I still produce them for my friends and family.
Which got me thinking. Breakfast can be a real challenge when you’re trying to get your 
entire family out the door and sending your little one to school with 
a healthy snack can be just as hard. This bar recipe is a treat that everyone 
(over the age on 1 and no history of nut allergies) in the family will love and since the recipe makes 16 bars and they stay fresh for weeks. Your set!

Protein Bars (Makes 16 Bars)
1 Cup Cashews, raw and unsalted
1 Cup Almonds, raw and unsalted
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
2 1/4 Cup Dates (about 20)
3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Agave

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees (or put your oven on it’s lowest setting and adjust the cooking time).
2. Place the nuts in a bowl and cover with COOL water and soak for 1 hour.
3. Cover the dates with HOT water and soak for 30 minutes. After soaking, drain off the water and pit the dates.
4. Place the oats in a food processor and grind to a powder. Place in a separate large bowl.
5. Drain the water off the nuts, place on a towel to remove excess water. Place the nuts in a food processor with the dried cranberries and pulse until nuts are in small pieces (the nuts will be uneven pieces which is fine. Just make sure they are all chopped.
6. Place the nuts in the bowl with the oats.
7. Place the dates, vanilla and agave in food processor and pulse until it makes a puree.
8. Place the date mixture with the oat mixture and thoroughly combine all the ingredients (mixture will be thick and sticky).
9. Place the date nut mixture on a silpat on a cookie sheet. Spread out using a spatula or even your hands.
10. Shape into a long log resembling a long rectangle. Make sure the rectangle is flat and even.
11. Bake for 5 hours or until the log is firm, but not hard (If the lowest setting on your oven is 200 degrees, cook for 4 hours).
12. Cool, cut into bars and wrap individually.