{"id":25317,"date":"2016-05-25T06:00:44","date_gmt":"2016-05-25T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=25317"},"modified":"2019-06-23T13:31:37","modified_gmt":"2019-06-23T20:31:37","slug":"year-of-the-pulse-and-a-couscous-lentil-zoodle-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/year-of-the-pulse-and-a-couscous-lentil-zoodle-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"Year of the Pulse and a Couscous-Lentil Zoodle Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Normally, when I think of lentils, all that comes to mind is lentil soup and warm French lentil salad that comes in a mini, aged cast iron crock \u00a0at one of our favorite restaurants that we frequent when in Paris. Other than that – I draw a blank. But knowing how nutritious they are and considering that 2016 is the Year of the Pulse, I decided to branch out and discover some new ways to love this legume.<\/p>\n
Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/p>\n Pulse, in this case, is not the measure of your heartbeat.<\/p>\n Pulses, also known as grain legumes, are a group of 12 crops that includes dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils. They are high in protein, fiber, and various vitamins, provide amino acids, and are hearty crops. They are most popular in developing countries, but are increasingly becoming recognized as an excellent part of a healthy diet throughout the world.<\/p>\n Pulses are good for you, but they are also beneficial to farmers’ livelihoods and have a positive impact on the environment. It is clear that even though dried beans, lentils and peas have been around for centuries, they will play a fundamental role in our sustainable future.<\/p>\n The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses and they have produced an infograph to get you thinking about pulses and their place in the world and our diets. \u00a0{Source: Global Pulse Confederation<\/a>}<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bottom line: pulses are nutritious, low calorie, low fat, inexpensive, as ancient as the ancient grains we are hearing more about, and they are socially and environmentally responsible to consume. All very compelling reasons, to include them in your meal rotation. You may think of them as more of a fall and winter food as they are most commonly used in soups and stews here in the U.S., but let’s rethink that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the She’s Cookin’ test kitchen, this vegan zucchini noodle (zoodle) salad creation came to me in a moment of inspiration. I finally purchased a spiralizer (I went with Mueller) and I’m trying to become more adept at using it and the only way to do that is practice, practice, practice – just like everything else. Sure zoodles have flooded the food blogosphere, but realizing that not everyone is obsessed with food trends like we are, I took a leap of faith. Just know you’ll probably be seeing more curly, spiraled, cucumber, beet, and sweet potato dishes in the months ahead.<\/p>\n We taste with our eyes first and this room temperature salad is bursting with color and textures drawing you in with its visual appeal. A tangle of raw zoodles are topped with Tricolor Pearl couscous and green lentils from Bob’s Red Mill<\/a>. Pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous) cooks in 10 minutes and is a versatile alternative to pasta or rice. Bob’s Red Mill products are high quality and many are available in organic. Their petite French style green lentils are grown from the same variety of lentils as French Puy lentils, just not grown in the Puy area of France. They are dark green and lightly dappled with a peppery flavor and hearty texture that holds their shape when cooked making them the best choice for sides or salads. Add bright orange carrot coins, toss with an easy tangerine vinaigrette with garam masala lending an exotic Middle Eastern flavor, garnish with slivers of French radish and you have a deliciously healthy, satisfying vegan main or colorful side for grilled meats.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n