Yesterday I had the coolest opportunity to go on Indianapolis local television to demonstrate a recipe! I appeared on Indy Style and showed how to mix together my Orange and Dried Cherry Couscous Salad. Graceland Fruit, a Michigan dried fruit company, asked me to make a recipe with one of their products now that they are available in Kroger stores across Indy. The dried cherries add a sweet, tart and chewy bite to salads, trail mix and baked goods. In this salad, the balance with the sweetness of the orange and the crunch of the cucumbers.

It was so fun being back on live television again! If you remember, when I was in college a few years ago I used to anchor a student-run newscast in Arizona. I haven’t been on television in a few years, but I was quickly reminded how much I love the adrenaline of the lights, camera and countdown to being LIVE! What you can’t see on camera is the size of the studio – it was all rather tight quarters, but awesome to see the hosts tossing from one segment to the next. I was right there in the heart of the action next to the cameras. I arrived, set up my work space, took a few behind-the-scenes Instagram Story and Snapchat clips, then we went live!

I chose this recipe for live television because it’s easy to mix up, it’s colorful and has a beautiful presentation. Oranges are in season right now, so this salad is a nice way to use them up if they’re lingering in your pantry like they were for me. I chose to use Cara Cara navel oranges I found at Trader Joe’s because they have a beautiful coral color and sweet taste, but you could certainly use regular navel oranges. Persian cucumbers are also one of my favorite finds at Trader Joe’s because they are crunchier and seedless, but regular cucumbers work perfectly, too.

I hope you give my salad a try and enjoyed watching my cooking segment. I hope more opportunities arise like this because it truly was such a blast! Thanks to Indy Style for having me, Graceland Fruit for the dried fruit and Libby for setting this up. It was truly a blast!

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela

Orange and Dried Cherry Couscous Salad

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Gabriela Rodiles Difficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Cooking time

12

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

This is a light, colorful and fresh salad for winter citrus. Whether eaten by itself, as a side with salmon or over top arugula, you can’t go wrong!

Ingredients

• Salad

• 1 cup pearl couscous, cooked according to package directions

• 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

• 1 cup skinned and diced navel or Cara Cara oranges (about 2-3 oranges)

• 1 cup diced Persian cucumbers

• 4 ounces goat cheese

• 2 tablespoons minced chive

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

• Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 orange, juiced

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon agave

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Cook couscous according to package directions.
• In a bowl combine couscous, chopped cherries, diced oranges and diced cucumbers. Add in half of the almonds, chives and goat cheese.
• In a mason jar, combine olive oil, orange juice, red wine vinegar, agave, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake to incorporate. Pour dressing over salad until desired. (Save leftover dressing for another salad!)
• Toss salad and top with extra crumbled goat cheese, slivered almonds and remaining chives.