Cranberry Pecan Couscous Salad in Lemon

 Ingredients:

 1 cup shelled pecans 

1 1/2 cups couscous 

1 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

2 cups boiling water 

1 cup thawed frozen peas 

3 scallions, very thinly sliced

 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced 

1/4 cup shredded fresh basil 

Lemon Dressing Ingredients:

 Zest of 1 lemon 

1/3 cup lemon juice 

3 garlic cloves, minced

 1 /2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil 

Instructions:

1.  Warm up your oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Toss the pecans into a skillet and toast for 5-7 minutes or until they impart a nutty aroma; remove from heat and keep aside. 
3. Empty 1 ½ cups of couscous into a large bowl and throw in the cranberries.
4.  Sprinkle a dash of ground turmeric and pour in enough boiling water to submerge them completely. Give a quick stir and place a lid on top. 
5. Let it stand for 10 minutes to allow the couscous to cook and tease it with a fork t fluff. 
6. Place the lid back on and set aside for another 5 minutes.
7.  Dump the remaining salad ingredients into the bowl and stir them all together to mix uniformly. 
8. For dressing, pour olive oil and lemon juice into a lidded jar and sprinkle grated lemon zest into it. Spoon in minced garlic along with measured salt and generous amount of ground black pepper. 
9. Put the lid on and shake it several times to mix well.
10.  Pour this mixture over the tossed ingredients and give a good stir to dress them nicely.
11.  Cover and keep aside for an hour to allow the flavors to mature. 
12. Serve and munch away!