Couscous Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

So one thing about my current rotation is that their food is GREAT. They are a vegetarian residency and every day they have salad and the best fruit salad and I am just in eating heaven because I can eat a lot of volume with few calories. A few days ago they had this amazing couscous chili with garbanzo beans and kidney beans and couscous and tomatoes and it was so so good. But on to this couscous. This couscous, also so so good. Light. Tasty. I thought the finely chopped pecans were essentially to giving it an underlying nutty, tasty flavor but then the Robber thought they weren't needed as much. Who knows, but that this was delicious.

From the NYTimes Well Vegetarian Thanksgiving 2010 blog:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html#Couscous_Salad_With_Dried_Cranberries_and_Pecans

Ingredients:

1 C. couscous, preferably whole wheat
Salt
2 large carrots, grated
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. chopped dried cranberries
1/4 C. chopped scallions
1/4 C. olive oil, or more as needed
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, or more juice as needed
1 tsp. coriander
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
Black pepper
1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried

Directions:

1. Put the couscous in a small pot and add 1 1/2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat. Let steep for at least 10 minutes, or up to 20.

2. Put the slightly cooled couscous in a large salad bowl along with the carrots, pecans, cranberries, scallions, oil and lemon zest and juice, and sprinkle with the spices and salt and pepper. Use 2 big forks to combine, fluffing the couscous and tossing gently to separate the grains. (The salad can be made up to this point and refrigerated for up to a day; bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

3. Stir in the parsley and sage. Taste and adjust the seasoning, moisten with a little more oil and lemon juice as you like, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.