Mexican Style Couscous Salad

This was one of those recipe that started as an idea and kind of evolved into something wonderfully delicious. I was looking for a different kind of salad to make as a side dish and thought I would make some sort of rice salad. Beans and avocado go well with rice, so that was the plan. Then I made a rice casserole for supper and realized that I don't really like rice all that much. Which brought me to couscous. And that's what we have here:

Mexican Style Couscous Salad

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can sweet yellow corn, drained

1 colored pepper,diced small

1 avocado, diced

1 small red onion, diced small (optional)

2 tablespoons oil

3-4 tablespoons vinegar

3-4 tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Pour couscous into a small saucepan. Fill with water, about 1-2 inches above the couscous. Bring to a boil. Turn flame to low, and cover the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed, and the couscous is soft. Drain and rinse. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl. Add the beans, corn, pepper and onion. (The onion gives the salad a very strong "oniony" flavor. Big D. loved it, but I would probably skip it next time or use scallions instead.) Do not add the avocado yet if you are preparing the salad in advance- add it right before serving. I kept the dressing ingredients simple here- no need for a heavy dressing, since the vegetables add amazing flavor and texture. Toss the couscous with the dressing ingredients and taste. When I made this salad, I actually just put in a splash of this and that. I tried to estimate the measurements for you, but its really a taste and see kind of salad. Enjoy!

Don't forget to add the avocado right before you serve it! I took these pics the day before I served it, hence the missing avocado.