Cumin-Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Israeli (pearl) Couscous

I really love substituting plant-based meals for "regular" ones whenever I can. By "regular" I mean any meal that's made with animal products.  So, basically, recipes that don't use milk, butter, meat, eggs or anything that comes from animals.  From a health perspective, plant-based meals are much easier to digest and can provide COMPLETE protein - yes, the exact same proteins that you'd get from chicken, beef, fish, etc!!

So, when I came across this one the other day in my Hello Fresh order, it sounded absolutely FABULOUS and I couldn't wait to make it!  It sounded hearty, creamy, crunchy, flavorful and satisfying!  AND.... IT WAS!

Counting the number of ingredients in a recipe is important, but it's also really important to make sure those ingredients are whole foods.   Fresh foods like these carrots, lemon, garlic, thyme, and avocado are perfect!  Your body sees them and understands what to do with them - create energy!  It won't "store" whole food ingredients the way it will with processed foods. 

These flavors were amazing together - and made the dish taste totally authentic!

This avocado was exactly ripe!  It cut easily into these tic-tac-toe squares and spooned out easily into the bowl!

Then the couscous!  
I simply LOVE Israeli (pearl) couscous!