This recipe is our “forest pit-stop fuel”: carbs for the stride, protein so your body doesn’t start complaining, and a fresh little dressing that flips your brain into “alright then… I’ve got this”. We’re not out here hunting, but we do refuel. Your body’s got its own logistics, too.

Ingredients:

• 200 g couscous (or semolina) that cooks in a blink
• 250 g cooked chickpeas (from a can, rinsed, and still respectable)
• 1/2 red onion, sliced super thin (the crunch that wakes you up)
• 1 tomato diced, or a handful of cherry tomatoes (to give the trail some juice)
• 1 grated carrot (orange confetti energy)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (sweet or a little spicy, you’re the boss)
• Salt and pepper
• Finish-line sauce: 1 plain yogurt, juice of 1/2 lemon, a pinch of salt, mint or parsley if you feel like it
• Optional: a small handful of raisins or olives (for that “I run and I smile” vibe)

How to make it:

Tip the couscous into a bowl with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of oil. Heat the same amount of water as couscous until it boils, then pour it over. Cover for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork after, like you’re stretching your legs after a jog.

In a pan, warm a tablespoon of oil and sauté the chickpeas with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. We just want them warmed through and extra tasty, not dried out and ready for retirement.

Mix the couscous, chickpeas, onion, tomato, and carrot in a bowl. If you’re adding raisins or olives, now’s the moment.

The sauce: yogurt, lemon, salt, and chopped herbs. Stir and taste. It should taste like “last kilometre with a really good song on”. Serve the salad warm-ish and drizzle the sauce over the top.

Forest tip: eat this like it’s a mental warm-up. You don’t need to run a marathon to feel like an athlete. Feed your engine well, and you’re already on the right path.