Couscous Makes an Easy, Go-To Meal

By Sandy Hu

I’m on Twitter every weekday afternoon as @specialforksndy trying to help people with their most pressing need of the evening: what to cook for dinner. One of my favorite ideas for cooks in a hurry is couscous salad.

Here’s the couscous recipe in a tweet, under the 140 character limit: “Boil 1 ½ c broth; add 1c couscous. Off heat, cover & stand 5 mins. Fluff w/fork; add chick peas+g onions+feta cheese+olives+Ital dressing.”

Like couscous salad, Southwestern Couscous is super-easy. It takes just 20 minutes, from start to finish. Serve it as a side dish or a main dish. Vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Southwestern Couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup diced green or red pepper
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup canned chick peas, rinsed and drained
¾ cup uncooked couscous

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, green pepper, mushrooms, carrots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes until vegetables begin to wilt. Mix in chicken broth, cumin, salt, pepper, cilantro and chick peas. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat and cover; let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

Note: A 16-ounce can of chick peas yields more than 1 cup, so you will have leftovers. Use the remainder in a tossed green salad the next day.

Adapted from recipe by Wheat Foods Council

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