Life is Healthy

Can we talk about couscous for a second? (Whole wheat, of course.) It is one of my favorite foods in the world. It’s on my list of comfort foods.

Some nights (like tonight!), all I want are peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, garlic and spinach sautéed in a little oil or just in cooking spray, sprinkled with a dash of balsamic vinegar and about a half-teaspoon of basil (or use 1 T of fresh basil if you’ve got it. Totally makes the meal). I throw in a few grape tomatoes at the end along with ¼ C of vegetable broth (you can use meat-based broth if you prefer) and 2 T of couscous, stir it up, and let it sit for five minutes. I know most couscous boxes say that ¼ to 1/3 cup is a serving, but seriously, that’s a LOT of couscous. Two tablespoons seems to be more than enough.

I want your couscous recipes! I especially like the ones that call for veggies so I can make it a meal. If you’ve got some, please share. Post them in a comment or send me an email.

Below is one of my favorite couscous recipes. It’s from the Weight Watchers site. I skip the raisins (gag me) and I often substitute carrots for the frozen peas. WW says it serves four, but I easily get six servings out of it.

I think we need to discuss brown rice soon, too. For a woman who hasn’t had her period in 15 months, I’m sure craving carbs this weekend. Hmm….. Could it be I’ll finally be a woman again soon? One can only hope.

Orange-Scented Couscous

1 1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup golden seedless raisins
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion(s), chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25cm) wedges
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 Tbsp slivered almonds
1 tsp orange zest, grated

In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, raisins, 1/2 tsp salt, the cumin, ginger, 1/8 tsp pepper and the cinnamon. Bring to a boil.
Add couscous and stir. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Sauté onion and garlic until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
Stir in peas, almonds and remaining salt and pepper. Heat to serving temperature, about 1 minute.
Transfer couscous to a bowl and fluff with fork. Add vegetables and orange zest. Toss to combine.