This is a tasty and easy side dish that you can add to your files. If you haven’t made couscous, well . . . you should! The VERY basic directions for making couscous takes all of 8 minutes and 5 of those minutes are simply waiting for the couscous to set up, while the other 3 minutes are dedicated to making water or broth boil. Yeah. . . easy peasy, I tell you. Thus, couscous tends to be a go-to side dish for me because I can whip it up fast without much thought.
This version of couscous gets a little fancier, yet still doesn’t take all that much extra time. The flavor is elevated by the shallot and garlic, the peppers give it a great dimension of texture and taste, and oregano adds that nice bite of freshness I’m always looking for. What REALLY makes this dish sing is the lemon! I tasted it before the lemon and then I tasted it again after I squeezed the fresh lemon juice over it and I am not. even. kidding. The difference was HUGE! This is what really got me hooked on this version of couscous. It tastes so fresh and that lemon juice really accents each and every ingredient found within.
Go couscous!
Adapted from the Food Network
1/2 tablespoon (or 1 1/2 teaspoons) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 large shallot or 1/2 small red onion, minced
3 medium red, yellow, green or orange bell peppers or a mix, finely diced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2/3 cup low sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup whole wheat couscous
lemon wedges, for serving
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 2/3 cup broth, the bell peppers, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the peppers just begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the couscous, immediately cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 7 minutes.
Transfer to a platter or large bowl and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Serves 4.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 3/4 Cup)
Calories: 137.5
Protein: 4.4g
Carbs: 25.8g
Fat: 1.9g (0.3g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugars: 1.8g
Mimi's Fit Foods 