Mixed Vegetables and Couscous for Lunch

Couscous can be used to prepare a cheap and filling lunch (well, I think it’s filling). I buy plain couscous at my supermarket for less than $3.50 a pound. For those who are not familiar with couscous, it’s basically wheat granules. I use it rather non-traditionally to prepare a sort of stir-fry with vegetables. I don’t use many spices in this recipe. The flavor comes from sautéing the vegetables alone with salt and pepper and then adding the couscous.

Try it and let me know what you think? What other spices would you add?

Niki’s Mixed Vegetables and Couscous

by The Cooking Accountant 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1 1/3 cups water
• salt, to taste

• 1 cup frozen vegetables
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. 

Once it has started to boil, add a pinch of salt. 

Now, add the couscous and turn off the heat. 

Stir the couscous. 

Move the saucepan off to a cool burner (so it doesn't continue to cook). 

You are going to let it sit there for 5 minutes until it absorbs the water. 

You won’t believe me until you see it, but the couscous will start to drink in all the water. 

Now let’s cook the vegetables! 

In a skillet add the oil and let it get hot. As I said before, don’t wait too long for a non-stick skillet because the oil will heat up pretty fast and you don’t want it start to burn. 

Now add the frozen vegetables to the oil and take a step back! Seriously, use a splatter screen or lid to block your face from the splatters. Frozen vegetables have ice on then and when it melts into the hot oil, splatters will occur for a few seconds and you don’t want them flying into your face. Trust me. 

Use your spatula to move the vegetables around. 

When they start to get soft, add a dash of salt and pepper. 

Continue to cook until they become tender. 

Now add the couscous to the vegetables in the skillet and stir around with the vegetables. 

Add more salt and pepper if you want. 

When the couscous looks dry, the dish is ready. Plate and enjoy!

Details

Yield: 1 serving