Recipe by Dayna Smith found in the Washington Post
I have to admit, I am not a packaged food kind of girl, but there are a few things I keep in the house, mostly for a really quick snack (because I am also not much of a snack food person either). The other day, I bought a package mix of couscous with toasted pine nuts. For a quick lunch, I cooked it up using our chicken stock, some sautéed chard and added some of the tomato sauce that was cooking on the stove. It was really delicious and I ate almost the entire pan. The great thing is, couscous takes no time to cook.
1 cup dried Whole-wheat Pearl Couscous
1 TB mild Olive Oil
3 medium cloves Garlic, finely chopped
**1 LB Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" long strips - works out to about 1 1/2 cups
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
3/4 lb Swiss Chard, tough part of stems removed, rinsed well and cut into 2" strips - about 4 cups
1/3 cup White Wine
2 TB Basil leaves, stacked, rolled tightly, then cut crosswise into very thin strips
*When I cooked the couscous I used our Chicken Stock to add some protein and flavor, because I wasn't adding any meat.
Cook the couscous according to the package directions. When the couscous is tender, use a fork to fluff and separate. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large (10 to 12") skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring, until just softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper to taste; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chard and white wine; cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chard starts to wilt. Uncover, stir and cook for about 3 minutes, until the chard has completely wilted. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes, then add the cooked couscous and toss to incorporate. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the basil, then taste; adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temp.
Gently stir in the basil, then taste; adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.
**I don't typically deal with peeling tomatoes, but if you want to do that, slice an x in the top of the tomato, boil a pot of water then turn the heat off. Put them all in and in a couple of minutes you will see the peel start to fold back at the x. Remove from the hot water, cool in chilled water, then core and peel from the x.