Couscous With Sautéed Mushrooms

No-Brussel-Sprouts's Note:

Couscous is a quick and easy side dish. This version uses vegetable broth but I'm sure it would be lovely with chicken or beef broth as well. This particular combination of ingredients just happened to be what I had in the pantry--feel free to make substitutions to suit what's in YOUR cupboards!

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 3

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth (or try beef or chicken stock)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion , diced
• 2 garlic cloves , pressed (or crushed and chopped)
• ½ red bell pepper , diced
• 1 -2 cup sliced mushrooms (I used white button, but feel free to try more exotic varieties)
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chives , finely chopped (or parsley or whatever you have for a nice fresh green "finish")
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. In a small pot with tight fitting lid bring 1-1/2 cups broth to boil.
2. Add 1 cup couscous.
3. Stir until broth returns to boil, cover with lid, remove from heat and let sit (covered) for at least five minutes.
4. Heat olive oil and butter in pan on medium high heat.
5. Add mushrooms and onions, and a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-5 minutes.
6. Add garlic and bell peppers and sauté for an additional 5 minutes until mushrooms are nicely browned and onion and peppers are tender.
7. Clear a spot in the middle of the pan and heat pine nuts, let them get a little brown if you like, it will bring out more of their flavour. (Or toast them separately - I'm just too lazy!).
8. Fluff hot cooked couscous with a fork, mix in sautéed mushrooms etc. Top with chives. Enjoy! (We love this recipe with grilled chicken thighs or steak, but it's a great addition to a meatless/vegetarian dinner as well!).

Reviews

[Texas Tornado]

This was really fantastic! I made it exactly as recipe states except for the pine nuts (I didn't have any), left off the parsley and added a little freshly grated Parmesan. My leftovers were a wonderful base to play with, and I wound up adding some black beans, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. This made it a great vegetarian lunch. Thanks for posting: great recipe on it's own with so many other possibilities!

[EmilyStrikesAgain]

This was a really great and quick after work meal. I used baby portobella's fresh from the mushroom farm and chives from my garden. Served with sauteed slices of marinated tofu. I think any sort of grilled veggies would compliment this.

[CarrolJ]

This was a very good recipe which was something completely different for us! I will make it again. I only made 1/2 recipe and there is barely any left at all. My DH said, "This 'rice' is really good!" I informed him it wasn't rice at all. Thanks for a very nice recipe. Made for SPRING PAC 2010