Pearl Couscous and Veggies

I wasn't really in the mood to cook anything elaborate today, but I wanted a healthy dinner that would help me use up the contents of the veggie drawer in the fridge before things started to go bad.  I decided to throw almost everything in a pan, saute it for a bit, then add pearl couscous.  This was one of the easiest dinners I've made in a long time, and one of the healthiest.  Oh, and it tasted pretty darn good too!

Pearl Couscous and Veggies

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups water
• 2 cups pearl couscous
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 leek, rinsed and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1-2 handfuls shredded carrots
• 2 big handfuls spinach
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) garbanzo beans

Directions:

1. In a medium-large pot, bring water and salt to a boil.  Add pearl couscous, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pan.  Add leek and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent.
3. Add garlic, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add carrots and tomatoes.  Cook until most of the juice from the can of tomatoes is gone.
5. Add spinach and garbanzo beans, stirring frequently until spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat.
6. Add contents of pan to the couscous.  Stir and serve!

Notes:
This helped me meet my goal of cooking something other than soup with leeks.  Hooray!  If you don't have pearl couscous, this would probably also work with quinoa.

Comments

[Mjsee]

I was about to ask if it would work with Quinoa...and then I read the notes. YAY! I may have to make this when it's leak season again. (Seems like a fall/winter recipe to me, for some reason...)

[Stock Pots]

Wow, the ingredients looks so easy. I have a big family, I need to try this on a bigger stock pot. Thanks for the ingredients!

[Timothy Eastwood]

This dish, doesn't look boring, and this one can be adored by our kids! Might wanna try this one for my kiddos, so they'll grow healthier and they'll love veggies even more.