Quick Herbed Couscous & Peas

From EatingWell: Summer 2003 — Subscribe Now!

By all means use fresh peas if you have them. And remember, the smaller they are, the less cooking time they'll need. (Frozen peas work fine if that's all you have.) To make this a little more substantial, you can—if you like—add a cupful of drained and rinsed canned chickpeas. Don't skimp on the herbs; the dish really shines with them.

4 servings, 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Bring broth and oil to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook peas in a medium saucepan of lightly salted water just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.
Add peas, parsley, mint, basil, lemon zest and pepper to the couscous; toss lightly with a fork. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Per serving: 296 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 7 g fiber; 357 mg sodium; 163 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Iron (15% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat