Super Sides to the rescue

First piece of business. Mom, I must continue your Birthday Mania! and say to you-Happy Birthday.

:)

Ok, moving on....

So, most of my posts are for a main dish or dessert. Once in a while I like to throw a snack or side dish in the mix to liven things up a bit.

Well, today is one of those days. We had grilled pork loin chops today for dinner. They were wonderful. After a quick seasoning of Adobo seasoning and a bit of black pepper those chops were ready to cook.

The question remained what to serve with the meat besides steamed green beans picked from the garden. Hmmm.

I was looking for something really simple, but not the same old same old. I went through the list:

Rice, no.

Pasta, no.

Potatoes, no.

Then it came to me. Couscous.

Here's the lesson in couscous from Wikipedia:Couscous granules are made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat and then coating them with finely ground wheat flour. The finished granules are roughly spherical shape and about one millimetre in diameter before cooking.

I have shared other recipes for things such as Israeli Couscous soup that use a much larger diameter granule. What is being used for tonight's recipe is the 5 minute variety.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Couscous and Veggies
Serves 3

1 cup chicken stock
1 TBS margarine or butter
3/4 cup quick cooking, plain couscous
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2-3 artichoke hearts, canned in water, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan with a tight fitting lid, simmer stock and margarine. Once liquid comes to a simmer add couscous. Remove from heat and cover immediately.

Let sit for 5-6 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Gently add in all remaining ingredients.