I am a big couscous fan. It is a fast, easy, healthy alternative to pasta and is just as satisfying.

There are  several noteworthy facts about couscous. Firstly, it is made from two different sizes of the husked, unground semolina of hard wheat. Its taste is nuttier and sweeter than rice. In addition, it incorporates the flavor of any food that is cooked with it.

Because it is very small it cooks much faster than pasta. And finally, you can throw it into a cold salad with parsley, mint, tomatoes and olive oil, which will give the salad extra depth and texture.

This recipe piqued my interest because it has a little bit of a mediterranean  flare. I am always looking for a good couscous recipe. This one made my list, and is courtesy of Finecooking.com.

I found this recipe to be simply delicious!

Ingredients for the Couscous

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper (about 10 oz.), cut into 1/4 inch dice
10 oz can (1 2/3 cups) couscous
3 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus 1/2 tsp. set aside
1/2 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
3-4 drops Tabasco or other hot sauce

Pre-heat oven to 325.

On a baking sheet, toast the almonds until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

In a small sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and sauté the red pepper until slightly soft, 3-4 minutes.

In a medium pan, bring 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of salt and the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil.

Pour in the couscous, turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for 5-7 minutes.

Add the red pepper, almonds, chickpeas and Tabasco to the couscous and fluff it with a fork.

Season with  remaining salt and pepper.

It’s that simple!