Savory Bites: Couscous with Mint, Peas and Toasted Pine Nuts

Ina Garten's Couscous with Mint and Peas

The Occasion: The perfect easy side dish for a weeknight dinner when the same ol’ rice and potatoes just won’t do.

Why This Recipe: Because it comes from Ina Garten, one of my favorite TV chefs and cookbook author. Love her! Such a happy hostess with an easygoing yet sophisticated style. Her catchphrase -- “How bad can that be?” – says it all. And there’s nothing bad about this quick and easy side dish. Just a little prep work on your part and then the couscous cooks itself. 

The Playlist: A couple of savory tunes to whet our appetite while reading onward.

Click on the names to visit the artists’ websites – J.D. McPherson + Robbie Fulks.

These gents get a little toasty too, as well as the pine nuts!

The Verdict: The verdict is I’m a dummy for not making couscous more often! 

This tastes really good and will complement almost any featured protein, especially if there’s a little sauce or pan juices. In this case we served it with fish fillets and a marinated veggie salad. You can swap out the herbs if you want – oregano, parsley, dill, or basil would all be good. 

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Couscous with Peas, Mint, and Toasted Pine Nuts
Recipe source:  Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
• 1 cup couscous
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 ounces frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/4 cup julienned fresh mint leaves (a good handful), loosely packed
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil.
• Stir in the couscous, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and put the lid on. Turn off the heat and allow the couscous to steam for 10 minutes.
• With a fork, fluff the couscous and stir in the peas, mint, and pine nuts.
• Season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, you can add ½ more teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings