Couscous with tomatoes

In college, my nutrition professor ALWAYS talked about couscous and how good it is for you, and on and on and on. I finally tried it, and at first the texture kinda creeped me out. I have come to really like it, especially if you chill the dish overnight and eat it really cold. I'm really looking forward to these leftovers!! This comes together in NO time---you don't even cook couscous--you just pour boiling water over it and let it sit there. Cool in fridge. Consume. How easy is that??? The best part is that it tastes even better after it's been in the fridge a few days.

Couscous with tomatoes

Serves 4-6

2 cups dried couscous
2 ½ cups boiling water
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen fine beans
1 T tomato paste
½ t fennel seed
½ t dried chili
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t smoked paprika
1 t oregano
1 dash balsamic vinegar
14 oz plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 oz. frozen chopped spinach

1. Put all dry and frozen ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients and stir gently and leave covered for 5 minutes.
3. Heat or eat cold. You could add roasted garlic or parmesan to this dish.
**If serving right away, make sure your veggies are defrosted.

And the final Mediterranean inspired dish--a beef roulade stuffed with sundried tomatoes, feta cheese, and some herbs. It was pretty good and super tender, but I am not going to post the recipe. Not something I would probably make again just because I am not a big beef and gravy fan. I am willing to attempt another roulade though if anybody has any suggestions!