Apricot Couscous

This makes a great side dish for chicken or pork. It’s even good as a cold salad.

1/3c celery; diced
1/3c red onion; diced
1/4c scallion; diced
1/3c red bell pepper; diced
1/4c dried apricot halves; diced
1/4c dried cranberries
2T rice wine vinegar
1c broth (chicken or vegetable)
1c whole wheat couscous; uncooked
2T slivered almonds; toasted
2t olive oil

- sautee celery, onion, and bell pepper with olive oil in a sauce pan until translucent.
- deglaze the pan with the vinegar and then add the apricots and cranberries
- add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil
- once the broth has boiled, add the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- add the scallions and almonds to the couscous and fluff with a fork

Helpful Hint
You can toast almonds on the stove in a dry pan or on a cookie sheet in a 350* oven. Whichever method you choose, be sure to keep an eye on them. When nuts start to warm, they release their oils and can go from almost ready to burned in a very short amount of time.

Serves 4