Great thread, I am saving several of these. I am tired of the same old sides, too and have been wondering if I would like Tabbouleh. Now I will actually try it! I like Couscous, but Tim doesn't, so I don't make it very often. Here's a soup I recently made with barley that is wonderful! Mushroom, Barley and Beef Soup From "Living the GI Diet" by Rick Gallop 4-6 servings 1 T canola oil 8oz lean ground beef 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb mushrooms, sliced 1 carrot, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1T fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried) 2 T tomato paste 1 T balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 4 c beef broth (low-fat, low-sodium) 3 c water 1/2 c barley 1 bay leaf 1 can (15oz) black beans, drained & rinsed Heat oil in large deep pot over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, fo 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrot, celery and thyme and cook until all the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 15 minutes. Add tomato paste, vinegar, salt & pepper, stir to coat vegetables.Add the broth, water, barley and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes. Add the beans and heat through. Remove bay leaf before serving. Chicken option: You can use ground chicken or turkey for the beef and use chicken broth instead of beef broth. If you do decide to try "real" wild rice (LOL, Linda!), I have tons of recipes since I live in an area where it is practically a staple! Here is one: Wild Rice Casserole Source: My friend vicki 1 c wild rice 1/2 c butter 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced 3T grated onion 1/2 c slivered almonds 3 c chicken broth Place rice in colander and rinse with hot water. Heat butter in skillet and sauté rice until browned. Add mushrooms, onion and almonds, sauté until mushrooms are brown. Place browned rice mixture into casserole, pour broth over. Cover and bake at 325F until rice is tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Linda

Couscous takes the flavors of different liquids, herbs and seasonings quite well. Here's one way I make it: Lemon scented Couscous with Cranberries 1 1/2 c couscous (Moroccan style, not Israeli) Juice of one large lemon (appx. 1/3 c) + enough water to make up 1 1/2 c total liquid. 1 t sugar 1/2 t salt 1/4 t tumeric powder Zest of one lemon (be careful to get only the yellow, with as little pith as you can manage), appx. 1 packed t. 1 t brown mustard seeds (yellow are fine, though not as pretty) 1/4 t asafoetida powder* 1 large serrano pepper, quartered. 10 Kari leaves** 3 T chopped, dried cranberries 1/4 c coarsely chopped, raw cashews 2 T chana dal*** 1 green onion, chopped (appx 1/3 c) veggie oil for frying Bring water, lemon juice & tumeric to boil. Add couscous and stir for about a minute. Then cover saucepan, and remove from heat, setting aside to soften for 5 or 10 minutes. Fluff with a couple of forks until the grains are nicely separate. Deep fry the cashew pieces over a moderate heat until golden brown, remove from oil and set aside to drain. Repeat with chana dal. Reserve the oil. Heat enough of the reserved oil (med-high heat) in a large saute pan to ensure couscous doesn't stick. Add the mustard seeds, cover and gently shake the pan now and then until the popping of the seeds slows down. Remove cover and add the serrano pepper quarters, asafoetida, and Kari leaves, and saute until the leaves wilt and are fragrant. Add cranberries and couscous and toss to mix the ingredients and heat the couscous through. Remove from heat, and toss in the cashews, chana dal, lemon zest and green onions. Adjust for salt and serve. *Asafoetida is a strongly scented powdered spice made from the sap of a herbaceous perennial plant. It is available from Indian grocery stores, and is used much as we use garlic powder. A blend of onion and garlic powders can be substituted, but add it to the oil right before tossing the mustard seeds and kari leaves into the couscous rather than cooking it with them. **Kari leaves are also available in some Indian markets, fresh is best. There really is no comparable substitute, but the recipe will be very tasty made with a different fresh herb. A few fresh sage leaves would probably be my choice, but some fresh basil, minced rosemary, thyme or savory would be good choices as well. ***Chana dal is a small relative of the garbanzo bean, which is dried and split. It adds a nice crunchy texture and nutty taste to the couscous. Again, it is available at Indian markets. If you can�t find it, substitute extra cashews.

Thanks, Westelle, we love lamb (we had rack of lamb for Easter dinner) and this new recipe looks terrific.

Oh, yum - thanks for posting this! I will definitely try it when the weather cools down. Hope all went well at the doctor's visit! seagrass