A friend of mine made this the other day. It was so tasty I asked for the recipe. I thought ya'll might like it too :) I'm not a huge fan of raisins, but they were good in the dish. Couscous-Vegetable Medley Ingredients 1 cup vegetable broth 1 small onion 2 medium carrot 1 can crushed tomatoes, low sodium 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. cumin 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) low sodium, rinsed and drained 3 fresh small zucchini 1 bell pepper, green or red 4 tbsp. raisins 1 c. dry couscous 1/2 c. water 4 tbsp. sliced almonds Directions: Rinse and chop onion, carrot, bell pepper and zucchini,into bite-sized pieces, set aside. Place all the vegetables except zucchini and bell pepper in medium saucepan with canned tomatoes and half the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender (add more water if necessary). Add chickpeas, zucchini, bell pepper, raisins and spices; continue to simmer for another 5-6 minutes. In another saucepan, bring remaining broth and water to a boil. Stir in couscous, remove from heat, cover and allow to stand for about 5 minutes; stir in almonds and fluff with fork. Serve

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

If he likes eggplant, you could try this dish I sometimes make when we have vegetarian dinner guests. I would guess it's the texture he doesn't like and that will be the same from scratch or a mix. EGGPLANT-COUSCOUS ROLLS 2 1-lb. eggplants 4 tsp. olive oil 1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 3/4 cup + 2 Tbs. crumbled feta cheese 3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup spaghetti sauce Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil two baking sheets or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Trim both ends of the eggplants. Stand one eggplant on end and remove a thin slice of skin from two opposite sides and discard. Repeat with the second eggplant. Cut each eggplant into 6 or more 3/8 inch slices. Using 2 tsp. of the oil, brush both sides of the slices and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned and tender. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan, bring 1 1 / 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in couscous, thyme, and remaining 2 tsp. olive oil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Uncover and let cool for 15 minutes. With a fork, stir in 3/4 cup of the feta, 2 Tbs. of the mint and some pepper. Lightly oil a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or oil it with nonstick cooking spray. Place some of the couscous mixture in the center of each eggplant slice. Roll up the eggplant firmly around the filling and place, seam-side down, in the prepared dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, spoon spaghetti sauce on top and bake for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 Tbs. feta cheese and 1 Tbsp. mint before serving.

I'm glad you liked it, Lars. I've always made it in a 9" square pan and should probably change the recipe in my computer to reflect that. As in the last link in your post, the original recipe was from the Eating Well Rush Hour Cookbook, which I bought new in 1994. I've made many of the recipes in it and they'd all fall under the category of Healthy Meals. Here's the recipe for the carrot salad that's served beside it in the photo: CARROT SALAD 6 carrots (about 1 lb.) peeled and coarsely grated 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, preferably Italian 1 Tbs. lemon juice 1 Tbs. olive oil, preferably extra-virgin 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. ground cumin salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste In a medium bowl, toss all ingredients. Best served within one hour. Serves 4.