I am always on the run. Sometimes I have no idea how I am going to feed my face in the 20 minutes I have until I need to run out the door. I work late most days and after over an hour drive home sometimes nearly 2 hrs, I would rather sleep or just eat crackers instead of cook a meal. Alas, I said to myself at lunch the other day. I know you don’t want to cook anything darling but it is lunch and you need veggies not just carbs. SO I started looking through the cabinets and noticed we had Near East Couscous and grape/cherry tomatoes that were starting to wrinkle before completely going to rot. So here is what I made and plan to continue making as it was delicious.

Ingredients:

Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

1 1/4 cups water

Near East Flavor Packet (comes with couscous)

1 tbsp earth balance butter

5-10 grape/cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp crushed garlic in oil

2 tbsp dry basil

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1. Start by placing water, butter, and flavor packet in sauce pan.
2. Bring to boil stirring occasionally.
3. In a separate sautee pan place olive oil, garlic, and salt.
4. Cook until garlic browns slightly.
5. When saucepan is boiling add dry couscous, cover, and remove from heat.
6. Slice tomatoes into 4 pieces longwise making diamond-like tomato slices. Toss with basil and add to sautee pan.
7. Sautee tomatoes until bright red and basil is browned appearing almost black.
8. Remove sauce pan lid, fluff couscous and place into a bowl.
9. Serve with tomatoes on top.
10. Add a vegan parmesean for an extra kick. I use Galaxy brand. ENJOY!