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While trying to make a fulfilling dinner, I usually pore over the main course while consistently neglecting any alternative foods for my plate. Sure, we can grab a bag of premade salad, but sometimes this just bores me to my core.

Then I learned about couscous.

Couscous and I became fast friends after I created her from the suggested sides of a recipe from the Martha Stewart App Store app. Thanks, Martha. I am in your debt.

These are what you’ll need:

• 3/4 C. Couscous
• 1/2 bag of Peas
• 1 C. Water
• A couple tablespoons of Butter

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.
2. Throw in frozen peas. Cook for time, less 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, pour in couscous, and cover.
4. Let sit 5 minutes then toss in butter.
5. Fluff with a fork and you’re done!

Barely more than five minutes and you have a yummy special side.

Pretty!

I made a delicious pasta that required a mix-in of chopped roasted almonds. Having no roasted almonds, but tons of raw almonds, I decided to roast my own plain almonds.

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil
3. Lay your almonds on the cookie sheet in a single layer
4. I coated my almonds with cooking spray to help it retain moisture, but you could also brush on vegetable oil for the same effect
5. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes

And you’re done! Yummy! I’d like to try this with olive oil instead of cooking spray – I am interested in the flavor differences between olive oil and normal vegetable oil.

After this I used a utility knife to chop the almonds into equal sized pieces, but you could also use a food chopper if you wanted to save time. I sometimes use my KitchenAid Food Chopper – difficult to clean, but faster than a knife and cutting board.