Thrifty Maven

This Saturday I will be hosting a Near East In-Home Party. My party was made possible by the people at Near East, Mom Select, and BSM Media. They provided me with EVERYTHING I would need to post a party including products to send home with my guests.

I asked the people at Mom Select if it would be OK to share the recipe that came with my party pack because it is what we will be serving at our party. We already did a run through on this recipe and the Thrifty Family give this dish a big yum yum!

This recipe and video were featured on the Near East Around the World In 5 Minutes section. I don’t know about you but I just love when sites include videos showing you how to prepare a dish. If you’re looking for something new and different make Dad this Father’s Day.

Italian Capicola Ham with Sweet Bell Pepper Couscous

Ingredients

Couscous:
1 1/4 Cups water
1/4 Cup frozen peas
2 Teaspoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh basil
1 Package Near East Parmesan Couscous
(includes Spice Sack)

Sauté:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Bunch green onions, cut thickly on an angle
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Each medium red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Cup crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 Ounces Capicola ham, cut in strips
(Italian salami makes a good substitute)
1/4 Cup Italian black olives
1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh basil

Preparation Instructions

Boil water; add peas, olive oil and contents of Spice Sack. Simmer for a few seconds. Stir in couscous and basil, cover, remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous lightly with fork before serving.

While couscous is standing, in a large skillet sauté, on medium-high heat, in this order: olive oil, green onions, garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, crimini mushrooms, Capicola ham, Italian black olives and 1 tablespoon basil, stirring constantly to ensure that the garlic doesn’t burn. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables are slightly tender. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly grated black pepper.

Serve the sauté over the couscous and top with freshly grated parmesan, if desired.

Tip: Make the dish vegetarian by omitting the Capicola ham.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (recipe makes about 5 servings):

210 Calories, Fat 7g, Protein 11g, Carbohydrates 31g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 690mg, Fiber 4g

In keeping the current FCC Guidelines I want you to know that I received FREE Near East products in conjunction with this blog post. Near East did not influence my opinions expressed here as a result.