Couscous with cheese & peas

Actually tiny bits of semolina pasta, couscous comes in white or whole wheat, just like regular pasta. Making couscous is about as simple as it gets. Frozen peas reheat as the couscous reconstitutes for a super-fast side dish. 

1 cup (250 ml) couscous, regular or whole wheat 

1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh or frozen peas 

1 tbsp (15 ml) butter 

1/4-1/2 cup (60-125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan or old white cheddar cheese (or a combination) 

1. Put the couscous, peas and butter in a large glass or stainless steel bowl and pour 1-1/4 cups boiling water over top; cover with a dinner plate and let stand for 10 minutes. 

2. Fluff with a fork and stir in the Parmesan or cheddar, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Serves 2-4. 

226 calories, 4.5 g fat (2.9 g saturated fat, 1.3 g monounsaturated fat, 0.3 g polyunsaturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 8.8 g protein, 36.3 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre.