Lemon Chickpea Couscous

I certainly got my feel-good workout endorphins going today! I took a break from work at lunchtime to do a walk/run interval sess around my neighborhood trail with Harley, and then this evening I boxed. I was a sweaty beast by the end of the class, and it felt great to get some hardcore exercise in. While my friend was in town I favored laying by the pool and drinking wine to working out and guzzling water like usual, so it was good to get back into my routine today (though it’s fun to take a break from the typical regimen, especially when it involves time with a good friend!).

Dinner

When I got home from the gym, I was in the mood to eat a lot of veggies. I had the last of my leftover couscous from last week’s dinner recipes to use (you can see those recipes here and here), and this is what I came up with:

Lemon Chickpea Couscous

Serves 1

• 1 cup of couscous (Near East wheat couscous with roasted garlic and olive oil)
•  1/2 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (Libby’s organic) 
  
• 1/2 red  bell pepper
• 1/2 vine ripe tomato
• 1/2 small zucchini
• slice of red onion
• white cooking wine (about 2 TBSP)
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• a few sprigs of parsley
• salt & pepper

Heat cooking wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Chop up pepper, tomato, zucchini, parsley and onion.

Add onion to sauce pan and cook for just a minute or so. Next add pepper, parsley and zucchini, and let cook for a few minutes until the veggies start to get tender.

Add beans and tomato to the pan, then pour lemon juice into the mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook for a few minutes until heated through. In the meantime, warm up couscous in the microwave.

Combine veggie mixture with couscous and enjoy.

Nutrition stats: 375 calories, 4 g fat, 16 g protein, 68 g carbs

Off to get some work done before I get too tired, good night!