No More Room

by Marisa

I knew I’d be hungry tonight since lunch was less than normal. I had planned on barbequed chicken thighs( just baked in the oven -too cold to grill outside-brr) and Gram’s Green Beans, but that would no way be enough. I decided to make some whole wheat couscous to go along with it. Have you ever tried couscous? Don’t be afraid – it’s really good. It is actually a semolina pasta. It’s teeny tiny – like little grains. Best of all, it only takes 5 min. to make! Here’s the kind I normally buy, but if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, there are plenty of varieties in the grocery store (generally in the rice aisle). Another plus, whole wheat couscous is only 3 pts. per cup (which is a LOT)…

As I said, I was making Gram’s Green Beans for a side. My Gram makes the most amazing green beans. I have tried to reproduce the way she does it, but it never would come out the same. Finally, she actually showed me what to do instead of just telling me – that’s a huge difference for some reason. Here’s what you’ll need to make them…

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large celery stalk, chopped

14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tsp. EVOO

That’s it! Just through all the ingredients in a pot, cover and cook until beans are well done. Try them, you’ll love them!

As if all that wasn’t enough, I had some baby portabellas that needed to be used up, so I sauteed them in a pan with nonstick spray and added 1 tbsp. barbeque sauce at the end.

This was one big dinner, but only 8 pts.! There was no more room on my plate for anything else…