Not as good as Marlen's

Spanish-Style Couscous
Favorite Brand Name Slow Cooker Casseroles and More Copyright 2002

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (about 14 ounces) beef broth
1 small green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
½ medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous I used whole wheat couscous

Heat skillet over high heat until hot. Add beef; cook until browned. Pour off fat. Place broth, bell pepper, onion, olives, garlic, cumin, thyme and beef in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours or until bell pepper is tender. I actually did this on the stovetop - I sautéed the peppers and onion with the meat and then let everything simmer for a while..

Bring water to a boil over high heat in small saucepan. Stir in couscous. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes; fluff with fork. Spoon couscous onto plates; top with beef mixture.

Makes 4 servings

This was basically picadillo but not as good as Picadillo a al Marlen. Still good, just not as flavorful as Marlen's recipe. I had a box of whole wheat couscous waiting in the cupboard, which is what made this recipe jump out at me.

I feel burned out. Last night was my regular recipe planning night and instead I watched the American Idol finale and I didn't even crack open a cookbook. Next week might be a week of rerun recipes since we have some travel and family gatherings going on this weekend.

Question of the Day: Do you ever make couscous?