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Dinner last night - Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend, rainbow chard, and a little chicken broth. That's all it takes for this quick and easy dish. It's so healthy we don't even want to think about it - it tasted really good too. The pearl couscous is tender and chewy; there's a marvelous mix of textures in that blend of grains. The chard is cooked until wilted with lots of garlic and everything is tossed together.

Add a little shredded chicken or crumbled sausage for a hearty one-dish meal; substitute vegetable broth to make it vegan. It's an utterly flexible dish, and we're going to the kitchen to eat our leftovers now!

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Israeli Couscous with Chard
serves 2

1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/4 cup Harvest Grain Blend or Israeli couscous
Drizzle olive oil
3 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon whole white cumin
1 dried red chili pepper (optional)
4 cups chopped chard
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Heat the broth to boiling in a small saucepan. Stir in the grains and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 10-14 minutes. Remove the lid and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Sliver the garlic and cook it on low heat with the cumin and chili pepper until soft and fragrant. Don't let it brown.

Add the chopped chard and turn the heat to medium. Saut' for about 5 minutes, or until it is beginning to wilt. Add the cooked couscous and the 1/4 cup of broth. Cook for another five minutes, stirring, until the broth has cooked off and the chard is fully wilted.

Add salt to taste, and vinegar, and serve.

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