Recipe: Quick Couscous Paella with Crumbled Bacon

QUICK COUSCOUS PAELLA WITH CRUMBLED BACON

"I love paella but until this one I had not found a recipe than quick and easy enough for a weeknight dinner. This version uses couscous instead of rice, greatly reducing the cooking time.

You can stir in cooked sausage, shrimp, tofu or chicken instead of the bacon, but I like the combination of these flavors. Serve it with a spinach salad with diced oranges and slivered red onion."

6 strips bacon (turkey, pork, or vegetarian)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups hot vegetable or chicken broth (or use one 15-ounce can broth plus 1 1/2 ounces water)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup uncooked plain couscous

Cook the bacon according to the package directions until it is very crisp. Chop or break the cooked bacon into small pieces and set it aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium stockpot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the peppers, scallions, garlic, curry powder, and dry mustard and saute them for about 5 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally, until the peppers are softened.

Stir in the heated broth and bring it to a low boil. Stir in the peas and couscous. Cover the pan, remove it from heat, and let it stand for 5 minutes until the couscous has absorbed the broth.

Stir in the bacon just before you serve the paella.

Makes 6 servings
Adapted from source: The Six O'Clock Scramble: Quick, Healthy, and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families by Aviva Goldfarb