Couscous with Corn and Vidalia Onion

Couscous is a key ingredient in my pantry. I always have it handy for a last minute side dish. I buy the whole wheat version from Trader Joes- it is a lot healthier and tastes the same as the regular one. I always cook couscous with chicken broth- it gives the dish a lot more depth of flavor than using salted water. Couscous is very versatile- it goes with all sorts of cuisines. I have served it with Italian meatballs, Indian chicken, fish or lentils– sky is the limit.  To start the dish, I always add an aromatic- like an onion or garlic; herbs like thyme, rosemary or oregano; vegetables like corn, spinach or peas.  I sometimes like to add raisins or dried apricots and nuts like pine nuts or almonds. In this case I kept it simple- I had a vidalia onion and thought roasted corn will go really well with the jerk chicken I was making. The cinnamon in the couscous compliments the chicken really well also.  I finished the dish off with fresh cilantro. The left overs are delicious on top of a green salad and a protein.

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole wheat couscous
½ cup frozen roasted corn
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

In a medium bowl, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Saute on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, till the onions are soft. Add the corn, cinnamon, salt and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, add the couscous and place the lid and turn the heat off. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Take the lid off, fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and add the cilantro.