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I was given a free one month subscription to Weight Watchers to try their new Simple Start plan and write about my experience. Though I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own.
We’ve just completed our first week on Weight Watchers’ Simple Start program – and thanks to great recipes like this Couscous with Lentils and Vegetables, it’s been easy to stay on a healthier (and delicious) eating plan! My favorite jeans are already feeling a little looser in the waist these days and I’m thrilled!
The Simple Start program includes two weeks of recipes and meal ideas that have helped us get off to a great start on the Weight Watchers program! The Simple Start app is easy to use – you can select a specific meal that you want to make like we show you here:
Or – you can create your own meals and recipes using a list of nutritious and satisfying ‘power’ foods that are all part of the Simple Start plan! The app is on my phone so I’ve used it at the grocery store as my shopping list (so convenient!) – and we’ve even created some recipes you’ll see here featured here on A Family Feast!
We’ve made quite a few of the recipes that are included in the Simple Start program – including our adapted version of this delicious couscous with lentils and vegetables! It’s made with whole wheat couscous and has lentils for protein, plus a healthy serving of vegetables including red onion, mushrooms and tomatoes.
This couscous with lentils and vegetables can be served as a single vegetarian meal or as a side dish for two.
Adapted recipe reprinted with permission from Weight Watchers.
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Couscous with Lentils and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 ounces uncooked lentils
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
- 1/3 cup whole wheat couscous
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 5 medium mushrooms, quartered
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 10 red and/or yellow grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, heat one cup broth and lentils to boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside. If all the liquid evaporates before lentils are cooked, add a little water to finish cooking.
- In a microwave safe bowl, place ½ cup vegetable broth, butter or oil and microwave until mixture is boiling. Remove from the microwave, add couscous, stir and cover. Let sit for five minutes covered. Then fluff with fork and set aside.
- Once lentils and couscous are cooked, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and garlic. Cook for about one to two minutes and add onions and mushrooms. Increase heat to medium high and sauté for about five minutes until mushrooms and onions are cooked. Add optional pepper flakes and tomatoes and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add fresh basil, cooked lentils and cooked couscous and cook just until at serving temperature. Season to taste.
- Serve immediately.
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You may also like these other Simple Start recipes:
Baked Tilapia with Quinoa and Garlicky Green Beans
Added lemon juice , olives and tuna. Was a very helpful recipe would recconmend
Great suggestion!
I wish you would share some of the recipes you created from the Simple start ingredients. I don’t like fish except for shell fish. I want to do this, however I don’t want to go strictly day by day menus,.
Thanks for writing to us Vickie! You are right, the majority of our blog recipes are not geared to someone on the Simple Start program, but we do have some recipes on here that would fit into the plan – we just haven’t called them out specifically for the program. The Weight Watchers website as well as their cookbooks have a ton of recipes which are very delicious! That might be a great option for you as you look for additional meal ideas.
If you are looking for some recipe ideas here on our site, a few others I could point you to include:
https://www.afamilyfeast.com/spaghetti-squash-gremolata/
https://www.afamilyfeast.com/wheatberry-salad-with-cranberries-feta-and-orange-citronette/
https://www.afamilyfeast.com/greek-chicken-roulade/
https://www.afamilyfeast.com/lentils-with-brown-rice-and-feta/
https://www.afamilyfeast.com/zesty-chicken-with-shallots-capers-and-olives/
Otherwise, when we aren’t cooking for the blog, we keep things fairly simple – salads, grilled lean meats, vegetables, and whole grains. I hope that helps! Martha
Yum! This looks amazing. Pinning to try next week.
Thank you Danielle!
This looks absolutely delish! Can you use chicken stock in lieu of the vegetable stock? Not a fan of vegetable stock.
Oh yes – absolutely Cheryl! We cook the quinoa in chicken stock all the time and it’s delicious! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I have always had good luck with Weight Watcher recipes. I just made some baked cod from one of their cookbooks this week and it was really, really good! This sounds like such a delicious side dish and I actually have a package of cous cous in my pantry! Sauteed veggies and cous cous are a great pair!
Thanks Becki! Me too! I love how they add a ton of flavor to their recipes without a lot of fattening ingredients! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
We tried couscous for the first time the other night, and it was so delicious. This makes me want another dish.:)
Thanks Mel! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Are you sure you are not a food stylist? You make me want to run out and buy all the ingredients tonight! I am doing Simple Start too and now I know I will try this recipe
Thanks so much Shelley! (No – not a food stylist!) 🙂 I’ll be sure to check out your Simple Start posts too!
You are amazing! Seriously, please send some of this my way. I have been on the hunt for some great vegetarian dishes and this looks incredible.
Thanks so much Jillian!
Oh My! I just ate the pasta with Meat sauce for dinner tonight from the Simple Start app; but I think I should have eaten this instead! Yum!
Lol Amber! The meat sauce recipe looks delicious! It’s on my to try list too! Thanks for stopping by!