cheap, healthy, shelf-stable

Back when I was a student (for so, so many years), I needed good, healthy dishes that I could take with me in the morning and didn't necessarily need refrigeration.  Buying lunch can really add up quickly, and I've always been so frugal (Jeff calls it miserly cheap).  Now that I have a refrigerator near my office, I don't even need it!  I usually go home for lunch.  But still, this is one of my favorite meals to make for one, especially when I'm ready to take a break from a meat-centered repast.  

Tip:  to keep a bunch of parsley fresh for a long time in the fridge, I treat it like a bouquet of flowers:  put up on their stems in a cup of cold water and change the water frequently.  I've had parsley last as long as three weeks like this.

Couscous and Chickpeas

1/3 C dry couscous

2/3 C chicken broth

1/2 C canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

1 C chopped spinach

1/4 C chopped parsley

1 green onion, chopped finely

1 T olive oil

salt and pepper

wedge of lemon

Boil the chicken broth, then remove from heat, add the couscous, stir and cover.  Let sit for five minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Fluff the couscous with a fork and turn it out into a bowl.  Add chickpeas, spinach, parsley, and green onion and toss.  Dress with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.  516 calories altogether.