Hearty Veggie Couscous

My first ever experience cooking with couscous and it was a success! Just -look- at the deliciousness! I think maybe couscous would be the result if rice and spaghetti had babies...lots of them. Anyways, thanks to the garbanzo beans and cashews this side dish can stand alone as a filling main dish. Also, this dish pulls together pretty fast since couscous takes no time to cook. I look forward to incorporating it into more recipes in the future!

1 tablespoon Earth Balance spread
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked whole-wheat couscous
1/2 cup chopped cashews

In a large saucepan melt the spread and oil together on medium heat. Add in the garlic and seasoning and saute until garlic is fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add both types of onions and cook for another couple minutes then add the tomato, mushrooms and beans. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally and then pour in the water and salt. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the couscous, stir until well incorporated, remove pan from heat and cover pan with lid. Let sit for about 5 minutes until couscous absorbs all the liquid. Stir in the cashews and serve. Yield: 3-4 servings