Creamy Couscous Almond Pudding served with Seasonal Fruit

This creamy and rich recipe is a great way to start or finish your day, as it is ideal for breakfast or dessert. Whole grains provide essential minerals such as chromium, which help insulin to regulate blood sugar. Grains also provide B vitamins, which are essential for cell reproduction and help to manage stress. Almond milk and date sugar can be found in the health section of large supermarkets, in natural food stores, or your local specialty cooking store. You can also make your own almond milk by soaking almonds in water, pureeing the two in a blender, and then filtering the puree through cheesecloth.

1 3/4 cups (435 mL) almond milk
1/3 cup (75 mL) date sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 cup (175 mL) uncooked whole wheat couscous
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) almond extract
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 125 mL) natural vanilla yogourt to thicken
1/3 cup (80 mL) pistachios, as garnish
Cinnamon, as garnish

In a saucepan, combine almond milk, date sugar, and cinnamon stick. Simmer over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 30 minutes, until grain is plump and thickened. Stir in almond extract. Add yogourt to achieve desired consistency. The pudding will thicken a little as it cools. Pour pudding into 6 dessert dishes and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with pistachios and cinnamon and serve with seasonal fresh fruit. Serves 6.

source: "Your Vegetable Garden May Be Your Best Nutrient Source", alive #374, August 2005