Couscous

Oatmeal lovers, be warned: This warm couscous topped with fragrant fruit compote is an incredibly easy way to start the day with real panache.

Merguez, the spicy lamb sausages of North Africa, are popular throughout France. These nearly labor-free patties are a quick way to re-create them in your kitchen. The sweetness of the raisin couscous contrasts nicely with the meat's deep spice.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body, by Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg. This tasty curry goes wonderfully on top of couscous and makes for a filling meal.

This vegetarian showstopper will bowl you over with its layers of flavor — one bite is enough to understand why it's often called one of the world's great dishes. Barley couscous, lighter and more aromatic than the well-known semolina version, serves as a nutty, fluffy base; tender-firm vegetables and a fragrant, golden broth are ladled over; and crunchy fried almonds and sweet onion confit add even more texture and flavor to the beguiling complexity.

Treat your taste buds to meals that incorporate all six flavors, like this one from Teresa Long, in-house nutritionist at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

This riff on traditional pasta salad gets an added layer of flavor from golden pearls of toasted couscous.

Lean, smoked chicken breast gets a special — and healthy — treatment in this creative mix. The couscous absorbs the citrus juices (or use quinoa for extra protein — it has the highest amount of all the grains) for a tartness that plays well off the sweetness of the grapes. The bed of arugula is more than merely dish dressing: It's high in calcium and magnesium, making it a bone builder.

To round out the meal: 1 cup lowfat pudding

Veggie perfection This nutrient-stuffed dish won't leave you hungry. What do you get when you give bell peppers center stage on your plate? A veggie-heavy meal that even a meat fiend will find too tempting to resist. Here we stuff antioxidant-rich bell peppers with couscous (a tiny, round pasta) and hardworking nutrient powerhouses like zucchini and yellow squash. The result? A meal low in fat, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins A and C.

Though not quite as tender, lamb shoulder chops have deeper flavor than rib chops and won't break the bank.

Couscous is one of the fastest side dishes to prepare, but this jazzed-up, garlicky rendition shows that it need not be bland. Serve it with the Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Paillards or with grilled Italian sausages.

We prefer wild salmon not only for ecological reasons but for its flavor, which is more mild than that of farm raised. Although limited varieties are available year-round, peak season begins in the spring, when the fish are caught en route to their spawning rivers.

This variation on paella uses Israeli couscous in place of rice.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Couscous, the basis of many North African dishes, is shaped like a grain but is actually a pasta made of semolina wheat. In fact couscous was incorporated into Italian cuisine when Arabs occupied Sicily six centuries ago. And so to flavor the following couscous we've used classic ingredients common to Sicily rather than North Africa-olives, peppers, capers, currants, and pine nuts.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This recipe was created to accompany Moroccan Lamb and Quince Stew. Cooking the couscous in 2 pans prevents lumps from forming. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.