Dinner for 4 for less than $3

Tired of turkey yet? Ready for something completely different? Lighter, maybe, but still flavorful? A nice diversion from the traditionally heavy Thanksgiving dishes? Let’s throw in easy to prepare and inexpensive—a total cost of $2.90, or $0.73 per serving.

Southwest Couscous and Black Bean Salad is a vegetarian main dish that can be served warm or at room temperature. It’s high in fiber, low in fat, saturated fat and sodium, and contains no cholesterol. And it’s real food, made with whole grain, beans and vegetables.

Southwest Couscous and Black Bean Salad

©2009 Carol Wiley Lorente, from the upcoming book, The Frugal Vegetarian (Frugal Living Press)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup couscous, preferably whole-wheat

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained well

5 small tomatoes (such as Campari), cut into fourths or sixths, or 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 can (15 ounces) corn, rinsed and drained well

1 green onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or more to taste

1 small jalapeño, cored, seeded, and minced

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

Juice from 2 limes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)

1. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in couscous and olive oil. Return to a boil. Cover. Remove from heat. Set aside while preparing the rest of the recipe.

2. In a large bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and bell pepper. When couscous has absorbed all the water, fluff it with a fork, and add it to bean mixture. Stir well. Mix in lime juice. Serve warm, cold, or room temperature. Makes 4 (3/4-cup) servings.

Per serving: 324 calories; 11g protein; 4g total fat; 0.6g sat fat; 63g carbohydrates; 23mg sodium; 0mg cholesterol; 10g fiber

Note: The day I shopped for the ingredients for this recipe, cilantro was on sale for $1 for three bunches; limes were $1 for 15, black beans were $0.79 a can, and tomatoes were a twofer at $1 for 2 pounds. The box of couscous from the Middle Eastern food aisle was $2.29 for a 17-ounce box; the name brand, by the way, was $2.59 for a 10-ounce box.

Cost of recipe: $2.90

Cost per serving: $0.73

Black beans $0.79

Cilantro $0.15

Corn $0.69

Couscous $0.33

Green onion $0.05

Jalapeño $0.05

Limes $0.14

Red bell pepper $0.45

Tomatoes $0.25

Staples: Olive oil, salt, pepper

Enjoy.—Carol Wiley Lorente