On the days I open up my fridge and see no milk, no juice, no bread, no cheese, no fruits, and no greens, I do two things:

• Sigh.
• And then make some plain pasta and/or order some food.

But I was determined to make something more interesting this time around, and just because there aren’t a lot of ingredients in the fridge doesn’t mean I can’t whip something up from the cupboards.

So ladies and gents, I surveyed the ingredients I did have and ended up making a remarkably delicious dish.

And fast.

Cranberry Couscous (Adapted slightly from The New Vegetarian Epicure)
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 3 3/4 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups plain couscous

Directions:

1. Slice onion into thin strips. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium/large pot over medium-high heat and saute until soft and lightly browned.
2. Add broth and cranberries to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add the couscous. Cover the pan and leave it to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let sit for 2-3 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

My Two Cents: This is a great side dish, but also works well for the main. Serve with steamed broccoli, edamame, or spinach.

For a non-vegetarian option, mix in cubed browned chicken to the couscous. I think I’ll do that next time to make it a bit more filling.

Original recipe called for 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, but that wasn’t enough. Plus, I love dried cranberries, so the more the merrier.

Not bad for having next to nothing in my fridge, eh?