Why I thought it was a good idea to roast vegetables on the hottest day of the year, in my tiny 2 bedroom flat is beyond me but I’ve never claimed to be the smartest tool in the box… Hang on that doesn’t sound right. Why would a tool need to be smart? Let’s check Google…
Right so it’s the ‘sharpest’ tool in the box. Think I’ve just proved my point.
Anyway, my mum used to make a Delia Smith recipe similar to this one, she even managed to dig the book out for me to look at but the recipe was so long I got bored and walked off. I mean it’s hardly rocket science is it? Make some couscous, roast some veg, top with cheese, BOOM! Come on Delia sort it out, I don’t have 9 hours to make my dinner. Actually I should be nice to Delia, she launched Sainsbury’s Magazine back in 1993 who currently employ me, so I should stop talking now. Love you Delia, you da best!
Roasted vegetable couscous with goats cheese & harissa
Serves 4 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 1 hour 10 mins / V
250g couscous
350ml vegetable stock, I use Knorr
½ red onion, peeled and roughly sliced
1 medium aubergine, cut into chunks
5 baby leeks or 1 regular roughly chopped
Handful cherry tomatoes, roughly 10
200g butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into chunks (I buy it already peeled and chopped)
1 red pepper, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tbs olive oil
150g vegetarian firm goats cheese
Handful fresh basil, chopped
Harrissa dressing
Juice of a lemon
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 tsp harrissa paste
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Measure out your couscous and pour into a large bowl. Pour over the vegetable stock, making sure all the couscous is covered. Cover the bowl with cling film and put to one side.
2. Roughly chop the aubergine, red onion, red pepper and butternut squash and put into a large roasting tray. Scatter with a handful of cherry tomatoes, whole baby leeks and the peeled and bashed garlic cloves. Add the olive oil and give it a good mix until the vegetables are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make your dressing by combining the juice of a lemon, harrissa paste, honey, extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put to one side.
4. By now your couscous should be nice and soft. Uncover the bowl and using a fork, scrape across the top to start loosening it. Keep the pressure light and keep scraping until you get to the bottom of the bowl and your couscous looks light and fluffy. Put to one side.
5. After half an hour, carefully remove your veg from the oven, give it a bit of a shake and pop back in for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop a handful of basil leaves and cut your goats cheese into chunks and put to one side.
6. Once your veg is roasted, remove from the oven but leave the oven on. Carefully scoop out the veg and pop it onto a plate. Then in the same baking tray, spread out the couscous and top evenly with the roasted vegetables. Scatter with goats cheese and put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes. Serve topped with fresh basil and good drizzle of Harissa dressing.
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian
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