cous cous

Chorizo and Sugar Snap Pea Giant Cous Cous

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Chorizo and Sugar Snap Pea Giant Cous Cous (1)

I hope you were all able to enjoy a little sunshine over the weekend.

I’m trying (hubby isn’t aware of this yet) to turn our property into a smallholding. One day, he may come home to find that I’ve purchased a cow. I’m not at that stage yet, but I did spend my weekend tenderly looking after some plants I have grown from seed which I am hoping will reward me with bountiful veggies in a few months.

So, today, I went to the shop to buy ingredients for dinner and was loathe to spend all of that money on food. One red pepper for 79p?? It’s daylight robbery! Still, as I said, I have a couple of months to go before I can start harvesting any crops (providing I don’t accidentally kill all of the plants in the meantime) so I will have to suck it up for the time being.

As the weather has been beautiful today – stunning sunshine – I wanted something light and fairly salad like, so I decided on a cous cous dish. You can eat this hot or cold, though I prefer it hot, and is wonderful for lunch the next day.

This will serve 3-4 and will take no more than 30 minutes to make.

Chorizo and Sugar Snap Pea Giant Cous Cous (2)

Chorizo and Sugar Snap Pea Giant Cous Cous

1 tbsp olive oil

300g giant cous cous

150g chorizo

200g sugar snap peas

1 red pepper

1 small bunch spring onions

75g green olives

100g feta

1. Gently fry the cous cous in the oil in a large pan for a couple of minutes. Tip in 600ml water, and bring to the boil, stirring often. Cook until all of the water has been absorbed (approx 15 minutes), stirring so that it doesn’t stick. When the water has been absorbed, try the cous cous – if it’s still a bit crunchy, add a little more water.

2. Meanwhile, slice the chorizo and place in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry until golden on both sides, then add the whole sugar snap peas and chopped red pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Finely slice the spring onions, and chop the feta into chunks.

4. Finally, mix the cous cous, chorizo mix, spring onions, feta and olives together well. It’s ready!

Chicken Skewers with Giant Cous Cous

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Chicken Skewers with Giant Cous Cous (1)

I am back again, after another absence due entirely to laziness. So, new week, new resolve to share my recipes with you again. I have a backlog now! But, I’m sharing tonight’s dinner with you regardless because it is such a perfect Monday night meal.

Mondays are busy days. Or at least, it feels that way perhaps because of the shock of having to actually do things after the weekend!

I always get my food shopping delivered on Monday evenings, which means I have to plan a very quick meal because I’m never quite sure when it’s going to arrive, which is why this one is so perfect.

This would also be wonderful if you’re chancing the Spring weather and having a barbeque – the skewers would work brilliantly over charcoal.

This particular meal is ready in 15 minutes, and will serve 4. Enjoy, it’s a tasty one!

Chicken Skewers with Giant Cous Cous (2)

Chicken Skewers with Giant Cous Cous

400g diced chicken breast

1 tbsp ras-el-hanout

2 tbsps olive oil

300g giant cous cous

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 spring onions

1 pomegranate

100g feta

1 handful mint leaves

Salad leaves, to serve

1. In a bowl, mix your chicken with the ras-el-hanout, half of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. When all of the chicken is coated, thread each piece onto wooden skewers (about 4-5 pieces to each skewer) then cook in a griddle pan or on a barbeque over a high heat for approximately 10 minutes (until cooked through), turning often.

2. Meanwhile, pour the cous cous into a saucepan with about 600ml boiling water. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until soft, then drain.

3. Pour the cooked cous cous into a large bowl and add the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sliced spring onions, pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta and chopped mint. Mix well, taste, and season if necessary.

4. To serve, have a skewer each with a pile of cous cous and a handful of salad leaves.

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole with Cous Cous

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Mediterranean Chicken Casserole (2)

Because my weekend has been a bit higgledy piggledy, I didn’t do my usual weekly shop yesterday. So, today, I have been hunting through the fridge and freezer for some ingredients before I restock them again tomorrow.

In the freezer, I found some mini chicken breast fillets. Bonus! I knew I had cous cous in the cupboard; there was a jar of green olives hanging around, along with a jar of roasted red peppers, and there we had it – a meal was made.

This was also seriously easy to make and took less than 30 minutes. This will serve 4. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole (1)

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole with Cous Cous

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

400g chicken breast (chicken thighs would also work)

1 smal glass brandy

400g tin chopped tomatoes

500ml vegetable stock

200g green olives

200g jar roasted red peppers

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp oregano

1 green pepper

300g cous cous

1 tsp ras el hanout

1. Chop the onion and garlic and add to a large pan with the olive oil. Cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the chicken. Brown for 2-3 minutes (they don’t need to cook all the way through) then add the brandy. Allow to reduce.

2. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, olives, sliced red peppers, smoked paprika and oregano. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, adding the sliced green pepper for the final couple of minutes.

3. For the cous cous, tip into a large bowl with the ras el hanout and a little salt and pepper, and add 400ml boiling water. Leave to sit until all of the water has been absorbed.

4. To serve, pile the cous cous into bowls and top with the casserole, making sure you get plenty of the juice.

Chorizo and Scallops with Vegetable Cous Cous

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If you ever find scallops cheap, buy them up. They freeze really well and you can defrost the little ones so quickly for a delicious dish like this.

Everyone knows that chorizo and scallops work well together, but rather than being the star of a starter, in this dish they make a lovely Mediterranean style meal with bright, fresh flavours. The cous cous would work well on its own, and is fantastic for lunches, but the chorizo and scallops add another level with their sweet sauce.

This will serve 4 and takes about 20 minutes to make in total.

Chorizo and Scallops with Vegetable Cous Cous

150g chorizo

150g small scallops

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp runny honey

250g cous cous

2 red peppers

150g green olives

100g button mushrooms

100g feta

1 large handful flat-leaf parsley

1. For the cous cous, pour into a large bowl with 500ml boiling water. Sprinkle with a little salt and cover with a tea towel. Leave for 5-7 minutes until the cous cous has absorbed all of the water.

2. Fluff up with a fork, then add the finely chopped peppers, sliced mushrooms, olives, most of the chopped feta and most of the chopped parsley. Stir well and leave to one side.

3. For the chorizo and scallops, finely slice the chorizo and put in a frying pan over a high heat. Sizzle until the oil has been released and the chorizo is crisp.

4. Add the scallops and cook for another minute (depending on the size of the scallops), then stir in the balsamic vinegar and runny honey.

5. To serve, pile a mound of cous cous into each bowl, top with the chorizo and scallops (making sure you get plenty of the juice), then add a sprinkling of chopped parsley and crumbled feta.