Citrus and herb roasted vegetable couscous recipe

Channel 4 show Cookery School, fronted by Gizzi Erskine and Richard Corrigan, teaches you how to cook like a pro. This tasty couscous is put in the oven making it just that bit more fluffy and also gives it a bit of a crunch

Ingredients

Roasted vegetables

• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1½cm pieces
• 2 small courgettes, cut into 1½cm cubes
• 250g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1cm dice
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Couscous

• 350g couscous
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 450ml hot vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice and zest of 1½ unwaxed lemons
• 50g pine nuts, lightly toasted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
2. Roast the vegetables first. Place all the chopped vegetables on to an oven tray, sprinkle over the garlic, thyme and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, making sure all the ingredients are coated and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until slightly browned on the edges. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool a little. Leave the oven turned on.
3. Place the couscous in a medium-sized bowl. Add the spices, season with salt and pepper and stir well. Pour over the hot vegetable stock, stir once more and cover the bowl with cling film for the couscous to steam and the water to be absorbed.
4. After 5 minutes, remove the cling film and fluff up the mixture with a fork. Spread the couscous out on an oven tray and place back in the oven for 5 minutes to dry out a little.
5. Combine the couscous and the roasted vegetables together in a large bowl. Add the herbs, olive oil, lemon juice and zest and mix well. Taste and season with salt and pepper again if needed.
6. Place on a large plate or in a large bowl, perfect for sharing, and sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts.