Pearl Couscous Salad with Roasted Veg and Goats Curd

Pearl cous cous with roasted veg and buffalo mozzarella, 1eighty kitchen weekly meal plan

Serves: 2

Time: 30 minutes

Pearl couscous, (otherwise known as Israeli couscous) is visually a beautiful product to use. It also feels rather cool to eat so I find it to be a winner with my son as its plain of course. In this recipe I have paired it with some vibrant coloured veggies which are kind of on the high end side in terms of quality, zucchini flowers are gorgeous visually and taste amazing. Goats curd is up there as one of my favourites so if your feeling like this might be a touch too glam for a weeknight meal then you could instead try serving this one up for a casual night in with friends beside a rib roast, (bone on for the show factor).

Make It A Meat Eater's Dinner

Need a little protein? Pre heat oven to 200c fan forced. Season rumps really well with salt and pepper and cook skin side down in an oven-safe fry pan for 4 minutes to get a lovely crispy skin, flip and pop in oven for 20 minutes. Once cooked rest for at least 6 minutes.

Leftovers

This is a fabulous salad the next day, but I would suggest chopping the baby carrots and zucchini flowers down a bit to make for easier eating.

What you'll need

500g of pearl or Israeli couscous (the larger round balls)

2 bunches of baby carrots

1 packet of zucchini flowers

1 packet medley cherry tomatoes

1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup flaked almonds

200g tub goat curd

From the pantry

olive oil

salt and pepper

Feeding Four

We often just eat salad for dinner but when feeding four I would suggest adding some protein instead, a rib roast if entertaining or some scotch fillet steaks, but this is just a suggestion.


Prep and Cook

Preheat Oven to 200c

Cook Couscous

Place the couscous into a medium sized pot and rinse off all the excess starch. (I like to do this at least 3 times, similar to washing white rice). Drain off the water and return to the pot with 3 cups of water.

Place on the stove and bring up to the boil.

Reduce heat and cover with a lid, cook for 15 minutes then take off the heat and allow to steam for 5 minutes till all the moisture has been absorbed.

Remove the lid, check they have absorbed all the liquid, are cooked al dente and fluff with a fork.

Take some out and set aside for tomorrow’s lunch.

Roast Veg

Wash and dry baby carrots, and remove excess stalks.

Toss in oil with salt and pepper. Line a baking tray with paper and spread your carrots across half the tray. Put in the oven for 10 minutes.

Toss the zucchini flowers and cherry tomatoes with oil, salt and pepper. When your carrots have been in the oven for 10 minutes take them out and place the zucchini flowers on the empty half of the tray and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Toast Almonds

On a tray in the oven for 8 minutes.

Finish Salad

Wash and roughly chop the parsley.

Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice into a mixing jug along with roughly 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a good couple of pinches of sea salt flakes and cracked pepper.

Plate it Pretty

Mix the couscous with the fresh herbs and dressing, check the seasoning and then spoon out onto your dish. Make a slight mound around where you want the goat curd to sit.

Crisscross randomly the carrot and zucchini flowers and then scatter the almonds over top.

Place the goat curd in the centre and drizzle with olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.

Enjoy!


Lunch tomorrow

Chop down the remaining veg then add back into the salad and break apart the remainder of the cheese, mix everything together and you’ve got lunch for tomorrow.