Name: Roasted chorizo and vegetables with couscous
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 2-3 people
Ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil; 1 tbs honey; 1 tbs harissa; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 red onion (cut into wedges); 1 red capsicum (sliced); 300 g pumpkin (sliced); 1 zucchini (sliced); 200 g tinned chickpeas (rinsed and drained); 1 chorizo (sliced); 1 cup wholemeal couscous; 1 tbs lemon juice; 1/4 cup fresh herbs ((such as mint and parsley)); Mixed salad leaves to serve

Roasted chorizo and vegetables with couscous

If I had to name my top 3 grains, couscous would definitely be right up there. For not only does it taste good, it is really quick and easy to prepare (aka. the two winning factors in my dinner-making book).

I generally reach for the couscous when I have something spicy or herb-filled on the menu. For it seems to lend itself to Mediterranean-style meals, adding some ‘filler’ without adding too much flavour to what is already a bold-flavoured meal.

So when I had a big batch of vegetables and spicy chorizo roasting in the oven a while ago, it was little surprise that I made a bowl of couscous to serve alongside. Flavoured simply with a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh herbs.

A dinner bowl packed with flavour – with the couscous being the star accompaniment for sure!

Roasted chorizo and vegetables with couscous

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs honey
1 tbs harissa
1 tsp ground cumin
1 red onion cut into wedges
1 red capsicum sliced
300 g pumpkin sliced
1 zucchini sliced
200 g tinned chickpeas rinsed and drained
1 chorizo sliced
1 cup wholemeal couscous
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh herbs (such as mint and parsley)
Mixed salad leaves to serve

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs honey
1 tbs harissa
1 tsp ground cumin
1 red onion cut into wedges
1 red capsicum sliced
300 g pumpkin sliced
1 zucchini sliced
200 g tinned chickpeas rinsed and drained
1 chorizo sliced
1 cup wholemeal couscous
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh herbs (such as mint and parsley)
Mixed salad leaves to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C. Line a roasting dish with baking paper, and spread over the chopped onion, capsicum, pumpkin and chorizo.
Combine the oil, honey, harissa and cumin, and pour over the vegetables and chorizo. Bake for 30 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and zucchini to the baking tray, and continue to roast for a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place couscous in a bowl with 1.5 cups of boiling water. Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes, or until cooked. Fluff the grains with a fork, and then stir through the lemon juice and herbs.
Serve the couscous with the roasted chorizo and vegetables, along with some mixed lettuce leaves.

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Easy pearl couscous salad

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on December 12, 2016 | 1 Comment

The tree is up, presents are wrapped, and the girls are well and truly in festive mode.

Yes, Christmas is coming, and I must say – I’m pretty excited.

Sure – our social schedule looks a little crazy (actually, the kids’ social schedule looks a lot crazy), and little J thinks its pretty fun to remove all the baubles from the lower half of the Christmas tree on a daily basis, but we are heading into the holiday break with gusto.

And while there has been a lot of eating out (and takeaway on the way home from various events), there have also been some home-cooked meals. One such meal featured this rather tasty salad – when I had a particular craving for this almost pearl couscous.

And boy was it simple and quick to throw together.

Pearl couscous, cooked for 8 minutes or so, to which I added cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil – to give the dish a little Mediterranean vibe.

No recipe needed, lovely people. Just add the lemon juice and olive oil to taste, with a little cracked pepper for good measure. And feel free to throw in any other fresh herbs you might have on hand too.

Stir, and serve (in a little Christmas bowl if you are feeling so inclined!).

We dished this salad up with some baby spinach and grilled chicken. And it made for a wonderful lunch the next day, when the flavours had developed even more.

A lovely little Summer salad indeed.

Falafel with simple couscous salad and tahini yoghurt

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on February 18, 2015 | 1 Comment

Well, lovely people, I am pleased to report that my cooking mojo is BACK!! Gone are the pregnancy-induced “must only eat carbs” cravings, and my taste for salads and desire to cook have returned. Thank goodness. On the menu earlier this week? Falafel with a simple couscous salad and tahini yoghurt. Although I did cheat and buy some pre-made falafel (an ill-fated decision, on reflection, as these were quite dry). As for the accompaniments, well these came together really simply. Yoghurt and tahini – mixed together to make a ‘sauce’. A touch of lemon juice or zest would have been wonderful – but sadly our lemon tree is struggling at the moment… Also – a couscous salad – made simply with couscous (duh), chopped fresh tomato and parsley. I threw some pita breads in the oven too – and we soon had ourselves quite the mid-week feast! As I mentioned above, the falafel were quite dry – but the tahini yoghurt did overcome that to some extent (as well as being a great ‘dip’ for the pita bread). Actually, it reminded me just how much I love tahini – so expect to see it in many future dishes Delish! What about you? Are you a fan of tahini?

Cajun beef couscous salad

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on January 29, 2014 | 1 Comment

Hi there lovely people *waves*. I’m still here, a little more frantic than I would like to be, but it is what it is. We had a brilliant long weekend – filled with many adventures, and a birthday BBQ for Mr BBB (or as he preferred me to call it…”the non-birthday birthday BBQ…). But as a short week generally means a full week’s work being crammed into only a few days, I have been looking for quick and convenient meals. And this one fit the bill just perfectly. A cajun beef and couscous salad…. from a recent magazine edition under the aptly named ‘5pm panic’ section. Simply – some gorgeous couscous, combined with grilled tomatoes and fresh herbs. Served with some sliced steak, that had been flavoured with cajun seasoning. And finished with a side of steamed beans. Quick, simple – but still oh so delicious. A perfect 5pm panic meal indeed! What about you? Have a favourite panic meal when time is in short supply?

More couscous loving

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on October 8, 2013 | 2 Comments

Another evening, another quick dinner with my recent favourite ingredient… Pearl Couscous! This time, I threw in a big range of veggies into a pan, and a good amount of this Moroccan seasoning… Before adding the cooked couscous to really pump up the meal! Finished with some toasted Turkish bread on the side, and despite its speedy creation, this was a tasty dinner indeed. Gotta love a hodge-podge veggie packed meal like this! What about you? Cooked with couscous recently?

Dinner in 1, 2, 3

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on September 2, 2013 | 2 Comments

Hi there lovely people! Let’s get this week started with a SUPER EASY meal that can not only be thrown together in moments, but can also use up the produce that is slowly fading in the fridge. Always a winner in my book. 1. Take whatever veggies you have– slice and season them – and place on a lined oven tray. Spray with olive oil, and bake for 20 or 30 minutes at 180C. 2. When the veggies are done, stir them through some couscous, and pile high on a bed of spinach. 3. Top with a sliced grilled chicken breast and a drizzle of your favourite dressing / sauce… And well this dinner in 1, 2, 3 is done! A perfectly delicious meal to get the week started. What about you? Are you a fan of speedy meals at the start of the week?

15 minute meal – Chicken with herbed couscous

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on July 12, 2013 | 6 Comments

I have still been slowly, but surely, cooking my way through one of my favourite cookbooks – Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals. Not necessarily because they only take 15 minutes to prepare (they take me more like 30 minutes), but because I am impressed by how creative and packed with flavour most of the recipes are. The latest recipe I tried was this one for “Gorgeous Greek Chicken, with herbed couscous and tzatziki” – and true to form, it was rather delicious indeed. Even if I did modify the recipe slightly to use what ingredients I did / didn’t have. I sprinkled the chicken with a mixture of spices and lemon zest, then pan fried them until golden brown. Meanwhile, I made the couscous ‘salad’ – using couscous (duh), mint, parsley, peas, feta and carrots. Along with a tzatziki – using greek yoghurt, lemon juice, cucumber and more mint. All together now! Couscous salad, chicken and a generous dollop of that delightful tzatziki. And yes, let your eyes fool you, this serving was HUGE. Too much in fact. But it was delicious, healthy and packed with flavour. And I devoured pretty much all of it! What about you? Have you cooked with couscous lately?

Cous cous loving

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on May 8, 2013 | 2 Comments

One of my staples in the cupboard recently would have to be cous cous. Taking only 5 minutes to prepare, and being ever so versatile – its no surprise really. I find that I tend to lean towards ingredients like this particularly on Mondays – when I have been at work all day, dashing afterwards to pick up C from crèche, without generally having the time (or inclination) to head to the supermarket. Normally I go with the regular or pearl variety, but on this occasion this flavoured cous cous caught my attention. Coupled with some veggies, and leftover chorizo sausages… Served on a bed of crunch cos lettuce… Sprinkled with feta… And well this ended up being quite a tasty evening meal! Random yes, but certainly full of flavour. Actually, if I were to be honest, the cous cous probably had too much flavour. It tasted very ‘chicken stock’ heavy – and is probably not one I would buy again. But you have to try these things no? What about you? Are you a fan of the cous cous?

Couscous chicken salad

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on May 1, 2013 | 2 Comments

Another evening, another quick yet delicious dinner. Lashings of salad, roasted pumpkin, smoked chicken, and the star ingredient….couscous! While the roasted pumpkin took a little time to cook, the rest of the dish came together really quickly. The couscous cooks within 5 minutes, and then it was just slice and serve really. Delicious! And a great way to use up those fridge and pantry ingredients without too much effort. What about you? Are you a fan of couscous?

Busy.

By Lisa @ My Capital Plate on February 26, 2013 | 2 Comments

Our calendar for the next two weeks…well let’s just say….it’s not looking pretty. Lots of work meetings, lots of things to do around the house (oh just planting 50+ plants), with a sprinkle of fun thrown in for good measure. But I’m determined to try and keep our meals on track, even if it means that they are ‘thrown together’ in relative random. Like our dinner on Monday night for instance. I ducked into the supermarket seeking urgent inspiration, and found it in the form of a box of pearl couscous. I didn’t even need to look further than the box itself, as it had a tasty sounding curried prawn couscous salad on the side (and we had all the fixins’ at home!). I boiled a couple eggs, then cooked the couscous in curry powder and water (adding some frozen prawns for the last 5 minutes of cooking time). Seasoned and flavoured with diced tomato and avocado, and piled high on a bed of spinach. Dinner in a flash!! What about you? Is your March looking busy??