Perfect summer couscous

Couscous is a great summer dish to be used for lunch or dinner. You can be creative here and add whatever you like: cucumber, pomegranate, olives etc...! It's a perfect dish on its own, but can also be served with grilled meat or your summer BBQ.

In this dish, you're getting one of your 5-a-day from the veg. Veggies are a great source of soluble fibre and also contain many vitamins that our body needs for optimal health and digestion.

Sources of nutrition 

By adding chickpeas, pine nuts and feta cheese you will get the right amount of your daily proteins which makes this dish a complete meal. If you would like to add a piece of chicken or tofu, go ahead!

Chickpeas are an excellent source of plant-based dietary fibre, which helps to make you feel full and curb those food cravings! They contain B-vitamin complex as well as magnesium, to combat stress.

Pine nuts (used in your favourite pesto) like any other nuts are high in beneficial monounsaturated fats, magnesium and vitamin E, which work together to protect the heart. Pine nuts naturally contain plant sterols, a compound that can help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Eating nuts, including pine nuts, is associated with lower waist circumference, body mass index and blood pressure. It's important to keep these things under control (30g = a handful a day) to help prevent heart disease.

Did you know that genuine Greek feta is made from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk? However, goat's milk cannot be more than 30% of the mixture. Feta cheese is a good source of calcium, phosphorus and protein, all of which have been proven to promote bone health. Calcium and protein help maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis, while phosphorus is an important component for bone density.

Also, milk from sheep and goats contains more calcium and phosphorus than cow's milk. Therefore, incorporating cheeses like feta into your diet could help you achieve the recommended daily intake of calcium.

How to make couscous

Ingredients for the couscous 

• 500g couscous (this is a big batch for two meals- use half of the ingredients if cooking for one meal only)
• 200ml kettle-hot water or vegetable or chicken stock (2 x stocks)
• 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of dry garlic or two fresh minced garlic
• 1-2 teaspoon of dry coriander or a small bunch of fresh (or other mix dried herbs)
• Black pepper to season (fresh diced chilli - optional)

While couscous is steaming up, prep/chop the following ingredients:

• 1 x red and 1 x yellow bell pepper
• 4-5 x spring onions
• 1 x small red onion
• Juice of one lemon
• 50g of pine nuts (walnuts or almonds also great here)
• 50g of raisins
• 150g of feta cheese
• 1 tin of chickpeas (washed and rinsed)

Method:

1. Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Add olive oil, dry garlic, and coriander, black pepper and pour over the water or stock. Stir slightly, cover with a lid and leave to rest 5-7 minutes.
2. Fluff the couscous up with a fork and add the chopped ingredients.
3. Drizzle with the tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. The dish will keep in a fridge for up to three days.

Prep: 10 mins, no cooking. Serves 6-8. Enjoy!