The weather was kind this weekend, Mr TS wandered off to Portland to do a bit of essential maintenance on the boat’s bottom, DG disappeared to the river with her chums, BB and I gardened, biked and played and my teen boys revised. Again. It’s endless. I’m going to write a parenting manual warning people of the fool hardiness of leaving a two year gap between children – it works really well right up to the point where they are sitting GCSEs and A Levels at THE SAME TIME! As I wrote for Tesco Living, there isn’t much I can do for them other than listen a lot and keep them well fed. This cous cous salad eaten under the shade of the apple tree is full of goodness and summer promise – the exams will finish, you will be free to enjoy the sunshine or to sleep until the afternoon but, in the meantime, get this in your tummy.
- 125g couscous
- 200ml hot vegetable stock made with 2 tsp Marigold bouillon powder and 1tsp chilli oil
- 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
- 50g roasted butternut squash (I always roast more than I need for a recipe and freeze the rest for just such an occasion)
- 100g sugar snap peas
- 30g feta or tofu diced
- Sprig of thyme, finely chopped
- Sprig of parsley, roughly chopped,
- 2 tbsps dried cranberries (or to taste, I didn’t measure them out, I just threw in what I fancied!)
- Hulled pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds (I used an Omega seed mix which also included linseed and golden linseed)
- 2 tbsp chilli oil and 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pour the stock over the couscous, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes
- Gently fry the seeds in the chilli oil until they just begin to change colour, add the tamari and sizzle briefly, remove from the heat
- Steam the sugar snaps for 5 minutes – you want them crunchy not soggy
- Fluff up the couscous with a fork
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl
- Stir in the seeds with their oil and tamari
- Serve
This serves two as a generous lunch, four as a side salad.
Oh no…I have a two year gap too! I think you better get writing that manual!!!
I miss couscous being gluten-free, it used to be one of my Summer favourites rather like yours filled with lots of gorgeous colourful veg, feta & fresh herbs! It is not the same with rice I am afraid *sighs!
Love the fact you titled it under the shade of your apple tree! We have a gorgeous beech tree in our very small garden but I love the shade under it to, so relaxing!
I have a two year gap between number 2 and 3 too Ali, bad planning!
Can you eat quinoa? This would work really well with that! Our garden is very small too and I love the apple tree – I have a bench underneath it and it’s my very favourite place to sit 🙂
This looks delicious and funnily enough we ate something similar for dinner today. I have two lots of two year gaps also, didn’t think that one through at all!
This looks delicious and healthy, Chris (and i love the photos, superb), all the better for being eaten with daisy’s as table mats. Don’t think i could get cranberries past my 7yr old boy but i could replace for sultanas….in the meantime, i’m now glad that my two have a a 3 academic yr gap, even though they’re only 2.3 yrs apart…!