½large orange kumara (sweet potato), peeled and diced (or substitute with 2-3 carrots), approximately 300g
1cupIsraeli couscous
2oranges, well washed
2lemons, well washed
2 ½tablespoonolive oil, (divided)
½cupflaked almonds
¼cupsultanas
1clovegarlic, skin on
1teaspoonground cumin
Pinch of nutmeg
½cupparsley, finely chopped (approximate)
½cupmint, finely chopped (approximate)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 190°C.
Toss chopped kumara with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until soft and golden brown.
Cut the oranges and lemons in half and pop them in the oven to roast alongside the kumara. When you take the kumara out of the oven, crank up the heat and flick your oven to grill for a few minutes to finish off charring the tops of the oranges and lemons. Remove from the oven and set aside.
To cook the Israeli couscous heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add couscous and stir for 1-2 minutes to toast it a little. Add 1¼ cups of water, ground cumin, nutmeg, garlic clove (skin on), salt and pepper to season. Cook over a low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and leave to sit for another 5 minutes. All of the liquid will have been absorbed and the couscous will be perfectly al dente. Remove the garlic clove and keep it aside for your dressing.
While all of this is going on, toast your almonds in a dry frypan for a few minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
To make the dressing, remove the skin from the garlic and crush the clove to a paste - I did this with the flat side of my knife, on the chopping board. Scrape it into a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Now you'll have to freestyle it a bit - the amount of lemon and orange juice you'll need will depend on the size and tartness of your fruit. I used three orange halves and two lemon halves. Squeeze them into your bowl or jar (you'll be amazed at how much juice comes out of these babies). Taste and add a bit more orange or lemon juice. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.
Now add your kumara, couscous, sultanas, almonds, parsley, mint and dressing to a big bowl and stir to combine.
Make a knockout meal of this and serve it with a spare roasted lemon or orange for squeezing, some home made hummus and pita bread, or some grilled zucchini or eggplant. Or all of the above.
Notes
Serves 2 as a meal in its own right, or 4 as a side dish.