Honeyed and stickily sweet rashers sit on a bed of lemony zipped couscous fortified with a mighty selection of healthy vegetables.
There’s plenty that could be said about this dish perhaps beginning with the sweet honey and sharp lemon combination. They speak of soothing and of comfort and indeed with the succulent rashers comfort is definitely provided however the plumped up couscous grains and still bitey vegetables bring it on a pathway that routes toward the virtuous.
Served hot this makes a satisfying main and any leftovers are flavoursome enough to be welcomed cold in a lunchbox or as a side dish served perhaps with a juicy burger.
Honey Glazed Rashers on Lemon & Vegetable Couscous
Serves 4
You will need:
1 medium red onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 aubergine
1 courgette
3 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 tbsp butter
250g couscous
250ml vegetable stock (hot – from cube is fine)
1 lemon
Small bunch coriander
8 rashers of bacon
1 tbsp runny honey
Method:
Peel and chop the red onion into bitesize chunks.
Deseed and chop the peppers in chunks.
Slice both the aubergine and courgette into 4 lengthways and then chop each length into chunks.
Put chopped onion, peppers, aubergine and courgette in a large bowl and drizzle in 2 tbsp of oil and mix well.
Heat a large griddle pan or frying pan and when hot add in the vegetables pressing them down well to make contact with the hot pan and leave to cook for 2 minutes (you may need to do this in two batches depending on size of pan).
Mix and toss the vegetables and again press down and leave to cook for a further two minutes before turning the heat to medium and cooking for 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile prepare the couscous by first melting 1 tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
Add 250g couscous to the melted butter, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Take the couscous saucepan off the heat and pour in 250mls hot vegetable stock, stir with a fork, cover with a lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile check on the vegetables, you want to retain a bit of bite so if getting too soft take pan off the heat.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and cook the rashers on a high heat on one side until beginning to brown then turn over and drizzle the browned side with honey and turn the heat to low to finish cooking the other side for a couple of minutes.
Take the lid off the couscous and return the pan to the heat for 1 minute using a fork to fluff up the grains.
Zest the lemon and then juice it and add both to the couscous and stir well.
Roughly chop the coriander and stir through the couscous.
Place the cooked vegetables in a large serving bowl and stir through the lemony couscous.
Serve straight from the bowl with the honeyed rashers on top.
Enjoy.
Til next time, Sheila.