Summer just can't make up it's mind this year. One day we're barbecuing, next we're stewing, so when asked to make a salad to go with a barbecue, I put my mind to work for something that can used another time.
Let me explain.
I always make enough to feed an army; I cant bear the thought of someone coming to our home for dinner and going home hungry, or the thought that I might take food to someones house and be seen as stingy. No, no, no. So invariably, no matter how delicious the food, I always end up with leftovers.
I also can't bear the thought of eating summery salads on a freezing cold, blustery day; food must match the surroundings (think tapas in the sun in Spain, or a steaming cappuccino in a piazza in Italy).
Finally, I love leftovers; I love opening my fridge and seeing cling filmed bowls of good food good to go - it makes me happy.
So this salad had to be good for this changing weather.
With all this in mind, I went for a glorious cous cous salad, emboldened by the sprinkle of pomegranate and brought back to earth with mint and feta. Perfect on a summers day with a barbecued chicken thigh or two and actually, even better served up alongside a lamb Tagine on a blustery day, which the next day just happened to be - you could say I planned it that way....
Feta and Pomegranate Cous Cous Salad (Serves 6-8)
Delicious
Let me explain.
I always make enough to feed an army; I cant bear the thought of someone coming to our home for dinner and going home hungry, or the thought that I might take food to someones house and be seen as stingy. No, no, no. So invariably, no matter how delicious the food, I always end up with leftovers.
I also can't bear the thought of eating summery salads on a freezing cold, blustery day; food must match the surroundings (think tapas in the sun in Spain, or a steaming cappuccino in a piazza in Italy).
Finally, I love leftovers; I love opening my fridge and seeing cling filmed bowls of good food good to go - it makes me happy.
So this salad had to be good for this changing weather.
With all this in mind, I went for a glorious cous cous salad, emboldened by the sprinkle of pomegranate and brought back to earth with mint and feta. Perfect on a summers day with a barbecued chicken thigh or two and actually, even better served up alongside a lamb Tagine on a blustery day, which the next day just happened to be - you could say I planned it that way....
Feta and Pomegranate Cous Cous Salad (Serves 6-8)
- 300g cous cous
- 450ml chicken or vegetable stock
- A fat clove of garlic (or two, depending on taste)
- A good squeeze of lemon juice
- 250g pack feta, crumbled into large chunks
- Olive Oil (extra virgin if you have it)
- Salt and pepper
- Large bunch Mint, leaves chopped
- 2-3 salad/spring onions, snipped into rounds about 5cm in width
- Seeds from one pomegranate
- Pour the stock over the cous cous in a large bowl, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes
- Fluff the cous cous with a fork and add the garlic, lemon juice, feta, olive oil, mint, spring onions and a good grind of salt and pepper and stir well, taking care not to break up the cheese. You can make ahead until this point.
- Tip the salad into a serving bowl and top with the pomegranate seeds just before serving so the colour doesn't bleed.
- Tuck in
Delicious
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