Nutty Veggie Couscous

Serves 10 people

• 450ml vegetable stock

  Stocks

  Made from your meat and fish bones.

  Frozen in ice cubes for gravies, risotto and cooking rice. Once frozen, remove from the ice trays and pack into freezer bags. Use stock powder or cubes if you do not have any home made available.

• 400g can chick peas, drained
• 50g ready-to-eat apricots

  Dried fruits

  Sultanas, currents, and raisins are all dried grapes of different varieties.

  • They are a healthy snack on their own or with nuts. They also work well for fruitcakes and Christmas pudding, biscuits and buns.
  • When re-hydrated in water, tea or alcohol they can be added to mousses, fools and ice creams.
  • Their natural sweetness works well with Indian and North African recipes.
  • Keep the fruits fresher by resealing them with bag clips or transfer them to airtight containers.
• 125g mixed nuts

  Nuts

  Add crunch to your cooking!!!

  • Almonds are used in Moroccan tagine dishes as well as in Indian cooking or for garnish for scented rice and curry dishes. They also work well with apples, apricots, lemon, orange, vanilla and chocolate. Ground almonds are great in biscuits and cakes.
  • Walnuts – add crunch to salad and are good in stuffing’s. Have a bowl of walnuts at Christmas for people to enjoy with a glass of port
• 25g butter

  Butter

  Unsalted is better for cooking.

  Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.

• 125g leftover vegetables, roughly chopped
• A pinch of salt

  Salt

  Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

  Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.

• Freshly ground black peppercorns

  Black peppercorns

  Best used as a condiment.

  They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.

  • Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
  • Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
  • Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
• Chopped herbs such as coriander, parsley or mint
• 450g Couscous