home cooking recipes – saffron pearl couscous and roast broccolini salad

Pearled couscous gives this salad a slight nutty twist. Pumpkin seeds a salty crunch. Seggiano’s oven roasted Tuscan tomatoes a juicy sweetness, and together with fresh veggies this salad is as refreshing as a cool breeze.

SERVES 4 – COOKING TIME: 40mins – VEGETARIAN

Ingredients:

PEARL COUSCOUS
100g uncooked pearl couscous
300ml vegetable stock 5g turmeric
Maldon salt 

ROASTED AUBERGINE 
1 medium sized aubergine 
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder 
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger powder 
Maldon teaspoon salt 
Montrusco Black Peppercorns 
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon powder 
1 1⁄2 teaspoon brown sugar 

BROCCOLINI
70g Broccolini flflorets
Maldon salt
Montusco black peppercorns Jones extra virgin olive oil 

BALSAMIC DRESSING
50ml Jones extra virgin olive oil 
50ml Giusti Modena balsamic vinegar 
25ml Grecious Greek wildflflower honey 
15g Jones spiced honey mustard 
1 crushed garlic clove 
Montosco ground black peppercorns 

SALAD
10g pumpkin seeds 
20g Jones deli Persian feta cheese in fine herbs
35g Seggiano oven roasted Tuscan tomatoes 
30g mixed salad leaves 5g thinly sliced shallots 
20g cherry tomatoes sliced in half 

Method:

Prepare the couscous. Add stock, turmeric, and Maldon salt to pan and bring to boil. Turn heat down to low and add couscous. Cover with lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside. 

Mix the spices, salt, and sugar together. Cut the aubergine in half and score the flflesh of each piece. Rub each piece with spice mix and roast in an oven at 170 degrees centigrade for 35 minutes, until soft. Remove and set aside. 

Cook the broccolini in Maldon salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and place in iced water. To make the balsamic dressing whisk all the ingredients together until emulsifified and smooth. 
Slice aubergine thinly length ways making strips roughly 1cm long

To serve take a bowl and add all the ingredients other than the feta, pumpkin seeds, and oven roasted sundried tomatoes. Add as much dressing as you feel necessary and using your hands, lightly toss the salad so all components are evenly coated.

Place into bowls and then garnish with the feta, pumpkin seeds and oven roasted sundried tomatoes.