Lilly Higgins: Roast vegetable couscous

Couscous is always plan B in my house. When we have run out of quinoa and potatoes, we reach for the old reliable couscous, darling of the 1990s.

I remember flicking through my mother’s recipe books and seeing a soggy mound of couscous next to a puddle of chicken and apricot tagine. It was dinner party chic. Now I am the one having people over for dinner and finding myself stocking up on couscous. It’s just so easy to cook.

This salad is a beautiful centrepiece for a family get-together. It’s a great side dish or can be served as a main or with warm bread wraps. It can be made the day beforehand and covered; just let it come to room temperature before serving. There’s nothing worse than frostbitten pasta salad.

This is a twist on the curried rice salad or pasta salad often seen at summer barbecues. There is some wholewheat couscous, highly flavoured with garam masala or ras el hanout, and there is an entire rainbow of roast vegetables. To brighten and lift the sweet, caramelised vegetables and warm, spiced couscous, I have made a fresh pesto to drizzle over the finished dish.

Take particular care when preparing the vegetables. I like to cut them all in different shapes to add texture. Get small carrots if you can, then you need only quarter them lengthways. Roast the red peppers whole, then cut into strips. Cut the courgettes in thick semicircles, and the sweet onions in wedges. This time of year, herbs are taking over the garden, thriving in the winning combination of rain showers and bursts of sunshine. Mint is renowned for spreading all over the garden aggressively and vying for space, but that’s one of the reasons I love it. An excess of any herb is good news to me. Marjoram and parsley grow fantastically well, too. Just plant them far from the mint to give them a sporting chance. I blitz handfuls of parsley and marjoram with garlic, olive oil and Parmesan along with a few tablespoons of toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds to make a delicious pesto that is perfect for drizzling over this salad.

Add some lemon juice to heighten the flavours and help keep that fresh green colour. Or just buy a good-quality ready-made pesto. Sweet Beat Cafe in Sligo has brought out a new kale pesto, which is also available in SuperValu in Sligo as part of the Food Academy programme. It's a great idea and a delicious way to eat more greens while supporting a young Irish company.

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS: SERVES 6

Ingredients

4 small carrots, topped and cut lengthways
2 red peppers
2 courgettes, halved lengthways and sliced
2 red onions, halved and cut into quarters
½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed
30g coriander or parsley, finely chopped
250g couscous
1tbs spice mix (ras el hanout or garam masala)
4tbs fresh pesto, homemade or ready-made

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Lay the prepared vegetables on trays and lightly drizzle with olive oil. I always keep the vegetables separate, as they cook in different times. As they roast, ensure the edges don't get too burned, and rotate the trays. It will take about 40 minutes for everything to be cooked, but judge by sight. It's good to leave a little bite to the carrots and squash. Leave everything cool on the trays. Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers and slice into strips.

Meanwhile, place the couscous, seasoning and a generous pinch of salt into a bowl. Top with boiling water until just covered. Place a plate or cling film over the bowl so the grains steam. Set aside.

After 10 minutes or so, the water will have been absorbed, so fluff the grains apart with a fork and leave to cool. Gently mix the chopped herbs and half the roast vegetables with the couscous and place on a platter. Layer the couscous with the remaining vegetables or place them on top. Drizzle generously with the pesto and serve.