Today the sun shone, sun cream was rife and the ice tray in the freezer is empty. Tonight I craved a summer salad, something that didn't take more than twenty minutes to put together and had a sweet, fresh edge. May I present my discovery.
SPINACH, BLUEBERRY AND CUCUMBER COUS COUS
WITH LEMON HUMMUS
Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS
150g Cous
Cous
250ml hot
vegetable stock
100g blueberries
½ cucumber,
peeled and cut into rounds
50g young
leaf spinach
1 tbsp.
olive oil
Zest of 2
lemons
FOR THE HUMMUS
1 tin chick
peas, drained
4 tbsp. tahini
2 cloves
garlic, peeled
Juice of 2 lemons
2-3 tbsp. cold
water
Salt
DIRECTIONS
1 / Drain
the chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Empty into a food processor with the
tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and water. Whiz to a smooth paste, adding a
little water until you reach your desired consistency. Set aside while you make
the salad.
2/ Toast the
cous cous by simply putting a heavy based frying pan on the heat and add the cous
cous. Toss them around the pan until they start to turn golden, about 4-5
minutes. Remove from the heat and add the hot stock. There will be steam and
fury. Leave the cous cous to soak up the liquid off the heat for a few minutes,
stirring once or twice to ensure the stock is evenly distributed.
3/ Empty the cous cous into a bowl and the spinach leaves, cucumber,
lemon zest and blueberries (keeping back a few blueberries and lemon zest for
garnish). Add the olive oil and combine well. Empty onto a plate and top with
the reserved blueberries and lemon zest.
4/ Serve your fresh salad with a bowlful of hummus.
