A great accompanient to grilled meat or make it into a main meal by adding 150g crumbled goats or feta cheese. Recipe taken from ‘At Home’ by Mary Berry.

Ingredients:

250g (9oz) couscous

400ml vegeatable stock

150g (5oz) fresh asparagus spears

salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons of olive oil

6 spring onions, chopped

150g (5oz) mangetout peas sliced in the diagional

50g (2oz) pine nuts toasted

6 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons chopped mint

To garnish

Lemon slices

Springs of mint & parsley

 

1. Measure the couscous into a bowl. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil. Cut the asparagus spears into 2.5cm lengths and add to the boiling stock with the mangetout and cook for 3 minutes or until just tender but still with bite, then remove the pan from the heat.

2. Position a colander over the bowl of couscous, then pour the liquid contents of the pan into it. Add some salt and pepper to the couscous give it a stir, cover and leave it to cool.

3.Refresh the asparagus and mangetout under cold running water, drain then pat dry on kitchn paper, leave aside until needed.

4. By this time the couscous should have absorbed all the stock. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and toss with 2 forks to mix. Now add the spring onions, asparagus, mangetout, pine nuts, parsley and mint. Toss again and season. Serve at room temperature.