Lamb fillet and roast vegetable couscous work so well together. Whether you slow cook a leg of lamb until the meat falls off the bone, braise lamb shanks, or cook up a hearty stew, lamb will always deliver on deliciousness, and couscous is the perfect accompaniment. I’m a big believer in cooking dinners that are quick to prepare but taste like you’ve gone to a whole lot of effort. This offering fits the bill perfectly.
Preparing the lamb is simple. Rub on the spice mix and leave it to sit while you get on with the couscous salad. There’s a few elements that need cooking but while your frying the eggplant, you’ve got the capsicum over a flame or in the oven, which leaves time to chop the onion and garlic. Nothing seems to take very long. It’s just all about coordination. And while the meat is resting, you’ve got a few minutes to mix together the yoghurt dressing. There’s the added bonus of using the one pan for everything, which means very little clean up.
In theory it’s dinner in 30 minutes, but there’s something about putting a time to accomplishing the end result. I tend to get stressed by the ticking clock: thirty minutes means thirty means, so why isn’t it taking thirty minutes. So lets just say it’s quick, easy, and delicious. Enjoy!
A few simple steps:
Step 1:
Combine the chilli, cumin and paprika on a plate. Roll the trimmed lamb fillets in the spice mixture to coat, and set them aside.
Step 2:
Make the couscous: put the couscous, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Add the boiling water, mix it around, then cover with plastic wrap. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes or until all the liquid has absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the slices of eggplant until golden on both sides.
Step 3:
Roast the capsicum. You can either place it on the flame of a gas stove top, (being careful not to burn yourself or set fire to anything around you), turning when the skin becomes blackened. Or the less scary option: place it on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 200 degrees celsius, turning occasionally until the skin in blackened. Once the skin is black, transfer the capsicum to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This makes the peeling process easier. Set aside until you are ready to use it.
Step 4:
Using the same pan used for the eggplant, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until browned.Uncover the couscous and use a fork to loosen the grains. Add the onion and garlic to the bowl. Slice the cooked eggplant into small squares. Add to the couscous.
Peel the skin off the capsicum – don’t be tempted to rinse it, it all adds to the flavour. Slice the flesh into strips and add to the couscous. Add the olives to the bowl then mix everthing together.
Step 5:
Heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium – high heat. (I reuse the same frying pan for everything. Saves on washing up.) Add the lamb and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
Combine yoghurt, mint and garlic in a bowl.
Slice the lamb and serve with couscous salad, spinach leaves and a dollop of yoghurt dressing.
- 200 g couscous
- salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200 ml boiling water
- 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red capsicum, roasted and sliced
- 8 Kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 eggplant, sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground chilli
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 500 g lamb fillets, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ cup of greek yoghurt
- handful of mint leaves, chopped
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- Baby spinach leaves
- Combine the chilli, cumin and paprika on a plate. Roll the trimmed lamb fillets in the spice mixture to coat, and set them aside.
- To make the couscous, put the couscous, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Add the boiling water, mix it around, then cover with plastic wrap. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes or until all the liquid has absorbed.
- Meanwhile, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the slices of eggplant until golden on both sides.
- Roast the capsicum. You can either place it on the flame of a gas stove top, (being careful not to burn yourself or set fire to anything around you), turning when the skin becomes blackened. Or the less scary option: place it on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 200 degrees celsius, turning occasionally until the skin in blackened. Once the skin is black, transfer the capsicum to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This makes the peeling process easier. Set aside until you are ready to use it.
- Using the same pan used for the eggplant, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until browned.
- Uncover the couscous and use a fork to loosen the grains. Add the onion and garlic to the bowl.
- Slice the cooked eggplant into small squares. Add to the couscous.
- Peel the skin off the capsicum - don't be tempted to rinse it, it all adds to the flavour. Slice the flesh into strips and add to the couscous.
- Add the olives to the bowl then mix everthing together.
- Heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium - high heat. (I reuse the same frying pan for everything. Saves on washing up.) Add the lamb and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.
- Combine yoghurt, mint and garlic in a bowl.
- Slice the lamb and serve with couscous salad, spinach leaves and a dollop of yoghurt dressing.
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