Roasted pumpkin and capsicum couscous salad

Cous cous is something I forget I have in the pantry. It gets pushed to the back, but I am always glad to see it when I go looking hard enough. It's like finding a long lost friend. I fondly speak to it, "Oh cous cous. Hello. Where have you been?". Yes I am a weirdo.

Here's what I did with my long lost friend. This salad is great warm or cold.

1 cup couscous
1/4 of a butternut pumpkin, diced
1 capsicum, chopped into large dice ( I used a bit of yellow, red and green)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 preserved lemon, finely sliced
A few finely sliced mint leaves

Place pumpkin and capsicum on a baking tray. Drizzle olive oil over and sprinkle with salt. Bake in a 180 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Put a cup of cous cous in a large heatproof jug. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the cous cous and leave for five minutes.

Stir the cous cous to break it up. Add in the pumpkin, capsicum, olives, preserved lemon, mint and stir to combine.

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Frittata love

Frittata is easy to make, plus it's healthy. I seem to be enjoying it more than I ever have. It makes a quick lunch, ready in about fifteen minutes.

I used to make the crustless quiches, that contain milk, cream or even flour.  Not to mention cheese and bacon!

Little did I know I could whip up something tasty, with fresh ingredients in half the time of the 'frittatas' I was making before. This is what healthy food is about. Simple, fresh ingredients. The only thing out of a container besides the oil,  is the egg. They come in their own natural container!

I was a little excited today, to see the first egg from our chooks we bought at the show this year.

I love my frittatas with capsicum. I use whatever I have in the fridge, like zucchini (sliced thinly), spinach or spring onions.

Fresh herbs or greens raided from the garden also get a look in.

This is a pretty loose recipe, meaning you could add what ever you like. I use at least 6-7 eggs for my 30 cm cast iron pan for a thin frittata. Add more eggs and fillings for a thicker frittata to feed more people. It will take a little longer to cook too.

I can highly recommend buying a cast iron fry pan. Our camping store sells them for around $25. Smaller pans are even cheaper, and I wouldn't mind a smaller sized one for those small jobs.

They never warp, provide a flat base, especially where frying eggs is concerned. They are heavy based, they hold heat, and last forever and a day, even longer! I find mine perfect or making frittata.

Simple frittata

6-7 eggs
A cup of diced capsicum. Or a mix of veggies.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper

Place half the oil in a flat fry pan on a medium heat. Add capsicum to the pan and cook for a few minutes.

Beat eggs in a bowl, then add cooked capsicum. Stir to combine.

Add rest of oil to the pan, and slip in the egg mixture.

Cook on a medium low heat until the egg starts to set. It should still be a bit runny on the top.

Place the pan under a hot grill and cook until the egg is set and starting to go golden on top.

Slice the frittata in wedges and eat!

This frittata had heaps going on. Mushrooms, asparagus, feta, red capsicum and spinach.

If you are using softer veggies like zucchini or spinach for example, add them to the capsicum at the end, just to wilt down.

Things like onion, mushrooms and garlic can be fried with the capsicum.

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Roasted capsicum pasta sauce

Something different and veggie healthy to put on your pasta, is this simple sauce. Easy to make, when you get over peeling the skins, with all the flavour and goodness intact. 

Roasted capsicum pasta sauce
6 red capsicums
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper

Roast the whole capsicums in a 200C oven for 20 minutes, until the skins start to brown and blister.

Let them cool a bit, remove skins, stalk and seeds.

Puree the capsicums, then place in a pan with the cream and cook for about  four minutes. Season with salt and pepper and toss through cooked pasta.

Feel free to add some parmesan to the sauce.

Try browning some cubed chicken in the pan before adding the puree and cream.

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