I didn't take photos for this one, because I already had half the stuff left over from the Halloween party last weekend, so we'll have to do this the conventional way.
Spiced lamb and couscous salad - adapted from Recipes +
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g lamb steak (I used eye of loin because it was the nicest looking cut the supermarket had. The recipe calls for 500g lamb rump steaks. But I figured it was a waste of money because at least half of the 500g is fat!)
2 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix
450g butternut pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 red capsicum, chopped
1.5 cups couscous
400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
60g rocket leaves (I used baby spinach because I think rocket tastes like pesticide)
1/4 cup honey mustard dressing (I used reduced fat)
100g reduced fat feta, chopped (my addition - I had it left over and didn't know what else to do with it!)
Mix 1 tablespoon of the oil with the spice mix. Coat both sides of the lamb, then cook in a grill pan until done to your liking (I, for once, actually succeeded in not obliterating the hell out of my meat!). Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
Add the pumpkin to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes (or, if you're me, use leftover roast pumpkin from making mini pizzas!). Then add the capsicum and the chickpeas (the recipe doesn't call for heating these, but I think they're gross cold...), and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
Place couscous and remaining oil in a bowl, add 1.3 cups boiling water. Cover with Glad Wrap and set aside for five minutes. Use a fork to fluff up the grains.
Slice the lamb thinly, and add it into the pan with the vegetables to warm up for a minute. Add the chopped feta at the last minute (unless you like your feta melty... I don't know why it didn't occur to me that feta melts like any other cheese!), along with the spinach/rocket. Stir through the dressing. Dump the whole lot into the couscous and toss to combine.
Serves four as a main course.
This was really good, although I don't know that I'd be as taken with it if I hadn't added the feta. It just gave it a little extra kick. Recipes + calculated it at $3.65 per serve, but I can't really judge that because a) I used a cut of meat that cost double what the one in the recipe did, and b) I had half the ingredients already... But regardless, it was a quick and easy meal that classifies as a salad without the need for cucumber and radishes and olives and all manner of other vile things that get put into salads!
$3.30 a month for over 300 recipes? I think the magazine is worth it, even if I do end up adapting things!
K xx
