Couscous salad

Courtesy: Monira

Couscous is  staple food throughout North Africa. It is widely available and becoming popular in the UK and it is so easy to make.

• 2 cup (500g) couscous
• 2 oxo cubes (stock cubes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup olive or retained oil (retained oil from sun Dried tomato)

Mix oxo cubes & salt with dry couscous, add boiling water and oil, cover and leave for 10 mins, break up cooked couscous with fork & fluff, let cool;

• 1 cup Cherry or baby plum tomatoes (chopped in half or quarters),
• Half cucumber (sliced & chopped),
• 1 red onion (sliced in rings & chopped),
• 2 spring/green onions  (chopped fairly finely),
• 1/2 cup each Red & yellow peppers (chopped)
• 1/2 cup dried apricots (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup Sun dried tomatoes (finely chopped, retain oil)
• 1/2 - 1 cup Grilled or sun dried peppers (chopped, retain oil)
• 1/2 cup retained oil (from sundries tomatoes or peppers)
• 1/2 cup olives (cut in half or quarters)
• 1/2 cup sliced gherkins (chopped)
• 1/2 cup retained oil

Mix all chopped items and extra oil with couscous

Serve with lamb Tagine  or other Moroccan dishes;

If serving just as salad add smoked salmon and/or seafood stick or chopped eggs