I love this dish. Yes, it takes a while to make, but it is well worth the effort; it's a dish for the weekend, when you have a little bit of extra time and you can enjoy the delicious smells that will waft around the kitchen. Jam-packed full of roasted veggies, fresh herby couscous, smoky sauce, cooling minty yoghurt and all topped off with some very moreish, crispy halloumi bites, it really is a vegetarian's dream. The 'super' sauce makes a brilliantly intense base for the rest of the ingredients; roasting the tomatoes and peppers creates a concentrated, rich flavour that adds real warmth and depth. Infant, it is the sauce which is the hero - as it provides you with enough sauce for this meal and two more meals (a beautiful, smoky, creamy pasta and a lovely rich roasted tomato soup - see recipes). So, whilst it might feel like quite a lot of effort for one dish, you've actually got the main component for two very quick meals later in the week.
Ingredients
Serves 2 (apart from the sauce, which will make enough for 8-10 people, or use the extra to create two more meals - smoky, creamy pasta and 'the best' roasted tomato and red pepper soup)
For the sauce
1.4kg large vine tomatoes, halved
3 red peppers, deseeded and sliced into quarters
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Good pinch of sea salt
A few good cracks of black pepper
Pinch of caster sugar
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
For the yoghurt drizzle
150g greek yoghurt
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Small handful mint leaves, thick stalks removed, finely chopped
Good pinch of sea salt
Pinch of caster sugar
For the roasted veggies
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes (not too small, as they won't hold their shape when roasted)
1 red pepper, deseeded, and diced into 2cm squares
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced into 2cm squares
2 tbsp olive oil
For the couscous
70g wholewheat couscous
1 stock cube (vegetable or chicken, if you're not veggie)
300ml boiling water
Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Small handful of mint leaves, thick stalks removed, finely chopped
For the halloumi
150g halloumi, cut into 2cm cubes
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp olive oil
100g tenderstem broccoli (optional)
Directions
For the sauce
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.
Place all of the vegetables for the sauce into a large baking tray.
Sprinkle over the salt, pepper and sugar and then drizzle over the oil.
Roast in the oven for 60-70 minutes (check at 40 minutes and give a good mix, scraping any juices and crusty bits from the corners of the pan, and press the tomatoes down firmly to encourage them to break down, you want the veggies to roast to a lovely pulpy mess).
Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the smoked paprika, and then mix again.
Leave to cool.
Place the cooled veggies into a blender and blitz until you have a thick sauce.
Place a sieve over a bowl.
Pour the sauce into the sieve.
Use a large metal spoon to push the sauce through the sieve (this will remove any seeds from the tomatoes).
Keep the sauce covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
For the roasted veggies
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Place the cubed butternut squash and peppers into a roasting tray.
Drizzle over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place into the oven for 25-30 minutes (mix half way), or until nicely roasted and soft in the middle.
For the couscous
Place the couscous into a large bowl.
Crumble over a stock cube (vegetable or chicken, if you're not veggie)
Pour over 300ml of boiling water.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to stand for 10 minutes, until the couscous absorbs all of the stock.
Leave to cool slightly, then add the chopped herbs and mix well to combine.
For the yoghurt drizzle
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Mix well and then leave to stand until ready to use (keep refrigerated if making in advance).
For the halloumi
Toss the cubed halloumi in the flour. Set aside until ready to use.
Place 2 tbsp of sauce per person, into a small pan and place onto a low heat until warmed through, approximately 3-4 minutes (keep the rest of the sauce covered and refrigerated until ready to use), keep an eye on it and stir regularly.
Heat a frying pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and then throw in the halloumi cubes. Fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes turning regularly, until they are lovely and golden. Remove and set aside.
If using the broccoli, add to a pan of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
To assemble the dish...
Place a dollop of the warmed sauce onto a plate (if you want to be a little fancy, use the back of the spooon to sweep the sauce around the edge of the plate).
Spoon some of the herbed couscous into the middle of the plate.
Scatter over some of the roasted butternut squash and peppers.
Scatter over some of the roasted halloumi.
Place the broccoli at the side of the dish.
Drizzle over a good tablespoon of the minted yoghurt.
Tuck in straight away.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do x