Lentils & Israeli Couscous

Nigel Slater – Kitchen Diaries 3, pg. 383

So I have to say this was the first thing that hasn’t gone down too well with either of us.  To the extent that Lisa couldn’t even finish because she wasn’t so keen on the sultanas and apricots in the lentil couscous bubble mix.  So I packed away her bowl for my lunch tomorrow and she packed away an impressive mountain of cheese with lashings of the chilli jam I made earlier.  I didn’t have quite the same reaction, but it wasn’t the most exciting meal ever.  The kind of uninspiring misc that M&S push in their healthy lunch time range.  It might be a little better as a small part of a larger mezze rather than a main alone.

I replaced normal couscous from the recipe with Israeli couscous and it definitely held promise.   Gently frying in some olive oil for a few minutes before adding some salt and enough water to cover, simmering for 10 minutes.

The recipe also suggests room temperature, but I wanted it a little warmer so I added the al dente lentils to the couscous pan, then the other ingredients to give them a quick heat through.

Perhaps my additions fundamentally changed it for the worse, but I think not.