Sicilian cauliflower & chickpea stew with fluffy couscous
40 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 2
About the recipe
This is a delicious dish with great depth of flavour. I’ve used spices and ingredients that might make you think of Morocco or Tunisia – cinnamon and chilli, dried fruit and even couscous – but because North Africa is so close to Sicily, their styles of cooking can be surprisingly similar. Cauliflower is super-high in both vitamin C and folic acid, both of which help our brains to think properly. Along with protein-rich chickpeas and wholewheat couscous, which is higher in fibre than regular couscous, I’ve packed this dinner with plenty of nutritious goodness. Enjoy!
Ingredients
½ an onion
350g cauliflower
olive oil
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (15g)
1 clove of garlic
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
25g black olives
15g raisins
1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
150g wholewheat couscous
Top Tip
This recipe can be doubled for family cooking!
Method
- Peel and roughly chop the onion. Trim off any leaves and the dry end from the cauliflower stalk, then finely slice the remaining stalk and chop the head into small florets.
- Heat ½ a tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat, then add the onion and cauliflower along with the chilli flakes and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower has softened, stirring regularly and adding a splash of water, if needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pick the parsley, finely chopping the leaves and stalks, then peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat ½ a tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, then add the parsley stalks, garlic and cinnamon, then cook for 1 minute, or until lightly golden.
- Bash the olives and tear out the stones if needed, then add the olives and raisins to the garlic pan and cook for 1 further minute, or until golden.
- Tip in the tomatoes along with half a tin’s worth of water, breaking the tomatoes up with a spoon as you go. Drain and add the chickpeas, season, then let it bubble away for 15 minutes, or until thickened.
- Meanwhile, fill a small pan with water and bring to the boil.
- Place the couscous into a bowl, pour over 220ml of the boiling water, then cover with a plate and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, or until absorbed.
- Stir the cauliflower mixture into the tomato and chickpea stew, then season to taste.
- Fluff up the couscous with a fork and divide between your plates. Spoon over the stew, then scatter with the chopped parsley.
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