Moroccan Mince & Citrus Cous Cous

Being a life long vegetarian, I get my protein from nuts and soya mince and have a passion for taste, texture and spices, which is why this Moroccan mince cous cous is such a delicious favourite of mine that is highly nutritious and surprisingly easy to make, appealing to vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

I start by preparing the mince first, for which I chop two onions into a pan with a splash of olive oil on a medium heat. After the onions start to change colour within a few minutes sprinkle in about a spoonful of ground cumin, tumeric and cinnamon although it doesn’t have to precise and you can adapt it to suit your taste. Chop a handful of dried apricots and add them to the onions and spice, along with two cups of soya mince, a vegetable stock cube and cover with boiling water. Once the pan comes to the boil I turn it to a medium heat and allow it to bubble away gently for around 15 minutes for the spices to infuse and the water to soak in.

Then I begin the cous cous. I empty approximately half a pack of dried cous cous into a mixing bowl, together with the zest of two lemons and a generous sprig of mint that I chop roughly. I then cover it with boiling water and seal it with cling film to keep the steam in, allowing it to stand and absorb whilst the mince finishes. Remember to check the cous cous every few minutes and add more water if necessary as it will soak it up surprisingly quickly, taking just a few minutes to cook until light and fluffy like rice.

Finally I toast a handful of cashew nuts under the grill until golden brown, plate up the cous cous with a few scoops of mince on top and garnish with cashews and fresh mint. The entire meal takes around 20minutes to make from start to finish and is deliciously flavoursome, with the kick of the spices mixed with the sweet succulent apricots, zesty mint cous cous and crunchy toasted cashews. A quick and healthy low-fat dish that will leave you wanting more!