Happy couscous with eggplant and zucchini

Happy couscous with eggplant & zucchini

Oh my, it's incredible what a little sun can do for ones mood! These last few days where amazing. We were caught by surprise when we woke up in the first sunrays of spring. And here in Amsterdam, or actually in the rest of Holland as well, it's funny to see that just everybody decides to go outside and make a pitstop at a terrace at some point. To enjoy a drink or two and have some good conversations. (they always turn out better with some drinks, you know)


But ok, no, i didn't make that pitstop. But happy, i was for sure. I just can't wait for summer to start. The long evenings in the Vondelpark around the corner, the picknicks, the 'mum-i-don't-want-to-go-to-bed-yet-it's-still-light-ousides', staying up late, the kids playing and running in- and out, nice dinners with friends in some gardens and ahh... it's all just too good to be true.
So, to celebrate this victory of sun, some happy couscous on the table, to pre-taste a bit of summer! Cheers!

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Ingredients (4 - 6 persons)

500 gr. (one carton) couscous
1 onion
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
handful of pine nuts
olive oil
2 handful's of mint leaves
1 handful of coriander
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 lemon's zest
2 cloves of garlic
some chili flakes
some soft goat cheese to sprinkle on top.

Preperation

• Prepare the couscous as directed and let it rest while you chop the onion. Stir fry in some olive oil.
• Chop the eggplant and the zucchini into litlle square cubes.
• Stir fry the chopped vegetables in enough olive oil until the eggplant turns golden-brown. 
• Add the garlic slices and fry a bit longer.
• Add the couscous, stirfry with some extra olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Fry the pine nuts until golden-brown without oil in a separate pan. Be careful though, it can go really fast. Add them to the couscous
• Add 1 tsp of coriander and 2 tsp of cumin. 
• Add half of your mint leaves, stirr trough.
• Taste it, season a bit more if you wish and devide over the plates.
• Garnisch with the lemon zest, chili flakes, chopped mint- and coriander leaves and some goat cheese.

Prepare the couscous as directed

chop the onion, and stir fry in some olive oil

Chop the eggplant in little squares cubes

Turn the heat low, and add them to the onion

Do the same with the zucchini

Add the garlic

fry the pine nuts, slowely and without olive oil

chop a handful of mint leaves

add to the vegetables

add the couscous as well, stirfry a bit with some extra olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste

add 1 tsp of coriander

2 tsp of cumin

grate the zest of 1 lemon

devied over the plates and garnish with the rest of the mint, the copped coriander, goatcheese, vhiliflakes and lemon zest