Name: Couscous salad with pork cutlets
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200 gram quick-cooking couscous; 250 millilitre boiling water; 2 sticks inner celery, chopped; 3 wedges preserved lemon, pulp discarded, rinsed, dried and finely chopped; 3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped; 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; 12 small kalamata olives, drained; 1/2 telegraph cucumber; 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard; 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed; 100 gram creamy feta, crumbled; 1 teaspoon harissa powder, optional; Pork cutlets; 4 pork cutlets; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon olive oil; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 4 sprigs rosemary

Couscous salad with pork cutlets

Couscous is a great pantry staple useful for those times when you hunger after something light and tasty to extend a simply cooked piece of meat or fish. And leftover couscous salad is great in the lunchbox the next day.

Serves 4

Cook

25M

Ingredients

200 gram quick-cooking couscous

250 millilitre boiling water

2 sticks inner celery, chopped

3 wedges preserved lemon, pulp discarded, rinsed, dried and finely chopped

3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

12 small kalamata olives, drained

1/2 telegraph cucumber

3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

100 gram creamy feta, crumbled

1 teaspoon harissa powder, optional

Pork cutlets

4 pork cutlets

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 sprigs rosemary

Method

1.Put couscous in a china bowl and pour over boiling water. Stir, then cover with a plate and leave for 15 minutes. Fluff up with a fork, cover again and leave until cool.

2.For the pork, put mustard, oil, pepper, rosemary and cutlets in a dish. Turn cutlets with tongs to coat them in seasoned oil.

3.Once the couscous is cool, add celery, preserved lemon, spring onions, tomatoes and olives. Peel cucumber, cut in half, scoop out seeds and discard, then chop flesh and add to bowl.

4.In a small bowl whisk extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, mustard and garlic. Pour over couscous salad and toss carefully. Add feta and toss again. Transfer to a serving dish and dust with harissa if using.

5.Meanwhile, fry cutlets in a heated non-stick or ridged frying pan over medium heat for several minutes a side; do not overcook or the pork will become white and tough (aim for a nice juicy rosy pink). Season with salt and serve with the couscous.

Tip: To use preserved lemons, rinse the wedges under running water and slip out all the pulp, which is the bit you usually eat – with preserved lemons it’s just the lemon skin you’re after. Slice into slivers or chop finely and add to salads, fish, chicken, lamb and pork dishes.
Note

Women's Weekly Food