Feeding the clan can result in making a multitude of meals – and Jane Kennedy has had enough. Thankfully, the mum of five has a cunning plan: one dish, two ways...

Ingredients:

Serves six

60ml olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 small carrots, finely diced

600g diced lamb

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1tsp ground cumin

½tsp ground ginger

¼tsp saffron threads

½cinnamon stick

¼tsp ground allspice

1tbsp honey

80g dried apricots, cut into quarters

2 stoned dates, cut into quarters

1 vegetable stock cube

1 small butternut squash, cut into 2cm cubes

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

185g dry couscous

Ingredients for adults:

2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2tbsp toasted pine nuts

Grated zest of ½ an orange

¼ tsp ground chilli

Chopped red chilli, to serve

Method:

HEAT two tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavybased saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot until the vegetables have softened. Add the lamb and brown all over. Stir in the garlic, cumin, ginger, saffron, cinnamon stick and allspice, and cook for two minutes.

Add the honey, apricots and dates, crumble in the stock cube and pour in enough boiling water to cover the meat. Stir and bring to the boil.

Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. Stir in the squash and simmer for 25 minutes, until the squash and lamb are tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to the packet instructions. Add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to the couscous and combine.

Dish one: Serve out some couscous onto the kids’ plates and top with the tagine.

Dish two: Stir the parsley, coriander, pine nuts and orange zest through the remaining couscous.

Stir the ground chilli through the tagine and serve on a bed of couscous. Garnish with the fresh chilli and coriander.