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.
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