My kitchen is in a calm before the storm. The advance Christmas cooking and baking is all out of the way. In another 4 days I’ll be preparing Christmas dinner itself. But in the meantime, we’re snacking on salads and lean barbecued meat. Specially with the weather turning out so nice this week, sharing the kitchen with a hot stove has not been a high priority.

This couscous salad-y dish has been on the menu a couple of times. It requires very little time and energy, and is a nice way to use the gorgeous seedless grapes we’re getting at the moment!

The recipe comes from The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives. I got this book for my birthday this year and I haven’t cooked a lot from it, but whatever I’ve cooked has turned out well. It’s a huge book so it will take me some time to cook my way through it

Chilli Lemon Couscous with Nuts & Grapes
from Annabel Langbein’s Great Food for Busy Lives

Mix together 2 cups boiling water with finely grated rind of 1 lemon, 2 tsp Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce and 1 tsp salt. Add 2 cups couscous and leave to absorb for about 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork, and mix in 1/2 cup toasted nuts (e.g. pine nuts, pistachios or almonds), 1/2 cup chopped mint or coriander (or a mix), and 1 cup chopped grapes. Serve as is, or if you prefer to heat it first, cover and microwave for 3-4 minutes just before serving.

I hope your lead-up to Christmas is going well and not too stressful!