Preparation time: a paltry 22 minutes. Makes 1 serving
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• salt
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 pepper (red or yellow)
• 2 oz couscous
• handful of green beans
• halloumi (at least 4 slices)
• handful of arugula (optional)
• 1/2 avocado
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 smoked herring fillet, flaked (optional)
One of our absolute favorite lunch dishes. You need to eat it to believe it. It should be made in the morning before you leave for work and takes 22 minutes. We know that halloumi is best eaten straight away, but there is just no better cheese for this dish.
In the morning
Turn the oven on full blast and put a handful of cherry tomatoes in a small roasting dish. Drizzle the tomatoes with a little salt and olive oil, then place the dish as close as possible to the heat source in your oven. Time is of the essence here.
Heat a griddle pan on the stove until very hot. Put a pan of salted water on to boil—this is for the green beans. Put a freshly replenished kettle on. This is for the couscous and a cup of tea, if you’d like.
Start with the pepper. Chop into roughly pizza-topping-sized slices and cook on the griddle pan until you achieve a char-grilled effect. No need for oil. While these are grilling, empty a portion of couscous into a largish Tupperware container. Cover gently with the boiling water from the kettle and then cover with a dish towel.
Take a quick look at the roasting tomatoes. They will be ready when they have burst a little and the juices are running.
Add the green beans to the pan of boiling water and blanch for a few minutes. You want these to be still crunchy.
Remove the cooked peppers from the griddle and spray the pan with a little cooking oil to stop the cheese sticking. Slice as much halloumi as you like and griddle until you get the chargrilled lines and the cheese is soft and squishy.
The couscous in your Tupperware should be ready now. Run a fork through it to separate the grains and add a drizzle of olive oil to it. Stir in the roasted tomatoes and all their lovely juices. Top with the grilled peppers, halloumi, green beans and a little arugula if you wish. Slice an avocado in half and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Place half snugly in the Tupperware and the other half in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. Top with the herring flakes, if using.
Come lunchtime
Open your lunchbox and remove the avocado half. Using a spoon, scoop out lovely chunks and add to the dish. Finally, give everything a good stir. Bat the inevitable probing forks away from your plate. Enjoy.