Butternut and couscous salad

with tahini dressing

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds; it has a rich, nutty flavour and is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. Serves 4–6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30–40 minutes Oven temperature: 200°C • 1kg butternut, cut into blocks • 1 clove garlic, crushed • 15ml cumin seeds • 5ml ground coriander • 5ml cinnamon • 2.5ml ground ginger • 30ml olive oil • 375ml vegetable stock • 400ml couscous • 30g toasted pine nuts • 1 red onion, finely chopped • 250ml chopped fresh coriander

Tahini dressing

• 1 clove garlic, crushed • 45ml fresh lemon juice • 45ml tahini • 30ml water • 30ml olive oil

1 Preheat the oven. Combine the butternut, garlic, spices and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Arrange on a baking tray and roast for about 30 minutes until done.

2 Heat the stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the couscous. Cover with the lid and leave for 5 minutes; stir the couscous with a fork to loosen the grains.

3 Prepare the tahini dressing Mix the garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Add the water and olive oil to dilute it; season to taste.

4 Mix the butternut, pine nuts, red onion, coriander and couscous and drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. Stir carefully and serve.