A tasty Moroccan couscous dish packed with colorful vegetables, chickpeas, raisins and almonds. This versatile dish can be enjoyed as a hot meal or a cold salad.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 teaspoon extra for the couscous)

½ eggplant—sliced into ½-inch rounds and quartered into wedges

1 red pepper (capsicum)—deseeded and quartered

1 red onion—cut into six wedges and separated into pieces

3 pattypan squash (yellow button squash)—quartered into wedges

2 cups butternut squash (butternut pumpkin)—peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup couscous

1¼ cups boiling chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon raisins

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

½ cup canned chickpeas—rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic—minced (crushed)

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

PREHEAT the oven to 200°C/400°F. TOSS the prepared vegetables in a large baking dish in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat. COVER tightly with foil and roast for 20 minutes. REMOVE the foil, increase the oven temperature to 225°C/435°F and bake for a further 25 minutes until golden brown. ABOUT 5 minutes before the vegetables finish roasting, place the couscous in a bowl, pour over the boiling stock, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil, mix to combine, cover the bowl and allow to steam for 5 minutes. MIX together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ginger and cinnamon in a small bowl until well combined. ONCE the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven, cover with the foil and stand for 5 minutes to allow the skin to steam off the peppers more easily, then remove the skin when cool enough to handle and cut the flesh into strips. WHEN the couscous is ready, use a fork to separate the grains. MIX together the couscous, raisins, almonds, chickpeas and mint, then add the roast vegetables, drizzle the dressing over everything and toss gently to combine (being careful not to break up the vegetables).

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