Couscous stuffed Pepper cups with harissa served with Honey & Harissa Halloumi Eggplants

This vibrant dish combines the wholesome goodness of couscous and the spicy kick of harissa, perfectly nestled in tender bell peppers. Paired with the caramelized sweetness of honey and the savoury delight of halloumi-covered eggplants, this recipe is a feast for the senses. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or seeking a unique weeknight meal, this Mediterranean-inspired creation will impress and satisfy every palate.

Couscous Stuffed Pepper Cups

For the Couscous
300g couscous
300ml hot vegetable stock
3 tsp harissa Paste
½ tsp cumin powder
1 onion chopped
1 Tomato deseeded chopped
a small handful of coriander, parsley and mint
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Peppers
4 Medium- large Capsicum
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Sauce
500 ml Tomato Puree (I use pomi brand)
1 cup Veg Stock
1/2 tsp each Garlic Powder, cumin powder, Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)
Chopped Parsley to garnish

To make the Couscous, Mix the harissa and cumin powder with hot veg stock.

Stir and cover with a plate. Leave for 5 minutes, then pour over olive oil and lemon juice and stir through the onion, tomato and herbs. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Cut the caps off the capsicums and remove the seeds, reserving the caps. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes until the peppers are tender and browned.

Divide the couscous mixture between the peppers, cover the peppers with its lid and place on a baking dish.

Mix the Tomato sauce, veg stock, and seasonings and pour over the peppers in the baking dish. Shake the tray to distribute, bake at 180C for 20- 30 mins.

Sprinkle toasted Pine nuts, Pomegranate Jewels, Parsley.

Honey and Harissa Eggplant and Halloumi

2 tbsp honey
1 tsp harissa paste
100 g halloumi
1 aubergine
4-5 fresh figs

COOK THE AUBERGINE
Mix the honey, harissa paste and olive oil. Slice the halloumi and the aubergine to about 0.5cm thick. Preheat a frying pan until it’s smoking hot. Brush the aubergine slices with the honey mix, season well and place them into the frying pan. Fry for a minute or two before turning and frying for the same again. Remove the aubergine from the pan, wipe it down and return to a high heat.

COOK THE CHEESE
Cut the halloumi carefully into slices just under 1cm thick. (Other than care with the knife, the only thing I find that helps stop halloumi splitting when cut is to choose carefully in the supermarket – some brands are less dense, and therefore more prone to splitting than others. If the packaging is transparent, take a look at the individual halloumi you are buying. On inspection, you’ll find that some look ‘split-ier’ than others.)

Brush the halloumi with the honey mix (this is optional) and place the slices into the pan. Fry for 30 seconds to a minute on each side, until a deep brown crust forms.

PLATE AND SERVE
Stack the halloumi, a mint leaf and a slice of folded aubergine into a large toothpick. Alternatively stack a slice of fig, mint and halloumi in another toothpick. Place over a bowl of greens. Drizzle some honey, around some greens, orange slices and pomegranate rubies.

Serve along with baked Harissa chicken, check out the recipe here.