Bacon & Zucchini Couscous Fritters

While the veggies are roasting, add the water to a medium saucepan, crumble in the vegetable stock (1 cube for 2 people / 2 cubes for 4 people) and bring to the boil. Add the couscous and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine, then cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Set aside until all the water is absorbed, 5 minutes. Fluff up the couscous with a fork.

While the couscous is cooking, cut the bacon into 1cm pieces. In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Grate the zucchini. Roughly chop the parsley. Zest the lemon (see ingredient list) to get a generous pinch. In a medium bowl, combine the couscous, bacon, zucchini, parsley, lemon zest, grated Parmesan cheese, plain flour, eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Wipe out the frying pan and return to a medium-high heat with enough olive oil to coat the base of the pan. When the oil is hot, add 1/4 cup of the fritter mixture and press down with a spatula to make a 1cm-thick fritter. Repeat with some of the remaining fritter mixture. Cook the fritters until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining fritter mixture.

TIP: Cooking the fritters in batches gives them enough space to cook evenly. Add extra oil if needed to ensure they don’t stick to the base of the pan.

Cut the lemon into wedges. In a medium bowl, add the roasted veggies, pepitas, baby spinach leaves, olive oil (2 tsp for 2 people / 1 tbs for 4 people) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

TIP: Let the roasted veggies cool slightly before adding to the salad to keep the leaves crisp.