A Berry Good Pearing

Avocado Fritti in Padella su di Couscous con Erbe Miste e Berbero
Pan- Fried Avocado on Mixed-Herb and Barberry Couscous 

It may seem to you all that all I ever do is cook from leftovers- but the truth of the matter is that I live alone and that yes, there are always odds and ends left over when I prepare a meal. I used a half of an avocado last night to fix the delicious beef carpaccio- and tonight- the other half got turned into something equally delicious. So it is not expensive cooking for one, nor is it difficult. When you open your fridge- open your eyes and open your minds... there is always something you can dream up in there!

Slightly un-ripened avocado is a wonderful when fried in the pan- the heat will cause it to soften up inside and the outside will brown and develop a wonderful flavor. Just treat it in the same way as you would a potato. The important thing with avocado is that it does need seasoning well, otherwise it can end up tasting bland. So I cut my avocado into cubes and started it frying with very little olive oil, some crushed garlic, salt and pepper at a relatively high heat. I added chopped parsley and sprinkled it with lemon zest, grated it with a little nutmeg and added a shake of cayenne pepper. Now comes the juice of a half of a lemon and a drizzle of honey. And if THAT doesn't tickle your taste buds- then probably nothing ever will!

 

 

For the couscous, I finely chopped some spring onion, parsley, mint and celery and stirred it into the couscous, then added boiling water and stirred it in well. Whilst it was still warm, I added the barberries and the spices- I used some Ras el Hanout, chili, salt and pepper and a few drops of sesame oil. The finishing touch was a good squeeze of lemon juice- and a wonderful little vegetarian meal was born! I have to admit that a couple of slices of bacon wouldn't have gone amiss on top of it all... but I digress!