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And yesterday I bought some primulas to make up hanging baskets!

Life can be so unfair! </childish huff>

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This is one of my favourite dinners of all time. When I lived in France some years back I used to eat this dish a lot.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of cous cous (amend, see 1.)
• onion
• 1kg cubed meat, or mince meat (I like to use beef)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 chopped red chilli (or use curry powder if you hate chilli)
• 2 dried bay leaves (or 4 fresh)
• 1-2 whole garlic cloves
• seasoning
• oil to brown meat
• HP Sauce (optional)

Method:

1. In a bowl soak a packet of cous cous for 5-10 minutes, change the amounts depending upon the number of people you are cooking for. Then set aside.
2. In a large saucepan (with a lid), fry an onion in a little oil, then add about 1kg of cubed meat. I like to use beef. You can also use mince meat if you prefer. Brown the meat well.
3. Add a splash of water to stop the meat from catching. Then add seasoning (salt and pepper). Now comes the spicy part, add 1 chopped red chilli (remember the smaller the chilli the hotter it will be, however if you freeze any chilli it will become the same heat as the hottest chilli - be warned). Also add 1 can chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, whole garlic cloves, and a good dollop of HP or brown sauce! (Also if you hate chilli, then why not use curry powder?)
4. Cook the meat without the lid on, simmering away for 35 minutes. If you want you can add sliced carrots and cauliflower to bulk the dish out, this is optional. The meat needs to be almost cooked before the next stage. Now remember you may want to cook the meat for longer (perhaps 45-50 minutes), or use a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes.
5. Right, your meat is virtually cooked, and now you are ready to see to the cous-cous! Take a large sieve and place the cous cous in it. Then hang the sieve over the pan, so it does not touch the meat etc. Now put the lid on top of the sieve.
6. The cous cous will become really fluffy, because it is cooked in the steam of the dish, and takes on much of the flavours.
7. After 15-20 minutes, you ready to serve. Make a ‘filled circle’ of cous cous on the plate, then add a ‘mountain’ of meat and sauce on top! Deeeelicious!

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