Couscous with yogurt and blackberry compote

Breakfast: Couscous with yogurt and blackberry compote and a mango smoothie

Lunch: Sandwich of home-made hummus, gouda, tomato, greens and sweet chili sauce on rye bread….and a gluten-free carrot cake cupcake from Tea Tree with a bomb Columbian coffee. I was so happy

Dinner: Wilted spinach and marinated tofu with soy sauce, lime juice and red chili, asparagus and tomatoes

I know what you’re thinking: couscous is not a breakfast item. That’s what I thought.

I was at the unbelievably fantastic Cafe Martini in Sydney (which for 12 months was but a dangerous 15 minute walk from my front door) for the first time, pondering over their extensive brunch menu looking for something small and light. I picked their couscous with vanilla bean yogurt and rhuburb compote basically because I didn’t fancy eggs or bread that day.

Well, what an awakening I had. Under the blazing Sydney sun, the food was perfect. The textures play off against each other, as do the flavours and even the colours. I knew that the next time I was at Martini, the breakfast bruschetta or the vegetarian monstro would tempt me instead, so I began to have couscous and yogurt at home, and started to experiment with different fruit toppings.

This blackberry compote is very simple and just takes a bit of time; you don’t even need to watch over it that much, it's just a case of the occasional stir until it starts to thicken.

You’ll need:

            Plain or vanilla yogurt

            100g couscous

            400g blackberries

            4 tsps brown sugar

            2 cups water

Method:

Boil the blackberries, sugar and water together in a pan, then turn down to a medium heat

            Stir occasionally and keep simmering for 30 minutes

            The mixture should start to thicken up, and when it does, keep stirring constantly

When it reaches your desired consistency, take it off the heat. Remember that it will thicken up a little more when it cools too

Put the couscous in a bowl, with enough water to cover it with about a  centimetre extra on top

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for 10 minutes         

Fluff the couscous with a fork, then put your desired amount onto a plate

Put your desired amount of yogurt on top, and top this with the compote; either warm or cold, its fantastic

Be sure not to let the compote cook for too long, otherwise you’ll find yourself in a jam (a ha ha ha!).

Couscous is good to have in your diet as a vegetarian as it contains vitamin B6, which is fundamental in the metabolism of amino acids, and because it has the same amount of protein as pasta. Plus it makes you feel all fancy and shiz.

Just a note on yogurt; a lot of people buy the “fat-free” ones with all the best intentions, but more often than not, these are rammed full with sugar which, once its in your body, turns into fat. You might as well get the Greek yogurt and just enjoy it.