Being a bit fed up of the cold wet winter nights accompanied with stodgy, hearty comfort food, I decided on a lighter form of comfort food, a courgette and tomato cous cous dish. I love cous cous, it is so quick and easy to prepare - the perfect base for chucking in whatever is lying around and bringing it together to form a perfect light dish.

While my leftover chicken carcass was bubbling away with various stock veg and herbs ready for a batch of soup tomorrow, I found a couple of old courgettes in the fridge along with some cherry tomatoes and a plan came together:-

Courgette & Tomato Cous Cous Salad

2 Medium Courgettes - halved and sliced

A handful of Cherry Tomatoes - halved

Handful of Fresh Rosemary - roughly chopped

Glug Balsamic Vinegar

Oil

A quantity to suit of Cous Cous - steeped in boiling water approx twice the volume of water to cous cous and covered in cling film for at least 5 mins, until all water absorbed.

Heat oil in pan, add courgettes and fry on high until the edges are slightly brown, add the rosemary and a glug of balsamic and some ground pepper - this really is to taste, it will sizzle. Add the cherry tomatoes and swirl around the pan for a few minutes until the tomatoes begin to get soft - add further Balsamic if required. Mix together with the cous cous and serve, with a little chopped mint if you like.

I took a photo in the cooking stage, then forgot to take one of the finished product! It was light and tasty and cleansing after all the meat, potatoes, pasta of recent weeks - the balsamic really lets the flavours pop out. I have a feeling this idea came from a Gordon Ramsey recipe for a Courgette Provencal that I have adapted for my own requirements.