Bacon & Zucchini Couscous Fritters

While the veggies are roasting, add the water to a medium saucepan, crumble in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add the couscous and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine, place a lid on the saucepan and remove from the heat. Leave until all the water is absorbed, 5 minutes. Fluff up 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. Grate the zucchini. Roughly chop the parsley. Zest the lemon (see ingredient list) to get a generous pinch. To a medium bowl, add the couscous, zucchini, parsley, bacon, grated Parmesan cheese, plain flour, egg, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Wipe out the large frying pan. Return to a medium-high heat and coat the base of the large frying pan with olive oil. When the oil is hot, take a 1/4 cup of the fritter mixture, tip into the pan and press down with a spatula to make a 1cm thick fritter. Repeat with the remaining fritter mixture. Cook until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes each side. TIP: Let the fritters set before trying to move and flip them. TIP: Cooking the fritters in two batches gives them enough space to cook evenly. TIP: Add extra oil if needed to ensure the fritters don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

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