Ok…so I have never cooked beetroot. I rarely buy it (maybe a few years ago I purchased tinned beetroot for burgers) and I have never grown it. I will happily eat it, quite like it, but for some strange reason I have overlooked this vegetable. Perhaps I associate it with doilies, pickled onions and mini-gerkins (like a scene out of Brigit Jones diary).

Actually, come to think of it, I probably avoid it for very good reasons. I am the person who cannot eat pasta without wearing it, so beetroot is a complete ‘no go’ zone for people like me. I am so tired of doing laundry…why, oh why would I want to tempt fate with beetroot?

About 5 years ago now I had my first ever cous cous salad at a Dutch friend Brigitte’s house. She had roasted the beetroot prior to adding to the salad. I was impressed by the flavour and texture of the roasted beetroot, but never got around to trying it.

On Friday night I went to a bbq gathering for my local permaculture group and saw a divine array of food, the stand out dish for me being a bright vivid beetroot, carrot, coriander salad. It looked so stunning! The salad’s owner Fran told me how to make it, but my oxytocin brain can’t remember all the ingredients. I will endeavor to get the recipe and try it (if Fran is happy to share) at some later stage. However, I dedided to vary a salad using similar ingredients for tonights dinner, combining the roasted beetroot and cous cous. I am really happy with the results. I think it will become a new favourite on my dance card.

I hope you enjoy the Roasted beetroot cous cous. Thanks to Fran for the divine inspiration!

Oh…and you will be happy to know I didn’t even end up wearing any beetroot stains!