To prepare the Couscous:

• Put the stock (I use chicken but if catering for vegetarians, then use vegetable stock) and butter into a medium sized saucepan and bring to the boil on the stovetop. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove from the heat and add the couscous. Stir it lightly so couscous is even then cover and set aside to steam for 5-7 minutes. Fluff lightly with a fork to separate grains and avoid any clumping.

  Stir through the olive oil, lemon juice and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make Roasted Red Pepper Mayonnaise:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line an oven tray with foil and then with a layer of baking paper on top.
• Wash and dry the red pepper (capsicum). Cut in half lengthways and remove the core and seeds. Place the halves skin side up on the oven tray. Roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the skin is charred and blackened. Remove and place them in a bowl. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for 15 minutes to steam (this makes them easier to peel). Once cool enough to touch, remove and discard the skins.
• Place the roasted capsicum flesh, mayonnaise and vinegar into the bowl of a mini food processor and blend until smooth (approximately 20 seconds). Remove to a bowl or jug. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
• NB. The red pepper can be cooked on the same tray, at the same time as the peppers required for the salad. They can also all be grilled on the bbq with the lid on if you prefer - see post.

To Grill/Roast the Vegetables:

Carrots and Pumpkin

• Preheat the oven to 170°C fan forced (340°F fan forced). Line 2 trays with baking paper.
• Peel the carrots, trim the tops, then cut them in half horizontally. Slice each half into sticks (1/2cm thick and approx 7-8cm in length).

  Remove the skin from the pumpkin and cut them into 1/2 cm thick slices. Then cut the slices into bite-sized pieces (2cm).
• Place the carrot sticks into a glad bag or bowl and drizzle in some of the olive oil (approximately 2 teaspoons). Massage the carrots so they are all lightly coated in oil. Place on one of the trays. Season with salt.

  Do the same with the pumpkin pieces (use the same bag or bowl that you used for the carrots). Place the lightly oiled pumpkin pieces on the other tray. Make sure they are all evenly spread out. Season with salt.

  Place the trays into the preheated oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked. Remove and set aside to cool on a plate or tray.

Peppers (capsicums)

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line an oven tray with foil and then top with a layer of parchment paper.

  Wash and dry the red, yellow and green peppers (capsicums). Cut them in half lengthways and remove the cores and seeds. Place the halves skin side up on the oven tray. Roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the skin is charred and blackened and the peppers are soft. Remove and place them in a bowl. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for 15 minutes to steam (this makes them easier to peel). Once cool enough to touch, remove and discard the skins.

  Slice the peppers into 1cm slices and place in a bowl. Season with salt and add 1 tsp olive oil to them. Stir and set aside.

Zucchini and Baby Eggplant

• Wash and dry the zucchinis and baby eggplant. Trim the top and bottom of the zucchini, then slice lengthways into thin slices (2mm thick). Do the same with the baby eggplants, or you can quarter them lengthways. Pat them dry with paper towels.

  Heat a frying pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a single layer of zucchini slices to the pan (don’t overcrowd), reduce the heat to medium/high and cook until well browned (approximately 1.5 mins). Season lightly with salt, then turn over and repeat on the other side. Once cooked, remove to a plate or tray that is lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining zucchini slices. You may need to top up with more oil to the pan along the way. Let any new oil heat up before adding more zucchini.

  Cook the eggplant slices/quarters in the same way as the zucchini. The eggplant will take slightly longer to cook. Make sure they get nicely browned and are soft on the inside before taking off the heat. As with the zucchini, remove the cooked eggplant and place on a plate or tray lined with paper towels. Continue to layer eggplant, making sure there are paper towels between each layer.

  Set the zucchini and eggplant aside.

  NB. The cooking of the zucchini and eggplant can also be cooked on a barbeque plate/grill.

To Assemble the Salad:

• Place the cooked couscous into a large salad bowl or platter. Spread out.

  Top with the grilled/roasted carrots, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and pumpkin. I add a half quantity of each and then repeat, so they are a little mixed up.

  Drizzle over the red pepper mayonnaise and gently fold everything together well so that all the vegetables and couscous are well coated in the dressing. You may have a little left over.

  Season with pepper and add salt to taste (if required).