Couscous: so good they named it twice. I went through a bit of a phase of eating it as an alternative to pasta but soon realised that it’s pretty much the same, nutritionally, as tucking into a bowl of pasta. Even though it might be in the guise of a salad, it’s still granules of durum wheat.

So in order to eat more healthier I started to use quinoa or barley. I love barley; it’s so nutritious and tastes great but is overshadowed by more fashionable grains and seeds. It’s perfect for salads, to serve with or in stews. It absorbs flavours and spices the same way couscous does.

Lately, however, I’ve managed to source pearl couscous, or moghrabieh. It’s a larger variety of couscous that is common throughout the Arab world. It’s hard to explain why, as it has the exact same ingredients as the smaller variety, but it’s just so much nicer to eat. The texture is better. The grains are perfect when they are soft on the outside and have a little bite on the inside.

They’re almost like tapioca or caviar to eat: smooth, rounded comfort food. Moghrabieh was catapulted on to European plates by Yotam Ottolenghi, whose first cookbook had a great recipe that included it. Since then I’ve been searching high and low for the grain, to no avail.

I eventually found it in my local health shop. If you have a Middle Eastern shop in your area, pop in and see if they have it. My favourite way to cook it is to include saffron or turmeric in the water so that it goes a luminous yellow colour. It really brightens up salads and is gorgeous served with a slow-cooked lamb stew.

I find it handy to cook up a big bag of moghrabieh and keep it in the fridge. Use it as your carbohydrate of choice in place of mashed potato or rice, or use it to add body to salads. It’s perfect for packed lunches, drizzled with some dressing and with interesting bits and pieces folded through, such as sun-dried tomatoes and olives.

This kale salad is particularly sturdy and lasts well in the fridge for a few days. Kale is fantastic this time of year, when salad leaves are thin on the ground. Sometimes when I only get to do a weekly shop, I make sure to get kale as it lasts well all week. Salad leaves, on the other hand, tend to become soggy and unappetising after a few days.

It’s readily available at most farmers’ markets and grows really well here. My uncle is still amazed that I eat it as he grows fields of it for his cattle. Massaging it tenderises it and removes its waxy coating, making it softer and more digestible.

Far from massaging kale we were reared, yet here we are touting its health benefits. The more cruciferous vegetables we eat the better, and kale, even if doused in dressing, is extremely beneficial to us.

MOGHRABIEH WITH KALE AND PARSNIP: SERVES 4

The five ingredients

• 200g moghrabieh, pearl or giant couscous
• 1tbs of your favourite spice blend: garam masala, baharat, ras el hanout, harissa and so on
• 2 parsnips
• 4 medium-sized kale leaves
• 1 pomegranate, arils removed

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Peel the parsnips and cut them in half, then into quarters lengthways. Coat in a little oil and place on a roasting tray. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the parsnips are tender and crisping up at the edges.

Meanwhile cook the moghrabieh in plenty of salted water until just al dente (10-15 minutes; follow packet instructions). Drain well and set aside. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the pot until just warm. Add the spices and warm through over a low heat for a minute until toasty. Remove the pot from the heat. Return the couscous to the pot and stir well, coating it in the spices. Leave to cool.

Remove the tough stalk from the kale. Tear the leaves into small bite-size pieces. Wash them well and place in a salad bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Massage the kale well between your thumb and forefinger. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, add the spiced couscous to the kale and fold through the pomegranate arils. Spoon into a bowl and top with the crisp, warm parsnip.

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