Charred broccoli with lemon and chilli ricotta

I struggle to cook broccoli any other way than roasting. It intensifies the flavour so much and I just love it. Ricotta is a great ingredient too; it’s lighter than cottage cheese but still nice and mellow. The lemon and chilli give it a kick that makes it the perfect accompaniment here.

Ingredients

1 head	Broccoli, cut into florets (Main)
2 Tbsp	Rice bran oil
1 Tbsp	Pumpkin seeds
1 cup	Couscous, use the Trade Aid Palestinian variety, or use the larger Israeli couscous
¼ cup	Almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup	Ricotta cheese
½	Lemons, freshly zested and juiced
½ tsp	Chilli flakes
2 Tbsp	Fresh mint, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Place the broccoli in a roasting dish, and drizzle with rice bran oil. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until slightly crispy around the edges.
2. Cook the couscous according to packet instructions. In a small bowl, mix ricotta with the chilli flakes, lemon zest and juice, and a small pinch of salt. Taste and adjust if necessary.
3. When broccoli is cooked, add to the couscous with the almonds, and mix together gently. Place in a serving dish, garnish with fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon. Place dollops of the ricotta over before serving.