Mediterranean Chicken Ratatouille

A seasonal summer dish full of flavour and colour - and if you are lucky, you are growing some ingredients in your own garden. This is easy to make, seasonal and therefore cheap in Summer, the flavours burst with Summer flavour and colour and a lot of these veges are easy to grow in your own garden = better for flavour, better for your wallet and a great feeling of smug that you grew and made dinner. For the purpose of this recipe, I have assumed all items were purchased at the Supermarket.

Ingredients

8 medium	Chicken drumsticks, Skin on (Main)
1 medium	Lemon, Preserved
12 whole	Kalamata olives, Pitted
1 medium	Eggplant, Chopped into cubes
1 medium	Red onion
2 cloves	Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium	Red capsicum
1 tin	Crushed tomatoes
1 tin	Water, to remove residue from tomato tin
1 pinch	Dried oregano, Decent pinch
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 pinch	Salt, to taste
1 pinch	Pepper, to taste
1 cup	Couscous, steamed
2 medium	Zucchini, Chopped into cubes
1 cube	Vegetable stock cube, break to a powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Line an oven tray with baking paper. Put olive oil, oregano salt and pepper in a bowl, add drumsticks and coat. Arrange on baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes.
2. Chop vegetables in uniform cubes. Saute onion and capsicum until soft, add garlic and zuchinni and eggplant, add half of the preserved lemon, cook out for five minutes and then add tinned tomatoes and olives, cook gently for 10 minutes and then add a tin of warm water. Simmer
3. Make up the stock cube with boiling water to make 500ml liquid. Add to dried couscous and cover with a clean tea towel to steam. Bring chicken out of the oven, cover with foil and rest for 10 mins.
4. Pour the chicken juices into the ratatouille, stir through. Fluff the couscous by raking with a fork and add the remaining chopped preserved lemon (the juice of half a lemon could be substituted) and any chopped herbs you may have in the garden such as chives, basil or parsley. Serve either plated or in bowls family style for people to help themselves. If budget permits serve with crusty bread and butter or toasted stale bread croutes!