Tom Kerridge and Marcus Rashford’s easy and cheap recipe for rainbow halloumi couscous

Getting stuck on recipe ideas to keep your kids happy? Tom Kerridge and Marcus Rashford have got you covered with this easy and cheap recipe for rainbow halloumi couscous.

It won’t cost you much at all on energy – and there’s barely any cooking involved. You only need one kitchen appliance… a kettle! It’s also packed with goodness and healthy ingredients, so your kids will get a good portion of their five a day while still enjoying their food.

• Cheap and fun activities to keep your children entertained over the summer holidays
• How to talk to children about money during the cost of living crisis

The recipe for rainbow halloumi couscous is part of Kerridge and Rashford’s Full Time Meals campaign to stop children going hungry. They share cheap and easy recipes every week, and they’ve kindly shared a few with us for our Summer Survival Guide.

Kerridge says: “Couscous is so quick and easy to make – easier than making a cup of tea! This makes a great summer vegetarian dish that’s perfect for sharing.”

Check out the recipe for rainbow halloumi couscous below! It serves six people and takes 35 minutes to prepare and cook.

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need

• 1.5 mugs of couscous
• 1 reduced salt vegetable stock cube
• A pinch of spice (such as fajita spice or similar)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 block of low-fat halloumi cheese
• 2.5 mugs of frozen mixed Mediterranean vegetables
• A pinch of sugar
• 2-3 tbsp vinegar
• A squeeze of lemon juice

How to make rainbow halloumi couscous

1. Add the couscous to a large bowl. Fill the same mug with boiling water from the kettle, then crumble in the stock cube and the pinch of fajita spice and mix with a fork to dissolve it. Pour the mug of stock onto the couscous, along with another 1.25 mugs of boiling water and cover with a plate that sits tightly on top. Let it soften for 10-15 minutes or so.
2. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Remove the halloumi from the packet and dab with some kitchen paper to dry slightly. Cut up the halloumi into bite-sized chunks and add it to the pan, frying for around 5 minutes, turning frequently.
3. Stir in the vegetables and cook for 8 minutes until softened.
4. Add the sugar and vinegar to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Then squeeze over the lemon juice and allow it all to bubble and caramelise for a couple of minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables and halloumi in the dressing.
5. Spoon the couscous onto plates and then pile the vegetables and halloumi on top.

And here’s our Summer Survival Guide, which we will update regularly with new articles and tips on making sure your kids have a fun summer without breaking the bank

Get involved with the conversation on social media and share all your tips and advice for families using the #SummerSurvivalGuide