Eggplant Croquettes with Chickpea & Almond Couscous

My husband, Paul, and I have been very active recently, so I put this meal together to ensure we got some extra protein. It was also an excuse to combine eggplant with cheese, both of which are very popular in my home! It's worth using good quality bread for the crumbs, as it adds to the flavour of the croquettes. They would make an equally great appetizer, served with tomato sauce for dipping.

The eggplant croquettes are inspired by a recipe found in Yotam Ottolenghi's fabulous cookbook Plenty; the couscous is adapted from a dish by Katie Quinn Davies.

2 small eggplants
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs (approx. 2 slices)
1/2 c. ricotta cheese, crumbled
1 c. old cheddar, grated
2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed chili flakes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs for coating
1/2 c. canola oil, for frying

1 c. couscous
1 c. cooked chickpeas
1/4 - 1/2 c. flaked almonds
4 tbsp. parsley, roughly chopped
pinch salt & pepper
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Slice the eggplant lengthwise and brush the 4 pieces with olive oil. Place the eggplant, cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until tender, approximately 30 minutes, turning halfway.

Chop the bread in a blender until reduced to a course crumb. Place in a medium mixing bowl and add the ricotta and cheddar cheeses, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Set aside. Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Cook the couscous according to package directions. Remove from heat and add the chickpeas, 1/4 cup almond flakes, parsley, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Cover to keep warm.

Once the eggplant has cooled slightly, scoop out the flesh. Use a spoon to scrape as much of the flesh from the skin as possible. Dice the flesh before stirring into the cheese and breadcrumb mixture. Discard the skin. Add the egg and stir to combine all the ingredients; the mixture will be fairly wet. Shape into 4 cm/1 1/2 in. balls before flattening into small cakes. Place the panko breadcrumbs on a small plate and gently press both sides of the cakes into them. Cook each side for 2 minutes, until golden brown (turn down the heat if they cook too quickly). Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Serve the croquettes over the couscous and garnish with some flaked almonds and parsley leaves.