Pop the skewers in a bowl or dish and cover with cold water. This will help stop them catching and burning when you grill the skewers later. Line a baking tray with foil. Fill and boil your kettle.

Rinse the rice under cold water and tip into a small pan. Add 300ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Clamp on a lid, bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down. Gently cook for 25 mins, till all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit, lid on, for 3-5 mins to finish cooking the rice.

While the rice cooks, finely grate the zest from the lemon into a small bowl. Squeeze in the juice from 1 half. Add half the maple syrup, 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard and ½ tbsp olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir together to make a dressing. Taste, add a little more maple syrup, lemon juice, salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Set to one side.

Peel the red onion and slice it into 6-8 wedges. Trim the courgette, then slice it into 1cm-thick rounds. Halve the yellow pepper, scoop out the seeds and white pith, then roughly chop the pepper. Thread the red onion, courgette, pepper and cherry tomatoes onto the skewers. Place them on the baking tray and arrange any extra veg around them.

Grill the skewers for 8-10 mins, till the veg are lightly charred and tender. When the skewers look almost ready, take the tray out from under the grill and scatter the flaked almonds over them. Grill for 1-2 mins to toast the almonds (they’ll brown quickly, so keep your eye on them to stop them from burning).

While the skewers cook, roughly chop the parsley leaves.

Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it between 2 warm plates. Top with the skewers, the extra grilled veg and the toasted almonds. Drizzle over the mustard and maple dressing and garnish with chopped parsley leaves to serve.