Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf

Yum, yum, yum, super simple one pot dish packed with flavour.

Chicken and Broad Bean Pilaf (from Hairy Dieters
(Serves 4)

75ml low fat natural yoghurt
juice 1/2 lemon
pinch cinnamon
15g chunk ginger, finely grated
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 tsp oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small courgette, diced
1 small piece of cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
175g basmati rice
300ml veg stock
250g broad beans, double podded
large bunch parsley, chopped
small bunch dill, chopped

Mix together the yoghurt, lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl. Season the chicken with, then add the pieces to the marinade in the bowl and leave for an hour.

Heat the oil in a sauce. Add the onion, courgette and spices then cook over a medium heat for a few mins until you can smell the spices. Add the chicken and stir for a couple of mins until it mixes well and starts to brown.

Add the rice and stir until well coated. Pour in the stock and season with salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and leave for 10 mins.

When the rice has been cooking for 10 mins, add the broad beans. Leave to cook for 5 mins, then turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins. Fluff up the rice with a fork and turning it over gently so the broad beans mix well with everything else. Stir in the herbs, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Courgette Falafel

These were delicious, I made a full batch and I think I turned all of them into a falafel pitta sandwich with yoghurt, pickles and lettuce. Really easy to make and tasty.

Courgette Falafel (from Tesco Magazine)
(Serves 4)

1/2 large courgette, trimmed and grated
2 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp harissa
handful coriander, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Wrap the courgette in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess moisture. Set aside.

Put the chickpeas, flour, harissa, coriander, 1 garlic clove, the lemon zest and a little seasoning in a food processor. Whizz until smooth. Add half the courgette and pulse briefly to combine.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal balls, then flatten into patties. Place the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 mins. Serve.

Curried Courgette Soup

This used up the last of my courgettes. I love making courgette, this one is spicy and fresh. 

Curried Courgette Soup (from Health Magazine)
(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp curry powder
900g courgette, coarsely chopped
1l chicken or veg stock
salt and pepper
4 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Warm oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high, add zucchini, pour in broth and add 1 tsp. salt. Cover and bring to a simmer. Remove cover, reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook until zucchini is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly. 2. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth whisk in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into chilled bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Indian Salmon and Veg Flatbread Pizza

I made this lovely pizza one day for lunch during half term. It's a very quick way to get a pizza and tasty to boot.

Indian Salmon and Veg Flatbread Pizza
(Serves 1)

1 salmon fillet
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 red pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 courgette, cut into chunks
1 flatbread or tortilla
1 tbsp tomato paste
coriander leves
1 tbsp natural yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Put the salmon on a baking sheet and sprinkle the curry powder over the top. Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins until cooked. Flake.

Put a little oil in a frying pan and fry the courgette and pepper until starting to soften.

Spread the tomato paste over the flatbread and top with the salmon, courgette and peppers. Put into the oven for 5 mins to crisp up. Remove from the oven and top with the yoghurt and coriander. Serve.

Courgette, Tomato and Cheshire Cheese Bake

Almost the last of the courgettes from the garden. Delicious tomatoey bake, a little time consuming as you have to grill the courgettes the first but really tasty.

Courgette, Tomato and Cheshire Cheese Bake (from The Guardian)
(Serves 2-3)

4 medium courgettes, cut lengthways in thin slices
oil
500ml passata
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
200ml Greek yoghurt
1 egg
100g Cheshire cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 220C. Heat a griddle pan. Brush the courgettes with oil, then chargrill and season lightly.

Build the dish in a frying pan: start with a good layer of tomato passata in the base, top with a thin layer of red onions, and add a tightly packed layer of courgettes, sprinkled with oregano, salt and pepper. Repeat, and finish with a thin layer of passata.

Mix the yoghurt and egg, season, then spoon on top of the passata. Cover with cheese, sprinkle with oregano and bake for 20 mins until golden.

Chicken and Runner Bean Paella

It's a while since I made paella and I love it. I had some runner beans to use up so this was a must. I changed the original recipe a bit, but adding in some chorizo and courgette.

Chicken and Runner Bean Paella (from Good Food Magazine August 2014)
(Serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
8 skinless chicken thighs
150g chorizo, chopped
1 medium courgette, chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped
225g paella rice
1 tbsp sweet paprika
100ml dry white wine
850ml hot chicken stock, stirred with 2 large pinches saffron
350g runner beans, strings removed, then sliced into chunks
200g uncooked large king prawns

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and garlic, and fry for 5 mins. Push the onions over to one side, add the chicken and chorizo and cook for 10 mins, turning occasionally, until the chicken is nicely coloured. After 5 mins add the courgette and pepper.

Stir in the rice and paprika, then pour in the wine. Let it sizzle a bit, then stir in the saffron stock. Add the beans, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the stock. If it starts to look dry, add a splash more stock.

Add the prawns for the final few mins, if using, until they turn from grey to pink. Season generously and allow to stand for 1-2 mins before serving.

Fennel and Courgette Soup with Parmesan and Creme Fraiche

This is a deliciously creamy soup, that tastes full of cream but uses creme fraiche instead. It also used up one of my very rather overgrown courgettes, so that made me happy!

Fennel and Courgette Soup with Parmesan and Creme Fraiche
(adapted from The Times)
(Serves 6)

75g butter
1 large onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 small fennel bulbs, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.75l vegetable stock
2 courgettes, diced
300ml crème fraîche
2 tbsp parmesan, grated
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, potatoes, fennel and garlic. Cook for a few mins to soften, then pour over the stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for about 10 mins until the fennel is tender. Add the courgettes and cook for a further 10 mins.

Take the pan off the heat and blend with a stick blender until very smooth. Stir in the crème fraîche and grated parmesan, and season well with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with lots of chopped parsley and a sprinkling of parmesan on top.

Summer Vegetable Pizza Pies

These were actually really very good. Lovely and tasty with all those summer flavours. 

Summer Vegetable Pizza Pies (from WeightWatchers)
(Serves 4)

1 packet pizza dough mix
plain flour
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
200g courgettes, chopped
2 peppers, deseeded and chopped
650g tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp thyme leaves
125g mozzarella, torn

Preheat the oven to 22C. Make up the pizza dough according to packet instructions. Dust a work surface with some flour and turn out the dough, leave it rise for however long it says on the packet., then divide into 4.

Dust the work surface with little more flour and then roll out the dough to make 4 rough circles about 20cm. Set aside on a baking tray.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic, courgette and peppers. Cook for 8 mins until softened a little. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and thyme, cook for a further 3 mins, then season and remove from the heat.

Divide the veg and mozzarella between the dough circles, the fold the dough around the covering some of the veg.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins. Serve with salad.

Mediterranean Chicken Parcel

I was given this recipe by a friend and I finally got around to making it. I used courgettes and tomatoes from the garden and it was delicious. I served it with new potatoes and beans.

Mediterranean Chicken Parcel
(Serves 1)

1 chicken breast
1 tbsp pesto
1 medium courgette, sliced thinly
40g mozzarella
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil a 25cm sq of foil.

Put the courgette into the middle of the foil.

Cut a pocket into one side of the chicken. Spread with the pesto and tuck in the mozzarella. Place on top of the courgettes, add the tomatoes and wrap over the foil and scrunch up.

Bake on a baking sheet for 25-30 mins or until the chicken is cooked. Serve.

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Squid with Shaved Courgette and Sweetcorn Salad

This was a really simple fresh salad. The squid was very tasty and the courgette, corn and tomato salad was lovely and fresh. I'm still trying to use all those veggies from the garden!

Crab-Stuffed Grilled Squid with Shaved Courgette and Sweetcorn Salad

(adapted from The Perfectly Tossed Salad by Mindy Fox)

(Serves 4)

225g white crab meat
2 tbsp mayonnaise
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
8 cleaned squid bodies with tentacles
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 corn on the cob, kernels removed
1 shallot, chopped
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large courgette, peeled into strips
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
handful basil leaves, large ones torn

Mix together the crab, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stuff the squid with the crab mixture, leaving a 1cm space at the top. Seal the squid with toothpicks.

Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the sweetcorn, shallot, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 3 mins, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the tomatoes, toss and cook for 1 min. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.

Put the courgette ribbons into a bowl, add the olive oil, basil and salt and pepper and toss together.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium high heat. Drizzle the squid with the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and season. Lightly brush the griddle pan with oil, then grill the squid bodies for 13-15 mins, turning frequently until golden in spots. Cook the tentacles for 2-3 mins.

Mix the courgette and sweetcorn together and put into bowls. Top with the squid. Serve.

Cannelloni Nicoise Style

This was absolutely delicious. Really simple to make but oh so flavourful. I used the cherry tomatoes from my garden and they are so sweet cooked this way. 

Cannelloni Nicoise Style (from Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook)
(Serves 4)

For the tomato sauce
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp oil
pinch salt

For the filling
2 courgettes
8 large fresh lasagne sheets
8 tsp olive tapenade
200g grilled peppers
200g cooked artichokes
200g creme fraiche
100g mozzarella, sliced or grated

Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the tomatoes, oil and salt into a small saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 8 mins or until the tomatoes have burst. Meanwhile, using a peeler, slice the courgettes into ribbons.

Spread the tapenade thinly over the lasagne sheets. Lay a few of the courgette ribbons down the length of the sheet just to cover them.

Mix the peppers and artichokes and spoon three tbsp of the mixture down the centre of each sheet, then roll up tightly from the long side, keeping the filling inside. Put 2 tbsp of sauce in a baking dish and then put the roll on top. Repeat with the rest of the sheets.

Pour the tomatoes over the lasagne rolls. Stir some pepper into the creme fraiche until smooth and put tbspfuls randomly on top of the cannelloni. Top with the mozzarella and put in the oven and back for 30 mins until golden and bubbly. Serve.

Courgette and Mozzarella Piadina

This was a delicious sandwich, with really easy flatbread made in minutes. It used courgette from my garden and gorgeous mozzarella. Really tasty.

Courgette and Mozzarella Piadina (from Waitrose Autumn)
(Serves 2)

2 courgettes, cut into thin slices
olive oil
1 tsp red wine
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1/2 chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
zest 1 lemon, grated
250g self-raising flour
125g buffalo mozzarella
handful basil leaves

Preheat the grill to high. Brush the courgette slices with oil and season. Spread out on the grill pan and grill for 4-5 mins per side until softened and golden. Mix together the vinegar, garlic, chilli and lemon zest. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the courgette slices and mix well.

Meanwhile, place the flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt and 6-7 tbsp cold water. Mix well with a fork until it starts to come together as a soft dough. Divide into two pieces, place on a lightly floured surface and roll each one into a 18cm circle.

Warm a frying pan over a medium heat. Spray with oil, add one of the dough circles and spray the top with more oil. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side until just golden and slightly risen. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Lay the courgette slices and any juices onto half of each bread circle and sop with the mozzarella and basil. Fold over the other half of the bread to cover the filling and press down gently. Slide one piadina back into the pan, place a large heavy saucepan on top and press down gently.  Cook for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and the cheese has melted. Serve.

Cretan Pastries with Courgettes, Mint and Feta

It's that time of year, a glut of courgettes. I started using the ones from my garden to make these lovely Cretan pastries. The recipe said that it served 4, so I halved the recipe and I ended up with 15 of them! They are small but I only managed to eat 3 for lunch! So I'd say they served more like 8! Although if you have a hungry man maybe less people! It take a bit of time to make them but actually really simple.

Cretan Pastries with Courgettes, Mint and Feta (from The Times Magazine)
(Serves 6-8)

500g flour
100ml olive oil
1 tsp salt
lukewarm water

for the filling
4 medium courgettes, grated
150g feta, crumbled
3 tbsp mint, shredded
300ml oil for frying

Put the flour into a bowl, pour in the olive oil and the salt. Mix by hand, slowly adding lukewarm water until you have a smooth elastic dough. It should be soft but not sticky. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave it to rest for 30 mins.

Put the courgette into a bowl, season with salt and leave for 10 mins. Meanwhile, put the feta and mint into another bowl. Put the grated courgette into a clean tea-towel, gather up the edges and squeeze the liquid out of the courgette, and add to the feta and mint. Season with pepper.

Dust board or counter top with flour and roll the pastry out as thinly as you can. Use a small bowl, about 10cm in diameter, to cut out the discs and dust with flour to stop them sticking. Place 1 tbsp of the filling in the centre of each disc. Close them gently in half and press the edges with a form to seal the edges.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When it is hot add the pastries and cook gently on both sides until golden. Remove from the pan and place on kitchen roll to absorb the excess oil. Serve.

Courgette Kinda Cookies

I managed to grow a marrow out of one of my courgettes and it's not really good for anything apart from grating so I made some cooking with it. These are a little bit healthy in that they include wholewheat flour, honey and courgettes and they are very tasty!

Courgette Kinda Cookies (from Time Out)
(Makes 20)

100g butter
100g honey
1 large egg
28g wholewheat flour
140g rolled oats
170g raisins
150g courgette, grated
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Melt the butter in a bowl and add the honey. Leave to cool and then beat in the egg.

Combine the flour, oats, raisins, courgette, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir in the wet ingredients.

Roll into balls, flatten and put onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins.

Courgette and Smoked Mackerel Carbonara

Another recipe from Save with Jamie. I actually really love this book, it has so many interesting recipes in it, ideal to use up leftovers and gluts of produce. This was a very tasty variation on carbonara and one I would definitely make again.

Courgette and Smoked Mackerel Carbonara (from Save with Jamie - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

320g dried penne
1 onion, finely slice
1 large courgette, cut into quarters and then sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
130g smoked boneless mackerel fillets, flaked
olive oil
2 large eggs
100ml semi-skinned milk
40g Parmesan cheese
1 lemon

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions.

Heat a tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions and courgette, season and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins. After 5 mins add the rosemary and mackerel and cook, tossing occasionally, for another 5 mins or until golden.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and milk together, then grate in the Parmesan. Reserving a cupful of cooking water, drain the pasta and toss into the mackerel pan. Take the pan off the heat for a few secs and stir in a good splash of cooking water to cool it down. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and shake and stir together until thickened, silky and evenly coated. Divide between 4 plates grate over a little extra parmesan, a sprinkle of pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, serve.

Herb Pancake Wraps with Goat's Cheese

I  made this to have for lunch the day after pancake day and although not strictly a pancake, as it doesn't have any milk or flour, it was a lovely wrap filled with fresh bursting flavours.

Herb Pancake Wraps with Goat's Cheese (from Good Food Magazine June 2015)
(Serves 2)

1½ tsp oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large courgette, coarsely grated and squeezed dry
2 large eggs
2 tbsp chopped basil
2 tsp thyme leaves
50g soft goat's cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 black olives, rinsed and halved
2 handfuls watercress

Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and add the spring onions and courgette. Cook, stirring frequently, to soften the courgette and get rid of some of the moisture.

Beat an egg with 1 tbsp water, half the herbs and some black pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, pour in the egg mixture and swirl the pan to set it thinly on the base. Cook for a couple of mins, flip over and cook for another min, tip onto a plate and repeat with the other egg, 1 tbsp water and remaining herbs.

Spread the goat’s cheese down the centre of each pancake and top with the courgette mix, scatter over the tomatoes, olives and watercress, then roll up and serve.

Farro and Roasted Veg Salad with Merguez Sausages

I have a hankering for roasted veg last week and so I made a salad. It was delicious without much effort!

Farro and Roasted Veg Salad with Merguez Sausages (adapted from Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 8)

400g farro or bulgar wheat
5 courgettes, halved lengthways, sliced
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and thickly sliced
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 aubergines, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic,  peeled
extra virgin olive oil
8 merguez sausages
splash herb or white wine vinegar
1 good bunch fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint and oregano, chopped
1 squeeze lemon juice
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Soak the farro or bulgar wheat in cold water for 20 mins, then drain.

Put all the vegetables and garlic cloves into a roasting trat and toss together with a good splash of oil. Season well. Spread the vegetables out in one layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 mins, removing the trays from the oven and carefully shaking them every now and then, until the vegetables are cooked through and crisp around the edges. Sprinkle the vinegar over the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven and set aside to cool.

With 20 mins to go, put the merguez sausages into the oven on a baking sheet. When cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool. Chop into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile cook the farro according to packet instructions. Dress the farro with a good splash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, add the herbs, season with salt and pepper and toss with the roast vegetables and merguez. Pack into a lunchbox or serve.

Bacon, Goat's Cheese and Courgette Filo Parcels

I made these parcels a few months ago when I still had courgettes in the garden and then I froze them. This is the first one I've tried and I have to say it was very tasty.

Bacon, Goat's Cheese and Courgette Filo Parcels
(Serves 4)

1 large courgette, grated and squeezed to remove moisture
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp of light olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of salt
Generous mill of pepper
2 rashers bacon
80g goat’s cheese
1 pack of filo pastry

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Heat a frying pan and add a little oil. Add the bacon and fry until just cooked, then cut into 1 cm pieces and leave to drain on kitchen roll.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add the courgette, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and fry for 4-6 mins until soft and all the liquid has steamed away, stir in the bacon bits, then set aside.

Pre-rolled filo packs tend to have six rectangular sheets so open them out and then cut down the centre to create 12 square sheets Place one square on a floured surface, brush with oil, then place another sheet on top at an angle, brush with oil, followed by a third sheet at another angle, then brush with oil again.

Divide the courgette mix into four equal portions and place one portion in the middle of the pastry Cut the goat’s cheese in to four equal discs and place one disc on top of the courgette in the middle of the pastry.

Pull the pastry up around the filling to the middle and squeeze to create a parcel with a flowered top. Brush with oil and place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have four equal parcels. Bake for about 15 mins until they are golden brown.

Korean Pancake

I made these delicious pancakes for lunch last weekend. It was really simple to make, chop up lots of veg, and you could use pretty much any veg you want, make a batter, combine and fry. Very satisfying!

50g plain flour
25g cornflour
pinch chilli powder
1 egg
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp oil
1 spring onion, trimmed and shredded lengthways
150g mixed vegetables, cut, julienned or shredded into 2-3cm lengths
50g small cooked prawns

For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
pinch of sugar

Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the flour, chilli powder and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl or jug, beat together 100ml water, the egg and garlic. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the water mixture, beating all the time to make a smooth batter. Add the veg and prawns to the batter and stir to coat.

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and pour in the batter and veg. Cook on a medium heat for 3-4 mins or until the bottom is fully set and turning golden, and the top is beginning to set. Flip over and cook the other side for 3-4 mins more until cooked through. Slice into wedges and serve with the dipping sauce.

Tuna Steaks and Grilled Vegetables with Cheats Aioli

The day before Christmas Eve we had Tuna for dinner. This was a lovely recipe with Mediterranean flavours. I served it with pasta tossed in oil.

Tuna Steaks and Grilled Vegetables with Cheats Aioli (from Leith's Fish Bible)
(Serves 8)

2 aubergines, sliced lengthways into strips
6 medium courgettes, cut into thin diagonal slices
3 red peppers, halved and deseeded
4 onions, sliced
6 tomatoes, peeled, quartered and deseeded
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped basil
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp mayonnaise
4 small or 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
8 tuna steaks
oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the grill.

Brush both sides of the aubergines and courgettes with some oil. Grill the aubergines, courgettes, red peppers and onions until golden and the peppers are charred.

Put the vegetables into a bowl with the tomatoes. Add the mint and basil and the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the cheats aioli but mixing together the mayonnaise and garlic.

Brush both sides of the tuna steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 1-3 mins on each side. Serve with a dollop of the aioli on top.