Prawn and Fennel Risotto with Crispy Bacon and Chilli

This is a delicious risotto.

Prawn and Fennel Risotto with Crispy Pancetta and Chilli
(from Superfood Family Classics by Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

2 onions, chopped
1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
2 rashers bacon, chopped
oil
225g raw prawns
1l veg stock
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 red chilli, halved and deseeded
400g cherry tomatoes
300g risotto rice
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
zest 1 lemon
300g cottage cheese

Heat a little oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the bacon until golden and crispy, then remove to a plate. Add the onions and fennel to pan with a little more oil and a splash of water. Cook for 10 mins, stirring regularly or until softened.

Meanwhile, simmer the stock on a low heat with the garlic clove and the chilli. Prick each tomato with the tip of a sharp knife and put into the stock, adding the vines if you have them for flavour. After 1 min scoop out the tomatoes and carefully remove the skins.

Stir the rice into the veg and leave to cook for 2 mins, then gradually adding the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding the next. Repeat this stirring for 20 mins or until the rice is cooked. Stir in the prawns and tomatoes for the last 5 mins.

Meanwhile put the parsley, lemon zest, chilli halves and garlic from the sock pan, and the bacon onto a board and finely chop to make a sprinkle.

Stir the cottage cheese into the risotto, season and then serve with the sprinkle scattered over.

White Bean and Spring Green Cakes

This recipe came with my veg bag a couple of weeks ago and they are delicious. I used red leicester for the cheese and that worked fantastically. I served them over salad with a tomato and aubergine salad over the top but they would be yummy with a poached egg or as a burger in a bun.

White Bean and Spring Green Cakes
(Makes 8)

350g spring greens, washed and trimmed
60g cheese (cheddar, Lancashire, Wensleydale etc), grated
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
20g butter
1 400g can cannellini beans
50g dried breadcrumbs
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
1 medium egg, beaten

Blanch the greens in a pan of boiling water until tender, 2-3 mins. Drain and run under the cold tap. Leave to drip dry.

Mash the cannellini beans with a fork. Squeeze the greens to get rid of the excess moisture, then roughly chop and add to the beans along with the spring onions, cheese, breadcrumbs, mustard and egg. Taste and season. Shape the mixture into 8 evenly sized cakes and chill for 15 mins.

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan and fry for 5-6 mins on each side until golden brown and heated through. Serve.

Beef Short Rib Poutine

So I had a bit of an indulgent weekend. This was my dinner on Saturday night and it was delicious. It takes a bit of time and used short ribs, which I've never cooked with before but it was scrummy.

Beef Short Rib Poutine (from The Times)
(Serves 4-6)


1 tbsp olive oil
1kg beef short rib, cut into single ribs
40g butter
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml chicken stock
250ml beef stock
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
6 thyme sprigs, tied together with string
5 medium waxy potatoes, cut into wedges
200g melting cheese, such as provolone, raclette or mozzarella
Chopped parsley or chives, to serve

Preheat the oven to 170C. Heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and cook for 5 mins until browned, then remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the pan. Cook the onion and garlic for 3 mins until lightly golden, then stir in the flour and cook for a further min, stirring. Gradually stir in both stocks, along with 250ml water, and bring to the boil. Add the worcestershire sauce and thyme, return the beef to the casserole, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the beef and roughly shred, then return to the casserole, together with the potatoes. Cover with the lid and cook for 45 mins until the beef and potatoes are tender. Remove the thyme and discard.

Scatter the pan with the cheese and return, uncovered, to the oven for 5-10 mins until melted. Serve with chopped parsley or chives.

Pea and Spinach Risotto with Mint, Cottage Cheese and Parmesan

This is one of the best risottos I have had in a while. It's packed full of veg and wonderfully tasty. It comes from Jamie's Super Food Family Classics, a book which I am really enjoying diving into. The recipes are super easy, always seem to work and taste fab to boot!

Pea and Spinach Risotto with Mint, Cottage Cheese and Parmesan
(from Super Food Family Classics - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped
oil
1.2l vegetable stock
300g arborio rice
350g frozen chopped spinach
350g frozen peas
300g cottage cheese
1/2 bunch fresh mint
15g parmesan

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Stir the rice and spinach into the veg for 2 mins, the gradually add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring and waiting for each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Repeat for about 20 mins or until the rice is cooked, adding the rest of the peas for the last few mins.

Blitz the cottage cheese with the rest of the peas and most of the mint leaves in a food processor until smooth. Stir most of the cottage cheese mixture through the risotto, taste and season. The divide between four plates. Serve with a spoonful of cottage cheese mixture, a grating of parmesan and some chopped mint leaves sprinkled over.

Sweet Aubergine and Tomato Spaghetti Cake

This is an absolutely delicious spaghetti dish. It didn't stay in a cake form for me once out of the pan, but I didn't cook it for 40 mins, it was gone 8pm and I really wanted to eat! It was really tasty tho and an interesting way to cook an aubergine!

Sweet Aubergine and Tomato Spaghetti Cake (from Super Food Family Classics by Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

1 large aubergine, 350g
300g dried wholewheat spaghetti
olive oil
4 sprigs fresh oregano
2 red onions, finely sliced
½–1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced
1 400g tin of plum tomatoes
300g cottage cheese
2 large free-range eggs
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
juice 1 lemon
70g rocket
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the whole aubergine in a large pan of boiling water. Sit something on top, like a colander, so the aubergine doesn't float to the top, cook for 15 mins, then remove to a board. Add the spaghetti to the water and cook according to packet instructions, then drain and place in a large bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, halve and roughly chop the aubergine about 1cm thick. Place a deep 26cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil and the aubergine, then pick in the oregano leaves. Add the onions and chilli to the pan. Cook for 15 mins, stirring often until golden and gnarly.

Pour in the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just under half-fill the tin with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 mins, or until thick. Taste and season.

Pour the tomato sauce over the spaghetti, add the cottage cheese, eggs, and Parmesan, then mix together really well. Pour the spaghetti mixture back into the pan, pushing it into an even layer and packing it up at the sides. Heat over a medium heat on the hob for 2 mins, then bake on the bottom of the oven for 40 mins, or until golden all over. Tip out on to a board, grate over the remaining Parmesan, and serve top with rocket, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of balsamic.

Farro, Kale and Goat's Cheese Salad

A flavour packed grainy lunch. Nothing beats the flavour of roast cheery tomatoes!

Farro, Kale and Goat's Cheese Salad (from Waitrose Magazine Calendar)
(Serves 4)

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tomatoes, cut into wedges
250g can black olives, drained
1 tbsp capers
3 thyme sprigs
250g farro
200g kale, finely chopped
200g goat's cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Put 2 tbsp oil, the onion, tomatoes, vinegar, olives, capers and thyme into a baking tray, season and roast for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the farro according to packet instructions.

Drain the farro and tip into the baking tray with the tomatoes, discarding the thyme stalks, and toss together.

Heat the last 1/2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a high heat and add the kale. Fry, stirring occasionally until tender.

Add the kale to the farro and vegetables and divide between plats. Crumble ver the goat's cheese and serve.

Leek Rostiflette

This was so good, I've been raving about it to everyone. Proper comfort, stick to your ribs food. Yum!

Leek Rostiflette (from Sarah Beattie)
(Serves 4-6)

1kg potatoes, peeled
2 leeks
25g butter or 1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 sundried tomatoes, sliced
200ml milk or white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
few gratings nutmeg
1 250g camembert

Preheat the oven to 200C. Parboil the potatoes for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, clean the leeks and cut into 5cm lengths. Cut each length into matchsticks. Melt the butter or heat the oil and fry the leeks with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until starting to soften.

Drain the potatoes and coarsely grate. Add them to the leeks with the wine or milk, and parsley. Season well. Toss together and put into a shallow baking dish.

Slice the Camembert in half horizontally to give two rounds. Cut each round into quarters and arrange over the top of the leek and potatoes. Put in the oven for 20–25 mins, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Cheat's Pea Soup with Ham, Pasta, Mint and Feta

I made this a little while ago and it is really easy and super tasty. I am really enjoying making things from this cookbook.

Cheat's Pea Soup with Ham, Pasta, Mint and Feta (from Jamie's Super Food Family Classics)
(Serves 4)

1 bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
300g frozen peas
300g frozen chopped spinach
100g smoked ham, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch mint
300g dried wholewheat pasta
50g feta

Put the spring onions into a blender with the peas and spinach. Tear in the ham, mint leaves and then cover with 400ml of just boiled water. Put the lid on and blitz until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if you need to.

Pour into a large pan on a high neat and add another 1.2l of boiling water. Smash up the pasta into random shapes and stir into the soup. Bring back to the boil and simmer until the pasta is cooked through, stirring regularly and adding splashes of water to loosen. Season.

Divide the soup between bowls and crumble over the feta. Serve.

Fish Crumble

This was a delicious fish crumble. I loved the use of couscous rather than breadcrumbs or mash on top of this fish pie. It turned out delicious.

Fish Crumble (from Hairy Dieters Fast Food)
(Serves 4)
(12 SP per serving)

600g skinless white fish fillets, cut into chunks
150g smoked haddock fillet, cut into chunks
cooking spray
salt and pepper

1 slice onion
1 bay leaves
peppercorns
50ml white wine
50ml milk
200ml half-fat creme fraiche
1 tsp plain flour
25g reduced fat extra mature cheddar
small bunch parsley

For the topping
100g couscous
120ml just boiled water
25g reduced fat extra mature cheddar
2 tsp oil

Heat the oven to 200C.

Put the couscous into a bowl and cover with the just boiled water. Cover and leave the couscous to stand for 10 mins until all the water has been absorbed, then fluff it up with a fork.

Put the onion and bay leaf in a saucepan with the peppercorns. Pour in the wine and milk, then stir in the creme fraiche. Put the pan over a low heat and whisk in the flour and cheese. When the sauce is well combined and the cheese has melted, leave to simmer gently for a couple of mins, then add the fish. Continue to simmer for 3-4 mins.

Finely chop the parsley and set aside 2 tbsp. Stir the rest into the sauce. Spray an ovenproof dish with oil. Spoon the fish and sauce into the dish and season.

Mix the rest of the parsley with the couscous and sprinkle over the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese in top, then drizzle over the oil. Bake the crumble for about 10 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve.

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash

This was delicious, lovely and spicy and the usual watery nature of the spaghetti squash was gone, so all in all a success.

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash (from Destination Delicious)
(Serves 6)

2 medium spaghetti squashes
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
450g chicken breast, chopped into small cubes
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 peppers
3 tomatoes, diced
60g cream cheese
bunch parsley, chopped  

Preheat the oven to 200C. Prick the spaghetti squashes with a fork and put into the oven. Bake for 40mins - 1 hr until soft. set the squash aside until cool enough to handle. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cajun spice to the chicken and combine.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in  frying pan over a medium high heat, add the chicken and sauté for about 5 mins. Add the onion, garlic and peppers to the pan with 1 tsp cajun seasoning and sauté until softened.

Then, add in the tomatoes and cream cheese. Stir until combined. Take the mixture off the heat. When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the spaghetti strands out of each half. Add the spaghetti squash and the chicken to the sauté pan and toss to combine. Serve.

Cheese and Onion Topped Vegetable Pie

This was a yummy veggie pie.

Cheese and Onion Topped Vegetable Pie (from Waitrose Autumn)
(Serves 4)
(9 WW SmartPoints per serving)

800g potatoes, peeled and chopped
splash milk
1 tbsp oil
1 carrot sliced
1 pepper, diced
300g leeks, washed and thickly sliced
40g butter
40g plain flour
400ml milk
1 tsp mustard
80g cheddar cheese, grated
1 bunch spring onions, sliced

Put the potatoes into a saucepan and over with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain and return to the pan.

Add the milk and mash well. Season.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the veg for 5 mins. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually add the milk stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in the mustard and 20g cheese, season and pour over the veg.

Mix the remaining cheese and spring onions into the mash and spoon on top of the veg. Bake for 30 mins until golden.

Sweet Leek and Fennel Tuna Pasta Bake

Yummy, yummy pasta dish full of veggies. Bit of a different version of a tuna pasta bake! I didn't have any olives so I used 2 tsp of capers instead. Anything slightly salty would do!

Sweet Leek and Fennel Tuna Pasta Bake (from Super Food Family Classics - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

4 black olives, torn up
4 cloves garlic, sliced
oil
2 leeks, sliced
1 bulb fennel, sliced
2 400g tins plum tomatoes
2 tins tuna in spring water
300g wholewheat pasta
1/2 parsley, chopped
150g cottage cheese
20g parmesan, grated

Add the olives and garlic to a large pan over a medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add the leeks and fennel and cook with the lid on for 15 mins or until softened, stirring regularly.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 5 mins, drain.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Tip the tomatoes into the pan, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just over half fill one of the empty tins with water, swirl around and pour into the pan. Drain and flake in the tuna, then simmer for 10 mins.

Add the pasta, cottage cheese and parsley to the tomato pan, season. Tip into a baking dish, sprinkle over the parmesan and bake for 25-30 mins until golden and bubbling. Serve.

Salmon and Prawn Fish Pie

There is a lot of veg packed into this fish pie, it is a really yummy dish. 

Salmon and Prawn Fish Pie
(Serves 4)

olive oil
1 rasher bacon, sliced
1 large carrot
1 bunch spring onions
½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp plain flour
600ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp mustard
400g frozen chopped spinach
4 x 120g salmon fillets
200g raw peeled prawns
400g frozen peas
125g feta cheese
600g sweet potatoes
600g cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Put the bacon into a large roasting tray with 1 tsp of oil, then put on a medium heat. Wash and trim the carrot and spring onions, chop into 1cm dice, and once the bacon is lightly golden, stir them into the tray.

Finely slice and stir in the parsley stalks. Cook for 10 mins to soften, stirring regularly, then stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the milk, bring up to a good simmer, then stir in the mustard and frozen spinach. Simmer for 5 to 10 mins, or until the spinach has thawed.

Chop the salmon into bite-sized chunks, halve the prawns, finely chop the parsley leaves and stir it all through the sauce with the frozen peas, then crumble the feta over the top and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, wash the sweet potatoes and cauliflower (leaving the skins on for extra nutritional benefit) and chop into 3cm chunks. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15 mins, or until cooked through, then drain and mash well, taste, and season. Gently spoon the mash over the fish pie filling, spreading it out with a fork. Bake for 40 mins, or until golden and crisp on top, and bubbling at the edges.

Turkish Eggs

I had these delicious eggs for lunch on New Year's Day and they were fab. Really easy to make and tasty, something different to do with eggs!

Turkish Eggs (from Hairy Dieters Fast Food)
(Serves 4)
(5 WW SmartPoints)

cooking spray
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika or chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 medium tomatoes, diced or 200g can chopped tomatoes
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
50g feta, crumbled
parsley or mint, chopped

Heat a frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Add the onion and peppers and cook over a medium heat for about 7-10 mins, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle over the paprika and oregano. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further couple of mins, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins.

Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Add then to the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs have combined with the tomato mixture and are just cooked through. Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with feta and herbs. Serve.

Grilled Aubergine with Green Sauce

This was absolutely delicious. It also felt really healthy. I didn't bother putting it in the oven and served it over spinach and then drizzled the sauce over the top.

Grilled Aubergine with Green Sauce (from The Times)
(Serves 4)

5 medium aubergines
salt and pepper
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 garlic cloves
80g soft goat’s cheese
100ml olive oil
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

For the green sauce
125g mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
12 basil leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp of water

Slice 4 of the aubergines lengthways in 4 thick slices. Season with salt and pepper. Place the remaining one on an open flame to char the outside skin, turning regularly. Once ready, the aubergine should feel soft when you stick a knife into it.

Once cool enough to handle, cut in two and spoon out the flesh. Place the flesh in a blender with the molasses, garlic, cheese and 50ml of olive oil. Process until smooth.

In an open pan, reduce the tinned tomatoes until you obtain a thick “dryish” sauce. Then, add the aubergine purée, mix well, taste for seasoning and keep aside.

Pat dry the sliced aubergine, drizzle some olive oil over and grill on a cast-iron griddle or on the BBQ.

Make the green sauce by blending all of the ingredients together in a processor until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

Place 4 of the outside slices of aubergine on an oven dish then spoon some tomato and aubergine sauce over. Top with an inside slice and repeat the operation, finishing with an outside slice. Place in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. Pour some of the green sauce onto 4 plates, place the hot aubergine stack next to it, drizzle over some olive oil and serve.

Turkish Baked Pancakes

These are a bit like the gozleme I get from the Turkish shop down the road from me, except the shell on these is a bit harder, I suspect because it is baked rather than cooked over a brazier thing. I loved them anyway, a nice project for a Sunday lunch!

Turkish Baked Pancakes (from The Telegraph)
(Serves 4)

150g 00 pasta flour
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 salt
75-120ml ice-cold water

For the filling
225 feta, crumbled
4 tbsp chopped mint
4 tbsp chopped dill
4 tbsp chopped coriander

Put the flour into a bowl and add the olive oil and salt. Add 75ml of water and mix until a soft, smooth dough forms, adding more water if necessary. Dust the dough ball lightly with flour, wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 4 pieces. Dust the worktop with plenty of flour then roll one piece out into a small disc. The dough will become tight, so leave to rest for a couple of mins until soft again.

Roll it, resting from time to time into a circle. When it measure 25cm across it should be paper thin.

Scatter a thin layer of cheese and herbs over half the dough, leaving a 1cm border round the edge.

Brush the edge with water then lift and fold the other half of the bread to make a semi circle.

Lift carefully onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 mins until puffed and pale gold.

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes

I'm loving pancakes at the moment, in all sorts of varieties. I made slightly larger pancakes and I served them with hummus, yoghurt and cherry tomatoes. Yum!

Squash and Sweetcorn Pancakes (from Little Grazers)
(Makes 10 little pancakes)

100g butternut squash, cubed
100g plain flour
120ml milk
1 egg
45g frozen sweetcorn
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
vegetable oil

Add the butternut squash to a steamer over some boiling hot water and steam until softened. Add to a bowl and mash, set aside and allow to cool.

Add the flour and egg and whisk until you have a smooth slightly thick batter. Stir in the cheese, sweetcorn and paprika.

Grease a frying pan over a medium high heat with some vegetable oil. Add heaped tbsps of the mixture to make mini pancakes and cook until golden on both sides.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Potato Pie

I made this for my parents a couple of weeks ago. I liked it but the sauce split. I'm not sure why. It was pretty tasty though, I like potatoes as the pie crust.

Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Potato Pie (from Let The Baking Begin)
(Serves 4)

1.35kg potatoes, sliced thinly
2 chicken breasts
300g button mushrooms, quartered
4 strips thick cut bacon, cut into ⅓ inch pieces
½ large onion, chopped
30g grated cheese
125ml stock
60ml single cream
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and render the bacon until it crisps up. Add the chopped onions to the bacon and continue cooking until the onion is golden in colour. Tilt the frying pan to the side allow the fat to drip to the bottom and remove the onion and bacon to a separate bowl.

Heat the frying pan on high with the bacon fat in it, add the mushrooms and brown them over high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder, mix to coat.

Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Add the salt, black pepper and garlic powder and toss to coat.

Layer the ingredients in the following order: chicken, half of bacon and onion mixture, light sprinkling of cheese, mushrooms, bacon and onion mixture, a little bit of salt and pepper to season the mushrooms, light sprinkling of cheese and lastly arrange most of the potatoes on top.

Mix the chicken stock and cream and pour on top. Cover the baking dish with foil or lid. Place into preheated to 220C oven and bake for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 180C and bake for another 40 mins. Remove the foil or the lid and cook for additional 20-30 mins or until the top is golden brown. Serve.

One-Pot Cod with Chorizo, Butter Beans and Goat's Cheese

I loved this dish, it was so easy to make with minimal washing up and super tasty. Really one worth making.

One-Pot Cod with Chorizo, Butter Beans and Goat's Cheese
(Serves 4)

4 pollack fillets
25g plain flour, for dusting
oil
400g can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cooking chorizo cut into strips
200ml chicken stock
500g baby spinach
100g goat's cheese
2 tsp butter
crusty bread

Dust the pollack fillets with flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a frying pan until hot, add a little oil and fry the fish fillets for 3-4 mins until golden brown. Carefully turn the fish over and fry for a further 1-2 mins or until golden and just cooked through.

Add the butter beans and chorizo to the pan, then add the stock and cook for 4 mins to heat through.

Add the spinach, goat's cheese and butter to the pan and cook until the cheese has melted. Place each fish fillet into a shallow serving bowl and spoon the butter bean mixture around. Serve with crusty bread.

Stuffed Chayote

I got a chayote in my veg bag one week. I had never heard of it or seen one before, but it's always fun to try something new! I googled and came up with this stuffed chayote recipe. These were surprisingly really tasty.

Stuffed Chayote (from Cook Pad)
(Serves 3)

3 medium chayote squash, cut in half
140g chorizo, chopped
2 small corn on the cob, kernels removed
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander
50g cheddar

Preheat oven to 180°C

Cook the chayote in a pot of boiling water for 20-30 mins, until tender but firm. Remove from the water and leave to cool.

While the chayote is cooling, cook the chorizo in a frying pan. When fully cooked tip into a kitchen towel. In the same sauce pan which should still have a tiny bit of grease left in pan from chorizo, add the onion and cook for 5 mins, add the corn, peppers and tomato. Saute for 1 min.

Scoop the seeds out of the chayote and discard. Scoop out meat leaving about a 1/4" shell.

Chop the chayote flesh and place in a bowl. Add the chorizo, onions, corn, peppers, tomatoes, coriander and half the cheese. Mix well.

Stuff the chayote shells with the mixture. Bake for 30 mins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top for the last 5 mins of cooking time.