Stuffed Courgettes (V)

This is such a simple dish that works well as a side, but I really like it by itself as a lunch when I am working from home. I used to stuff the raw courgette and bake them, but these days I blanch the courgette first, otherwise I find that by the time the courgette cooks through - the filling is a little dry. This way works much better.

Its a simple dish but it really makes the flavour of courgettes shine, when in some dishes it can get lost. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

1 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1/2 cup (120ml) milk 

2 large courgettes

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 vegetable oxo cube

1 tsp dried herbs (a mix of thyme/sage, what you like)

40g parmesan, finely grated

3/4 cherry tomatoes, chopped

salt & pepper

oil for frying

Method:

Set the oven to 180C. Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs into a bowl and put to one side. Push the breadcrumbs down to ensure they soak well.

Halve the courgettes and use a teaspoon to create a 'trench' in the flesh; removing the seeds and some of the flesh, being careful not to break the courgette. Reserving the flesh for now, put the courgette shells into a large pot of boiling water, bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for  8-10 mins depending on the size of the courgettes. Then drain and put the courgettes into a baking dish, gently handling them so they don't break; they will be soft and cooked now. Lightly season with salt & pepper. Then you can chop the reserved raw courgette flesh that you removed.

In a large frying pan, heat a little oil and gently cook the chopped onion until cooked but not browned. Add the garlic and chopped reserved courgette flesh. Cook on a gentle heat for about 5 mins until the flesh is cooked. Crumble in the 1/2 vegetable oxo cube, a sprinkle of herbs and then add the breadcrumb and milk mixture. Stir well, taste and season. Put into a bowl to cool for a couple of minutes and then stir in most of the parmesan (reserving a little for the topping).

With a spoon, divide the stuffing into the courgette shells and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. You could add a little breadcrumbs here too if liked.. Bake for 20 minutes and serve. With a side salad, with a steak or chicken. Or like me - just as they are. Delicious!

Creamy Aubergine Involtini

This vegetarian dish of Aubergine Involtini is just so warming and comforting and is something I have made many versions of over the years. There are so many pasta versions where you simply roll up thin pasta sheets with a filling and bake. 

Griddled courgette and aubergine slices work so well and I was reminded of a starter that a friend cooked for me years ago of griddled courgette slices filled with cream cheese and pine nuts. I then remembered a chicken stuffed aubergine involtini I made years ago (recipe here) so here is my vegetarian version.

I have served this with some falafel and yoghurt sauce and a chilli salsa. This recipe serves two people, so if you need more, just double up. I have baked and served this in terracotta tapas dishes, but any small oven dish will do.

Ingredients:      (Serves 2)

For the sauce:

half a white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

oil for frying

1 tsp. paprika

1 tbsp. tomato paste

200g tinned chopped tomatoes

half teaspoon sugar

salt & pepper

For the Aubergine:

2 aubergines, sliced thinly (try and get aubergines as long and straight as you can)

180g Philadelphia cream cheese

25g pine nuts

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 small egg

40g feta cheese 

salt & pepper

little oil

Method: 

Put the onion and garlic into a small saucepan and cook in a little oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add the paprika and tomato paste and stir in. Add the tomatoes, sugar and seasoning and cook for 10 minutes until thickened. Use a hand blender to blitz the sauce until smooth. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the aubergines lengthwise. You want the best slices for rolling so choose about 12 total slices from the middle of the vegetables. 

Brush the aubergine slices with oil and griddle until softened - leave to cool on some kitchen paper. Put the cheese, pine nut, garlic powder & egg into a bowl with a little salt & pepper. Mix well. 

To assemble the rolls, lay one softened aubergine slice in front of you on a board, with the wider bit towards you. Put a heaped teaspoon of the cheese onto an end and roll up the slice. Place into a small dish that you will be baking them in. Continue until all slices used up. Using a spoon, ladle over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with feta cheese and bake at 180C for about 20 minutes or until cheese golden and sauce bubbling.

Serve with falafel and a yoghurt sauce for a VERY satisfying vegetarian meal. Enjoy!

Za'atar fried Halloumi with Tomato Cannellini stew

 

Another vegetarian recipe that I made last week. The stew contains chipotle sauce which you can either make yourself (recipe here) or you can easily buy a small jar of it in most supermarkets. The za'atar is a herb mix hailing from the Middle East including sesame seeds (note if allergic), sumac, thyme and oregano. Again, can be bought in many local supermarkets.

First I made the slightly spicy stew, then coated the haloumi and pan fried with a drizzle of honey. Topped with a creamy jalapeño yoghurt and served with flatbread, it was a filling delicious evening meal.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

half a white onion, sliced

half a red pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

200g tinned chopped tomatoes

200g cannellini beans, drained

1-2 tbsp. chipotle sauce

200g halloumi, thickly sliced

2 tbsp. plain flour

1 tbsp. za'atar

1 tbsp. runny honey

3 tbsp. Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp. sliced green jalapeños (from a jar)

1 tsp. lemon juice

small handful chopped fresh coriander

salt & pepper

oil for frying

Method: 

To make the stew, fry the sliced onion and pepper in a little oil until tender, adding the garlic half way through cooking. Add the tomatoes, cannellini beans and chipotle sauce and stir well. Taste to check if it needs salt and leave on a low heat while you cook the halloumi and yoghurt sauce.

Put the yoghurt, jalapenos and lemon juice into a small food processor or blender and blitz to make the sauce. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.

Put the flour and za'atar spice on a plate with a good pinch of salt & pepper and mix well. Dip the halloumi slices in, coating well and shake off excess. Heat a large frying pan with a good drizzle of olive oil and fry the halloumi for about 5 minutes or until golden on both sides. turn the heat to low and drizzle over the honey. 

Serve the tomato stew in the middle of the plate and lay the halloumi over the top. Drizzle over some of the yoghurt sauce and some chopped fresh coriander. This goes really well with a simple warm flatbread. Enjoy!

Romanesco Tagliatelle with capers and parmesan

Well, it certainly has been some time since I have been on this blog. Mostly I have just been busy working, but I am back with some new recipes. This one I cooked last night on my quest to eat more vegetarian meals in my diet. I had a Romanesco broccoli and I think its too beautiful to have as a side dish. 

It had to BE the dish. 

Ingredients:           (Serves 2)

Approx. half a Romanesco broccoli (broken into small florets)

180g dried tagliatelle

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic (sliced)

pinch red chilli flakes

1 tbsp. capers, drained

small glass dry white wine

40g parmesan (or grana padano), grated (and a little more for garnish)

Method:

Steam or boil the broccoli for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Boil the pasta in water until very al dente (a couple of minutes before its ready), reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large pan add the oil and garlic along with the chilli flakes and capers. Cook, stirring for about 4 minutes until lightly cooked. Add the wine and let the wine boil down to reduce by half. Add the reserved cup of pasta water to the garlic mix and keep on a medium heat.

Add the drained pasta to the large pan of garlic and capers. Stir well and let cook for a 5 minutes with the heat on low. Add the parmesan and stir into the pasta - the pasta water will thicken into a sauce with the cheese. It should look glossy and creamy. Toss the broccoli into the pasta and serve, adding a little more grated parmesan for garnish. And you have it. Simple, easy and showing off the delightful vegetable to its best!