Courgettes
Courgette and Parmesan Frittata
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1-2 Courgettes finely sliced (about 350g-400g in total)
1 tsp thyme leaves
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 Organic eggs
85g freshly grated parmesan
2tbsp torn basil leaves
Preheat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/Gas 4. Heat half the oil in a heavy based ovenproof pan, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned. Stir in the courgettes, thyme and garlic and cook for a further 4-5 minutes until softened, season to taste.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl, add half the parmesan and the basil and beat together. When the courgettes are cooked stir them into the egg mixture, heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, swirling to coat the sides evenly. Tip in the courgette egg mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes on a very low heat so that the bottom and sides are set.
Scatter the remaining parmesan on top of the frittata, transfer the pan to the oven and cook, uncovered for another 10 minutes until just set, puffed up and lightly golden. Turn out onto a large plate and cut into wedges.
Roasted Courgette, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
Serves 4
400g Courgettes, cut in half lengthways, then cut into wedges at an angle 5 cm thick.
4 tbsp Olive oil
4 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
3 or 4 tomatoes cut in half and then into wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1-2 lemons
15g approx mint, torn into pieces
150g mozzarella, sliced thinly
Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6. Place the courgettes into a roasting tin and drizzle with half of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, place in the oven a cook for 20-25 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and seasoning and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, Drain the juice from the roasting tin in a bowl, combine with the lemon juice, remaining olive oil and freshly chopped mint, whisk together. On a plate arrange the courgettes and mozzarella so they overlap. Place the tomatoes on top, then pour over the dressing and serve.
Baked Courgettes
Serves 2-4
350-400g Courgettes
1 tbsp Olive Oil
100g Goat’s Cheese, cut into thin strips (or mozzarella if preferred)
A small bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas 4. Cut out rectangles of foil enough to encase each courgette and brush each piece of foil with a little oil.
Trim the courgette ends and cut a thin slit along the length of each. Insert pieces of goat’s cheese in the slits. Add a little mint and sprinkle with olive oil and black pepper.
Wrap the courgettes in the foil rectangles, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes until tender.
Sweet and Sour Courgettes and Carrots
Serves 4
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
250g Courgettes, thinly sliced
250g Carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons shredded Mint
1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper and mint sprigs to garnish
Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the courgettes and carrots in batches until golden brown. As they are ready remove them to a warmed serving dish with a slotted spoon, leaving any oil in the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the vinegar and the mint to the pan and bring to the boil, then immediately pour this dressing over the vegetables and carefully toss to mix. Leave the dish to stand at room temperature for at least 30 mins to allow the flavours to develop. To serve, scatter with the capers and garnish with mint sprigs.
Courgette and Potato Cakes with Mint and Feta
Makes 8
300g Courgette, grated coarsely
350g Potatoes
4 Tablespoons fresh mint
225g Feta, crumbled
1 organic egg, beaten
2 tablespoons plain flour
50g Butter
1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
First place the grated courgette into a colander, sprinkle with 2 level teaspoons of salt to draw out the excess moisture and leave them to drain for about an hour.
Scrub the potatoes and parboil for 8 minutes. Drain and leave until they are cool enough to handle, then peel them and grate them coarsely into a large bowl and season.
Rinse the courgettes under cold water and squeeze out a much moisture as possible then roll up inside a tea towel and wring out every last drop.
Add the courgettes to the grated potato, along with the mint, feta and beaten egg and toss it all together.
Next divide the mixture into 8 and shape into rounds about 1 cm thick, pressing them firmly together to form little cakes. Then lightly dust the cakes with the flour.
To cook them preheat the oven and baking tray to 220C,425F or gas mark 7. Brush the cakes on each side with melted butter, place on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, turn and bake for 10 minutes. Serve Hot.
Courgette Fritters with Pistou – serves 4
400g Courgette, grated coarsely
75g Plain flour (all purpose for wholewheat)
4 Tablespoons fresh mint
1 organic egg, separated
1 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pistou sauce:
15g basil leaves
4 garlic cloves,crushed
90g finely grated parmesan cheese
finely grated rind of one lemon
150ml olive oil
To make the Pistou sauce, crush the basil leaves and garlic in a mortar with a pestle to make a fine paste (you can use the end of a rolling pin and a bowl!). Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese and lemon rind, gradually blend in the oil, a little at a time, until combined, then transfer to a serving dish.
To make the fritters put the grated courgettes in a sieve over a bowl and sprinkle with plenty of salt. Leave for 1 hour then rinse thoroughly. Dry well on kitchen paper.
Stir the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre, then add the egg yolk and oil. Measure 75ml water and add a little to the bowl. Whisk the egg yolk and oil, gradually incorporating the flour and water to make a smooth batter. Season and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir the grated cheese and rinsed courgettes into the batter, whisk the egg white until stiff, then fold into the batter.
Heat 1cm/1/2”of oil in a frying pan. Add dessertspoons of batter to the oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden brown and crispy, remove from the pan using a slotted spoon. Place the fritters on kitchen paper and keep warm while frying the rest. Serve the hot fitters with the pistou sauce.
Warm Yellow Courgette,Almond and Goats Cheese Salad
Serves 4
2-3 Yellow courgettes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
150g Goats cheese (or you could you mozzarella or feta cheese)
Trims the courgettes and cut into small matchstick sized pieces. Heat the olive oil in a non- stick frying pan, add the almonds and cook for 30 seconds, mind they don’t burn.
Add the courgettes, salt and pepper and toss over a high heat for one minute until warm but still crisp. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and serve onto plates.
Crumble the goat’s cheese over the top of the courgettes and serve immediately.
Baked Parmesan Courgettes
Serves 2-4 as a side dish
2 Medium courgettes, halved lengthways
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
4 tbsp breadcrumbs mixed with 6 tbsp grated parmesan
Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.
Scoop the seeds from the middle of each courgette half with a teaspoon. Put the courgettes halves into an ovenproof dish and season.
Mix together the tomatoes, garlic, chilli and rosemary with a slug of olive oil and season. Pile the mixture into each courgette then cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil and scatter over the breadcrumb mix. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for a further 15- 20 minutes until golden and crisp on top.
Courgette Fritters
Serves 4
1-2 courgettes, about 400g
1 onion, peeled and grated
2 Garlic cloves,crushed
100g self raising flour
2 Organic eggs, beaten
125 g feta cheese, drained and finely cubed
406 tbsp Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas Mark 1.
Coarsely grate the courgettes into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt. Set aside for 5 minutes. Using a tripe layer of kitchen towel, squeeze the courgettes to absorb their moisture. Repeat twice until they are dry. Add the grated onion to the courgettes with the garlic, flour and eggs. Mix into a thick batter and fold in the feta.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Once hot add a heaped tablespoon of batter and press down with the back of a spatula. Cook 4 fritters at a time for 3-4 minutes each side until deep golden and cooked through. Keep warm in the oven. Serve 3 fritters per person with some rocket and hot salsa.
Courgette Risotto
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped finely
350-400g courgettes, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ teaspoon hot chilli powder (optional)
375g Arborio rice
100ml dry white wine
500ml hot vegetable stock
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
25g grated parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and courgettes, and fry over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and chilli powder, if using and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until it is coated with oil, add the wine and simmer, uncovered until the wine has been absorbed, stirring frequently. Add 1/5 of the stock stirring until it has been absorbed, continue adding the stock 1/5 at a time until all has been absorbed.
Season with salt and pepper, stir in the parsley and parmesan and serve.
Parmesan Courgettes with Lemon
350-400g courgettes
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon peel, grated
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Cut each courgette into thick batons. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat,. Saute the courgettes and lemon peel for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the courgettes have lightly browned. Mix in the parmesan cheese and pepper to taste. Serve.
Sauteed Courgettes with Garlic,Chilli and Basil
2 Medium Courgettes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
12 large basil leaves, finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp parmesan, freshly grated
Cut the courgettes into slices at a slight angle. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette slices for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and the chilli and fry for a further minute.
Sprinkle in the basil, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer the courgettes to a warmed serving dish and scatter over the grated parmesan. Serve immediately.
Tagliatelle with Courgettes and Balsamic Vinegar
1 Small onion, peeled and chopped
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
400g courgettes, thinly sliced
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp water
400g fresh tagliatelle
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat for a few minutes to soften. Add the courgettes and increase the heat. Cook for 4 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the parsley, balsamic vinegar and water to the pan, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with the cooked pasta with parmesan sprinkled over the top.
Feta and Mint Frittata with Courgettes
Serves 4
6 Medium Organic Free Range eggs
150ml semi-skimmed milk
2 Medium Courgettes, topped, tailed and grated
10g fresh mint, chopped
150g Feta cheese, drained and crumbled
1 tbsp Olive oil
Preheat the grill to medium. In a large bowl beat together the eggs and milk and season well. Stir in the courgettes, mint and half the feta,
Heat the oil in a 20cm non-stick frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes without stirring, or until the frittata begins to set.
Sprinkle the remaining feta over and place the pan under a hot grill. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the top is golden and the frittata is completely set. Allow to stand for 3-4 minutes before slicing into thick wedges. Serve with salad.
Spaghetti with Courgettes
3 tbsp Olive Oil
400g Courgettes, washed and cut into sticks
300g good quality spaghetti
75g freshly grated parmesan
25g butter
Basil leaves, roughly torn
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, season the courgettes and cook gently for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta as directed.
Turn the spaghetti into a heated serving bowl and stir in the parmesan, butter and courgettes.
Stir in the roughly torn basil leaves and some freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
Vegetable and Noodle Stir-Fry
Serves 4
250g pack Rice Noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced thinly
100g mange-tout, sliced lengthways
2 medium carrots, cut in batons
1 medium courgette, cut into batons
150g Broccoli florets or shredded greens
1 onion, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Place the noodles in a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave to soak for 5 minutes.
Heat the oil in a wok and add the chilli,carrots, onion, mange-tout and broccoli, stir-fry quickly, tossing the vegetables for a few minutes.
Add the hoisin sauce and 2 tbsp water and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender, but still retain a slight bite.
Drain the noodles and toss with the coriander and mint. Serve the stir-fried vegetables over the rice with prawn crackers
Courgettes with Rosemary and Garlic
Serves 2-3
350g Courgettes, chopped into 1 cm slices
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves,crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toss the courgettes into a large frying pan and add the olive oil. Stir. Add the rosemary and cook quickly over a high heat until the courgettes are just beginning to soften.
Add the crushed garlic and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve warm as a side dish or on its own with warm crusty bread.