Courgette and Barley Salad

I bought a bag of barley last year with high hopes of making hearty soups and comforting stews in the winter months. A year later and there was still half a bag languishing in the back of the cupboard. We've still got some courgettes in the fridge, and I decided to try using the cooked barley in a filling, healthy salad. Think of cooked barley like bulghar wheat, it has a chewy, nutty texture that works perfectly with lots of fresh herbs and veggies. I've also got it on my list to try as an alternative to arborio rice for a healthier version of a risotto.

This is a simple salad of fried courgettes, mint, spring onion and goats' cheese, what really makes it is stirring the cheese into the hot barley to create a creamy cheesy sauce. This keeps well and the flavours develop over time, so perfect for making in advance although I would allow it to come to room temperature before serving and sprinkle over a few extra chopped herbs.

Ingredients

300g pearl barley, cooked in vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil
3 medium courgettes, chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1 small bunch mint, roughly chopped
1/2 lemon, juice
4tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, sliced
200g feta or goats cheese

• Heat the olive oil in pan and fry the courgettes until golden, add a squeeze of lemon and season well.
• Stir the courgettes and the remaining ingredients into the hot, cooked barley. Stir well and season to taste.

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Courgette Spaghetti

I discovered a new blog recently - Smitten Kitchen. It quickly went on my google reader subscribe list and I'm now suitably hooked so I urge you check it out too. This recipe immediatley appealed as it's another courgette recipe. Although very similar to other courgette pasta, this is a sort of light version. Courgettes are shredded finely, preferably with a mandolin for paper thin strips, but you can do it with a sharp knife too (see the picture below, although I must warn you now, I am particularly anal when it comes to chopping things finely). The idea being that the courgette take the place of some of the pasta, so you have a lighter summery dish. Simply soften a little garlic and chilli in a generous glug of olive oil, throw in the courgette and cook for a minute or so if that (longer if you're strips are larger). Add some cooked spaghetti, a few torn basil leaves (or chopped parsley) and season well. Serve with grated cheese if you like.


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Roast Chicken and Bulghar Wheat Salad

A summery take on a simple roast chicken - using sage from our garden, lemon zest, garlic and butter as flavour. Eaten with this courgette and bulghar wheat salad, an extra smattering of pine nuts and some cooling, garlicky tzatiki.


To make the taztiki, I grated a cucumber, salted it and left it to drain for 15-30mins. Squeeze out the excess water (there should be a lot), tip into a bowl and mix with greek yoghurt, finely chopped garlic and a little lemon juice. Finish with black pepper and a drizzle of oil.

This is perfect summer eating, there's no pressure to serve it piping hot, indeed it's better lukewarm and eaten casually outside. In fact, you could joint the chicken and BBQ it instead, swapping the butter for olive oil. I'm a fan of uncomplicated BBQs - making one great piece of meat the star so you don't spend hours cooking burgers and sausages. We're recently had success with a huge leg of lamb, marinaded overnight, cooked briefly in the oven and then finished on the BBQ. Sliced thinly and eaten in pittas with tazatiki and tomato salsa - that's my kind of BBQ.
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Courgette Fritters with a Tomato and Almond Sauce

I'm aware this is another courgette recipe. What can I say? We're overwhelmed, not only are we getting them from our vegbox but the marrows are also threatening to take over at the allotment we're babysitting.

Having said that, it's amazing what the pressure to use up a couple of huuuge marrows can do, I've come up with some genuinely delicious and different ways to cook courgettes, my favourite is still this soup, we made a huge batch out of the marrows.

This recipe is another gem, from none other than Cranks, I always forget just how good this book is, full of delicious and unique vegetarian recipes. It has guided me through budding vegetarianism and fed my friends and I through university.

These are crisp, delicate, gnocchi-esque fritters, eaten with a spicy tomato and almond sauce, couscous and yoghurt. I made the tomato sauce the day before in about 10mins and then made the fritters on the day. Cranks suggests making little balls and deep frying them. We went the lazy route and shaped larger fritters that we shallow fried. However, next time I think I will go all out and deep fry them (and I include instructions to do that below) - the crispy edges are just so good.


Ingredients

Serves 4

500g courgette, grated
1 onion, finely chopped
60g flour
1tsp paprika
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3tbsp chopped coriander
1/4tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1 bunch coriander, chopped
vegetable oil for frying

Tomato and Almond Sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 small piece ginger, grated, juice reserved
2tsp ground cumin
1tsp turmeric
2tsp paprika
2tsp garam masala
1 can chopped tomatoes
3tbsp ground almonds
To serve: couscous, yoghurt and extra chopped coriander

Make the tomato and almond sauce first, it benefits from sitting around for a while letting the flavours develop.

• Heat a large saucepan with a splash of oil. Fry the onions, ginger and chilli for 5 or so mins. Add the spices and fry for a few mins more.
• Add in the chopped tomatoes and ground almonds. Simmer for 15-20mins until thick and season well.

To make the courgette fritters:

• Squeeze the grated courgettes in a muslin cloth or clean towel to remove as much excess water as possible and tip into a large mixing bowl
• Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
• Now pour the oil into a deep saucepan – you want it to be about 10–12cm deep – and heat it to 180°C. To check, just drop a piece of bread into the oil, if it floats and starts to sizzle immediately, it's ready.
• Flour your hands and shape a tablespoon of mixture at a time into small balls. Carefully place into the hot oil. Fry the pieces gently, turning them a couple of times with a slotted spoon.
• When they’re browned and crisp, lift them out of the oil, allowing any excess to drip back into the pan, and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve on a mound of couscous with a spoonful of the sauce, a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of coriander.
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Courgette Carbonara

We were away at the weekend and so returned to a huge pile of vegetables, not only from the vegbox but also kindly donated from an allotment. In search of courgette inspiration, I got this recipe from Rachel Eats. A wonderful blog brimming with simple, colourful and delicious Italian food. Every time I read it, it makes me yearn to have long leisurely lunches of pasta. In a departure from the norm, I actually followed this recipe as is, it's super easy and you end up with smooth and creamy pasta, made a little lighter and fresher by the use of courgette and basil rather than bacon.

The only tricky bit with carbonara is you need to allow the egg mixture to cook in the residual heat of the pasta and courgettes rather than directly on the hob, so you end up with a silky sauce rather than scrambled eggs. Jamie Oliver also does something similar.
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Courgette, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

Yet another courgette recipe (we're seriously overrun here) and this one I'm really proud of. I'd forgetten how easy a good bowl of soup is to make and how satisfying. Taking inspiration from this 101Cookbooks recipe, this is a simple and fresh soup of courgette and spinach, I add chickpeas for extra thickness and just before blending threw in a load of mint and coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice to make it fresh and zingy. Finish off with a drizzle of good olive oil or a dollop of yoghurt.




Makes enough for 2 with leftovers.

Ingredients
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 red chilli
2 medium courgettes
about 100g spinach (or spring greens)
all roughly chopped
25g butter
750ml vegetable stock (from bouillon powder is fine)
1 can chickpeas, drained
juice 1/2 lemon
small bunch each of coriander and mint

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, sweat the onion, garlic and chilli for 5 or so mins until softened.


• Add the courgette and continue to cook for a few minutes until they take on some colour.


• Pour in the hot stock and bring to the boil. Add the chickpeas, and if using spring greens, you want to add them here. cover and simmer for 10-15mins.
  


• If using spinach, add now and cook until the spinach is wilted (it will only take about 30s).


• Add the mint, coriander and lemon juice and blend immediately.

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Courgette, Tomato and Basil Fritatta

A colourful, summery fritatta making the most of the abundant supply of courgettes and sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes at the moment; finished off with a little cheese and a sprinkling of basil (from our overflowing window box). Low in carbs, packed full of veggies and nutrient rich eggs; this is superhealthy summer eating.

Perfect for brunch with bacon or sausages and toast (I would also have it with baked beans but that's probably just me...) or lunch with a green salad eaten in the sunshine.

As with most of my recipes, this is very relaxed. Use what you have; broad beans or spinach would work equally well here. Or maybe, continuing the italian theme, add a torn ball of mozzarella for oozy, stringy, cheesy goodness. Our vegetable boxes have been low on onions recently, but I imagine if I make this again, I'd add a little finely red onion for extra bite. You could also make this even easier by laying the cooked courgettes in the bottom of a small greased baking dish, topping with the tomatoes, basil, cheese and eggs and baking at 180C for about 20mins until puffed up and golden brown.



Ingredients

Serves 2

2 medium courgettes
handful basil, shredded
handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 eggs and a splash of milk
knob butter
approx 50g cheese, grated

• Slice the courgettes thinly on the diagonal.
• Heat a medium non-stick frying pan with a little oil. Fry the courgette slices in batches until blistered and brown. Try to refrain from adding too much oil to the pan otherwise you'll end up with a greasy frittata. Season once cooked.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and milk with plenty of salt and pepper.
• Once cooked, return all the courgettes to the pan with the butter and spread out evenly, sprinkle the basil and tomatoes over the top.
• Preheat the grill.
• Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pan, making sure all the vegetables get covered and add the grated cheese. Turn the heat down and using a spatula, carefully scrape the cooked edges inwards, allowing the uncooked eggs to run into the rivulets.
• Once the frittata is mostly cooked around the edges, but the middle is still fairly runny, pop under the grill until the top is completely set.
• To serve, run a spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the frittata and cut into 4 wedges.
  

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Courgette and Pistachio Bulghar Wheat Salad

A zingy bulghar wheat salad packed full of parsley and coriander, pistachios and orange. I also chopped some courgette into small pieces, fried in a little olive oil and added it to the salad, finishing off with a squeeze of orange juice to freshen things up. Pistachios are fast becoming a new favourite, mixed with orange juice, its an exotic combination.

As with most salads, this is a chop and assemble job. As ever, bulghar wheat holds up quite well, so make plenty for lunch and snacks later. Try adding some shredded roast chicken for a more substantial meal maybe eating with a simple tomato salad.


Ingredients

200g bulghar wheat, cooked
2 courgettes
3tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch coriander, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 orange, zest and juice of 1/2
75g pistachios, chopped

• Top and tail the courgettes, slice into 4 lengthways and slice into chunks.
• Heat a frying pan with 2tbsp olive oil and fry the courgettes for 5 mins or so until golden brown and cooked through. Season well and a splash of orange juice.
• Mix with the bulghar wheat and add the rest of the ingredients saving some pistachios to sprinkle over later.
• Serve with a spoon of yoghurt and sprinkled with the reserved pistachios.

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Courgette Pasta

We got the first of summer's courgettes in our veg box this week, small, firm and sprightly specimens. Perfect for the first Courgette Pasta of the summer. I wrote about this last year, but for those of you who might not have read it or who simply forgot, then this is a little reminder.
A perfect way to cook courgettes, grated coursely and fried slowly in plenty of butter and olive oil, left long enough to create crusty caramelised bits in place. Add plenty of garlic, lemon zest and pepper and eat with pasta. This is fresh and summery, none of the usual mushiness that makes most people dislike courgettes. Try adding a handful of pine nuts or a few spoons of creme fraiche.
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Courgette and Bulghar Wheat Salad

Lovely nutty bulghar wheat with plenty of mint and coriander - the base for a classic tabbouleh. This time I used courgette, cut into small pieces and fried until golden along with a decent hit of chilli for a full flavoured salad that improves with age, making leftovers perfect for lunch. I also made a simple tahini sauce to drizzle over that is perfect with roasted vegetables too.

We had it as part of the mezze spread, but it would be good with haloumi, lamb or chicken. Of course, you can always use couscous if you don't fancy/have bulghar wheat.

Ingredients
Serves 4 as a side dish

200g bulghar wheat (approx 1cup)
2 medium courgettes (approx 300g)
1 small bunch coriander, chopped
1 small bunch mint chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 chilli finely chopped
6 spring onions, sliced
juice ½ lemon
3tbsp olive oil

• Cover the bulghar wheat with 500ml water (add a little vegetable stock for flavour), cover and simmer for about 5mins until all the water is absorbed, then turn off the heat and leave for 10mins.
• Meanwhile, cut the courgettes into 4 lengthways and slice out the fibrous central bit, and slice into thin crescents.
• Heat a pan and fry the courgettes in 1tbsp sunflower oil until golden, season well and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Once the bulghar wheat is cooked, combine in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
• Serve on a large plate with the tahini sauce drizzled over

Tahini Sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp tahini
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 tbsp water

Mix the ingredients together well, adding a little more water if necessary to loosen the mixture. Read more...

Courgette Caponata

With the bounty from my weekend doing Farmer's Markets, I decided to try making caponata for when my friends came over. This is a very loose version garnered from reading several recipes and then making it up! The general premise is that you cook onions, peppers and aubergine sloowly and then add some vinegar, tomatoes, capers and olives and continue to cook into a delicious stew, sweet from the peppers and onions and a bit sour from the capers and vinegar. Eat topped with pine nuts and basil. We had our slathered on toast, but I'm thinking you could have it with couscous or mixed into pasta. Any carb vehicle would do really.

I made mine with fabulous yellow courgettes, instead of the usual aubergine. So for a more authentic recipe, click here. I also made mine the night before to allow the flavours to develop and in fact you could keep a tub in the fridge for a few days, the flavours will just get better. We also found that it tastes better when cooled to room temperature rather than hot.

I'm pretty pleased that I got to use some basil from the bush we have growing in a window box. We got some other herbs at the farmers' market, so we'll see how they do. Including orange thyme, any suggestions on how to use it? I'm thinking perhaps with fish...

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 onions, sliced
3 peppers, sliced into long strips
2 courgettes, halved and sliced diagonally
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp olives, sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, halved

To serve:
basil and toasted pine nuts

Cook the onions, courgette and peppers in a liberal slug of olive oil for 10mins until softened and catching in places. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a few more minutes. Now add the rest of the ingredients, and cook slowly for 20mins more until the tomatoes have broken down and you have a thick stew. Season and serve at room temperature with the basil and pine nuts sprinkled on top. Read more...

Thai Curry

I've been thinking of making a thai curry for ages, and obviously, I know I should make my own as all it is is a bit of chopping and blending, plus it tastes so much better. But, I gave in and bought a ready made version which was recommended to me and I have to say its pretty good, a reassuringly short list of ingredients.

The beauty of a thai curry is that you can pretty much use whichever vegetables you like - mushrooms, carrots, courgettes, greens, peppers, sweet potatoes, corn, butternut squash. Chickpeas are always a welcome addition too, but then again, I think chickpeas are a welcome addition to most things.

To make this curry, fry a tablespoon of the paste for a few minutes until you can smell all the aromatic ingredients, I added some chopped onions, carrots cut into thin strips and sliced runner beans and coated them in the paste. Add a can of drained chickpeas, stir and add ½ can coconut and 250ml stock. bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. I also like to add some courgette, slice of the skin on all four sides, and cut into cubes, add these at the end. Then all you need is a good squeeze of lime juice, serve over rice with lots of coriander.

Obviously these are all vague ingredients, to make enough for 4, I would use 2 tablespoons of paste, and enough vegetables for 4, then add a can of cocount milk and a canful of stock. It all depends how rich you like it, I always like to use equal quantities of coconut milk and stock, otherwise it can be quite heavy, add more liquid if you want it soupier, which is good with noodles.

Now I have big pot of the paste, I'm trying to think of different uses, next on my list is this recipe for Asian Potato Cakes. I'll keep you posted... Read more...

Spring Courgette Pasta

My friend Kat introduced me to this way of cooking courgettes, apparently they do it in Carluccio's... Anyway, its completely won me over, I love this way of doing it, its so simple and no more soggy, slimy courgettes. Try adding a spoonful or two of creme fraiche at the end.

Although I had this with pasta, it could also work really well in some kind of hot salad with feta.

Ingredients

Serves 2

2-3 courgettes, grated coarsley
200g pasta
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli, finely chopped
25g butter
½ lemon
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
parmesan to serve
handful basil

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water. Meanwhile, cook the grated courgettes in the butter with the garlic and chilli until softened and beginning to brown in places. Add the drained pasta to the pan along with a glug of olive oil. Stir well so that the pasta is coated evenly, season well and add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Serve with some grated parmesan and a few shredded basil leaves.

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Special Rice

This is the best recipe for generic 'egg fried rice' that I've come across. It came courtesy of my good friend, and has thai overtones, but I make no claims of authenticity. Basically, its just tasty, comforting rice in a bowl. Apparently ridiculous amounts of fish sauce and chilli are compulsory.
The idea is use up any left over vegetables you have. Mushrooms and peas work particularly well here as do any type of greens. To be honest, most things go.

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 3cm piece of ginger, grated
2 chillis, finely chopped
3-4 cups assorted vegetables, cut into similar sized pieces
2 eggs, whisked
sunflower oil
fish sauce

Heat the sunflower oil in a wok until smoking hot, add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli. fry for a few mins. Add the vegetables and cook for few mins more, stirring constantly. Now add the rice and fry for a few mins. Make a well in the centre, pour in the eggs and fry, stirring all the time until the egg is absorbed. Finish with a liberal slug of fish sauce. Feel free to add more chilli and fish sauce. Read more...