Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

An unexpected spaghetti squash arrived in our Riverford vegbox last week.  We had such a meaty cooked breakfast for yesterday morning for one of my daughter's birthday meals, that my partner half jokingly said we should eat the squash for dinner, before he went out for the day to his elderly mother's.

Googling 'spaghetti squash recipes' brought me back to Riverford's recipes, and their Pesto Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Breadcrumbs & Mozzarella. As we did not have any mozzarella to spare (today's homemade pizza is the last birthday meal) I thought I'd use feta, which sent me off on a Greek inspired filling.

Serves 2

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

200g feta

50g pine nuts

1 tbsp chopped or dried mint

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

1 handful breadcrumbs (1 thin slice of bread 'liquidised)

Extra virgin olive oil

Pepper & salt

Preheat the oven to 180C whilst you split the squash in half from top to bottom.  Scrape out the seeds, and reserve for roasting.  Rub a little olive oil, salt,and pepper on the flesh of the squash.

Bake cut side down with 1 tbsp water under each half for 25-30 minutes until the flesh can pulled into shreds easily with a fork.

Scrape the flesh into a bowl with the feta, pine nuts, mint, garlic, chilli if using, and 1 tbsp olive oil.  

Mix well and refill the two squash shells.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the filling and drizzle over a little olive oil.

Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown.

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Jamie Oliver's Creamy Mushroom Soup

I make Jamie Oliver's Creamy Mushroom Soup every few weeks, and although I know most recipes by heart that I cook regularly, this one I cannot.   So in fear that one day Jamie's recipe will vanish from his website I will copy it here.

600g mushrooms

1 onion

2 sticks of celery 

3 cloves of garlic

a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 litres organic chicken or vegetable stock

75 ml single cream

Brush the mushrooms clean if required and tear into pieces.

Peel and finely slice the onion, celery and garlic, then pick the parsley, finely chopping the stalks. Pick the thyme leaves.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, celery, garlic, parsley stalks, thyme leaves and mushrooms, pop the lid on and cook gently until softened.

Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then whiz with a stick blender until smooth.

Pour in the cream, bring just back to the boil, then turn off the heat.

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Middle Eastern Courgette & Yoghurt

I have just discovered Yotam Ottolenghi's website, and have used his Grilled Courgettes with Warm Yoghurt and Saffron Butter and Super Soft Courgettes with Harissa & Lemon recipes as my inspiration for my Middle Eastern Courgette & Yoghurt.

I have eaten this as a light dinner with flatbread, but it could equally be a side or be part of a mezze.

Serves 2 as a light dinner

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g courgette, finely sliced 

1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped

1 tbsp harissa

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp chopped mint

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 heaped dessertspoons greek yogurt

Gently fry the courgette in the olive oil. Cover and turn the heat down low so the courgettes steam for about 20 minutes.  Check the courgettes from time to time whilst you make the yoghurt sauce.

Mix the remaining ingredients together. When the courgettes are ready, turn off the heat, leave for a couple of minutes so they are not scaldingly hot, then stir into the yoghurt. Apparently the yoghurt splitting with the heat is a possibility but it didn't happened to me!

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Chilled Cucumber (or Courgette) & Yoghurt Soup

If you like Tsatziki or Raita, this is the soup for you. It can be made with either cucumber or courgette, and plant based yoghurt and milk

It is a funny old soup.  I based it partly on Indian salt lassis, salted yoghurt drinks which are a bit an acquired taste, and Middle Eastern yoghurt soups.  And it seemed like a fitting end to a partly frozen cucumber I found at the bottom of the fridge. 

Serves 2, or a greedy 1

Half a cucumber or small courgette, roughly chopped
1 stick of celery, finely sliced
1/4 small onion
1/2 a small garlic clove
5 large mint leaves
Large pinch of salt
2 heaped tablespoons Greek Yoghurt, or plant based yoghurt
100ml milk of your choice or kefir

Pinch of chilli (optional)

Place all the ingredients apart from the yoghurt into a stick blender cup or liquidiser and blitz like a smoothie.  Add the yoghurt a until you have a suitable 'soupy' consistency.  Unlike greedy me, chill and allow the flavours to develop for about 30 minutes. 

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