Courgette, Chickpea & Pasta Salad

Keeping on top of the courgette glut at the allotment with this Courgette, Chickpea, & Pasta Salad.

Serves 4

200g macaroni
1 can chickpeas, drained 
2 large courgettes, grated (I used green & yellow courgettes)
200g Feta, crumbled 

Zest & juice of one lemon 
30g broad leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp pumpkin or mixed seeds

Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet.  Drain, toss in a little olive oil, and leave to cool.

Fry the courgette in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over a medium high heat, stirring regularly, until soft and lightly golden in colour. This takes about 20 minutes.

When the pasta has cooled to room temperature, mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I didn't have feta or parsley when I made this, so used a couple of heaped tablespoons of pesto instead.

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Pastitsio, Greek Pasta Bake

After 14 years of driving to the South of France every summer, due to my eldest daughter's access and equipment needs, last week we treated our younger two now adult children to a last minute package holiday.  My son likes history and Greek mythology, my middle daughter likes sun and sea, and we all like food, so we settled on Rhodes.  They tried their best to eat most of the popular Greek dishes, but the one of the dishes they didn't try was Pastitsio, a layered lasagne like pasta bake, so I introduced them to it.

Serves 4-6

500g long pasta tubes, pastitsio no.2 aka bucatini, or penne
2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 courgette grated, or a bag of baby spinach leaves (optional)
500g beef or pork mince, or a mixture of both
150ml red wine
500g passata
1 tsp dried mint

1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cinnamon

1 bay leaf
2 eggs

500g greek style yoghurt

1/4 tsp nutmeg
100g grated halloumi, cheddar, or parmesan

Gently fry the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. 

When the onion starts to look translucent add the courgette if using.  Fry for 5-10 minutes until soft.  Add the garlic and mince, breaking the mince up as you cook it.  When broken up and with very few raw pink bits, add the passata, rinse the carton out with the wine and add this, and the herbs & spices, apart from the nutmeg.  Cover and bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer, stirring from time to time, whilst you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.  

Just before the pasta cooking time is up, check the pasta sauce. It should be slightly thick, like single cream. If still too watery, take the lid off and continue to simmer whilst you drain the pasta.

Drain the pasta, tip into a large high sided baking dish, and stir through 1 tbsp olive oil. 

Turn the oven on to 180C.  

Beat the eggs into the yoghurt together with a pinch of salt and nutmeg.

Pour the meat sauce evenly over the pasta (if being traditional the pasta should be lined up all the same direction in the baking dish, but I have yet to bother to do this), then evenly cover this with the yoghurt and egg mixture.  Top with the grated cheese.

Bake for 45-60 minutes at 180C in the middle of the oven or until golden brown and bubbling. You may wish to turn the grill of for a couple of minutes to brown the top, but keep a close eye on it - the cheese burns quickly! 

Serve with a big green salad.

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Courgette & Cannellini Beans

The courgettes on my allotment are finally coming.  

One of the ways I store a glut of courgettes is to grate and shallow fry them until golden, as fried courgettes reduce down to less than half their original size, and freeze. Once grated and cooked down they find their way into pasta sauces and curries over the winter

Today I mixed a serving (2 courgettes grated & fried) with a can of cannellini beans. For other courgette recipes click here

Serves a greedy 2

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 courgettes, coarsely grated

1 can cannellini beans, drained but reserve the liquid

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

In a non stick frying pan, fry the courgettes in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over a medium high heat.  Stir every couple of minutes so the top layer of grated courgettes get a turn on the bottom of the hot pan.  It takes about 20 minutes to lightly brown this quantity of courgettes.

When the courgette is golden and reduced down, tip in the drained beans, 2 more tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the rest of the ingredients. 

Mix well and add a little of the bean liquid if you want a looser mixture.  Season to taste.

Serve hot or cold with crusty/toasted bread.

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Zoe.com Aubergine Parmigiana

Being gifted some aubergines seemed the ideal opportunity to make an Aubergine Parmigiana, which I had wanted to try for a long time.  This recipe could also be made with courgettes.

I looked at several recipes, including traditional Italian recipes, but settled on @zoe's recipe because I liked the idea of adding lentils to the tomato sauce to make it more filling as a main meal.

@Zoe's recipe is copied below, with my notes in italics

Serves: 4 (with leftovers)
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Plant Count: 7
Diet: Vegetarian (Vegan with swaps)
Fibre: 10–15g per serving

3 aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1cm-thick slices (or 5-6 courgettes)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (14 oz)
1 x 400g tin black or green lentils, drained (14 oz)
30g basil leaves, torn, plus a few extra for garnish 
125g ball of mozzarella, torn (4.4 oz)
20g finely grated Parmesan cheese (0.7 oz)
Salt and black pepper

Top-ups: Kimchi, Extra basil
Swaps: Black-eyed beans for lentils, Vegan cheese alternative

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and lay out the aubergine slices in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and soft. I took the more traditional Italian route and shallow fried my aubergine slices in olive oil until golden brown, but it does use a lot of olive oil.

Meanwhile, place a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion in the remaining oil for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and lentils, then half-fill the tomato tin with water and add this to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the torn basil leaves and cook for 5 minutes more, then season with salt and pepper.
Spoon a third of the ragu mixture into the base of a 20–23cm (8–9 inch) square ovenproof dish (or similar) and top with a layer of aubergine. Repeat this twice more, then finish with the torn mozzarella and grated Parmesan. I used a 200g ball of mozzarella which covered the top layer of aubergine really well once melted.

Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Serve with some steamed greens or salad on the side.

Tips and Techniques

Cheese alternatives: For a vegan version, swap the mozzarella and parmesan for vegan alternatives.

Meal prep: This dish works great as leftovers. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in the oven or airfryer (180C for 10-15 minutes) to regain the crispy texture.

Customise your veg: Feel free to add more vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, carrots or celery to the ragu to up the plant count.

FAQs

Can I use other types of beans instead of lentils? Absolutely! You can swap lentils for black-eyed beans, chickpeas, or even cannellini beans.

Can I prepare this dish ahead of time? Yes, you can assemble the dish and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake

Can I freeze the leftovers? Yes, you can freeze portions of the cooked aubergine parmigiana in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven for best results.

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Slow Cooked Courgette/Marrow & Beans

A made up dish, to use one of my three overgrown courgettes

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed

2 large courgettes/marrow (about 1kg)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 can white beans

500ml vegetable stock

Fresh chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, or mint) to serve 

Chilli flakes (optional)

Finely slice your courgettes/marrow, peeling if the skin is tough.

In a sauté pan over a medium heat, fry the courgette in the olive oil until the released liquid has evaporated away. This can take 20-30 minutes.

Add the garlic and beans, using their liquid to make up part of your 500ml of vegetable stock, and stock.

Cover and bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. If the dish starts to dry out too much, add a little more boiling water.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, a pinch of chilli, and crusty bread.

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Courgette or Marrow Soup

Second half of my overgrown courgette found it's way into Riverford's Marrow, Potato & Sage Soup. To be honest it's a little bland for my tastes but that's marrow for you.

Serves 4

1 onion, peeled & roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled & roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
750g marrow, peeled & cut into chunks
250g white potatoes, roughly chopped
4 fresh sage leaves
1 litre veg or chicken stock
100ml single cream or vegan cream (I made cashew cream)
Salt and pepper.to season 

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a high heat and sizzle the sage leaves until crispy.

Add the onion and turn down to the heat to medium to soften rather than brown the onion.

Stir in the marrow, potato and garlic.  Cover and sweat over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the stock, cover and bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Pour in the cream and liquidise with a stick blender.

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Air Fryer Courgette Scarpaccia (Baked Courgette Pancake)

I have a new (secondhand) small air fryer, and a single courgette harvest from the allotment.  So let's try a air fryer Courgette Scarpaccia (kind of baked courgette pancake) for one.

Serves 1

1 small courgette, very thinly sliced

1/4 of a red onion, finely sliced

50g wheat flour (I used gram flour as I prefer it)

15g parmesan, freshly grated

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Sprinkle a large pinch of salt over the courgette, mix well, and leave for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, mix courgette, onion, flour, parmesan, lots of black pepper and combine well. The mixture will be more of a paste than a loose batter. 

Grease the air fryer liner (I squished a slightly too big silicone sandwich tin into mine - will be ordering air fryer liners next) with a little olive oil and spread mixture with oiled hands our evenly. Top with a drizzle of oil, a little more grated parmesan, and more black pepper.

Bake at 200C for 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Eat as a light lunch, snack, or with an aperitivo.

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Courgette & Tahini Dip

A great recipe for using (some of) a courgette glut.  This is based on Mutabal, a Middle Eastern aubergine and tahini dip.

500g/3 medium courgettes

1 small garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp tahini

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp chopped mint, or za'atar (optional)

Salt & pepper

Heat oven to 200C. Place the whole courgettes in a shallow roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and salt, and roast for 30 mins or until soft when pricked with a fork. Turn on the grill to blacken the skin slightly.Leave the courgettes to cool completely. 

When cool, trim the ends and roughly chop.  Put the chopped courgettes together with the rest of the ingredients into a food processor blend until smoothish.  Season to taste.

Serve with toasted pitta.

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Pasta e Fagioli, Veg Rich Pasta & Beans

Once a poor man’s meal, padding out a meagre bean harvest with pasta, Pasta e Fagioli is now an Italian comfort food with lots of regional and household variations.

At its simplest it is just pasta and beans, with meat and/or vegetables if available. I make it like I make Minestrone, but with more pasta and less tomato.  I use ham or bacon in my Minestrone, but ingredients can simply be left out or swapped to make a vegetarian or vegan meal.

Serves 4

1 onion, peeled and finely diced

1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1/2 tsp chill flakes

1 tbsp olive oil

500g diced vegetables, including 1 stick of celery and 1 carrot. I topped up with homegrown courgette as I like to add something green. You could add cabbage, kale, leek, peas, green beans, fennel, sweet potato, potato... There are no set ingredients!

100g smoked ham/bacon (optional)

400g tin borlotti, pinto, or cannellini beans

200g macaroni 

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 

1 medium tomato, finely diced

50g parmesan, or extra mature cheddar in our house

Fry the onion, garlic and chilli gently in a pan big enough to take a litre of stock + veg.

When the onion is translucent and soft, add the diced vegetables, cover and fry/soften for 5-10 minutes checking from time to time that they are not catching on the bottom of the pan.

When the vegetables are beginning to look soft and slightly brown, add the meat if using. Stir the meat around for a minute or so then add the stock, pasta, and beans including any liquid from the can. 

Bring the stock to the boil then turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is  soft (it takes longer in stock than it says on the packet). Whilst waiting, finely chop the tomato and mix in the grated cheese. I blitzed the tomato in a mini food processor as I have a child who does not like discernible bits of tomato.

When the pasta is soft, turn off the heat, stir though the tomato and cheese mixture, cover and leave standing for 5 minutes for the pasta to absorb a little more of the stock and cool a little. 

Serve, with extra cheese and chilli oil if desired.

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Courgette & Feta Lasagne

Great vegetarian lasagne recipe for using up a courgette glut.

This recipe is based on BBC Good Food's Creamy Courgette Lasagne, but I decided I had the time a fuller flavoured tomato sauce, not pre cook the lasagne first, and used whipped feta rather than ricotta. 

Serves 4

800g courgette, grated

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

8 dried lasagne sheets

200g feta

4 tbsp greek yoghurt

50g cheddar

500g passata

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat, adding each courgette to the pan as you grate it. The more courgette you add, they will begin to sweat and release water rather than fry. Don't worry.  Stir from time to time as you get on with the tomato sauce and whipped feta, and the liquid will evaporate.

In a separate sauce pan, fry the onion and 1 clove of garlic over a medium heat 1 tbsp of olive oil until they start to brown. Add the passata, and about 100ml of water to rinse the carton out. Simmer gently whilst you make the whipped feta.

Blend the feta, yoghurt, 1 garlic clove, and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a food processor. If you haven't got a food processor you could mash the feta and whisk in the rest of the ingredients.

Add 2/3rds of the whipped feta to the softened courgette and turn off the heat under the courgettes and tomato sauce.

Turn the oven on to the temperature specified on the lasagne packet. Mine was 200C (Fan 180C).

In a lasagne/baking dish large enough to fit 4 lasagne sheets side by side, start to layer up the lasagne, starting with half the cheesy courgette, then a layer of pasta, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat, adding the remaining whipped feta in blobs in the top layer of tomato sauce, and finish with an even layer of grated cheddar cheese.

Bake according to the instructions on the lasagne packet.  My packet said 30 minutes, but I found it took 40 minutes.  45 minutes is pretty standard.

Serve with a chilli oil, and a green salad.

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Courgette Glut Gazpacho

Courgette Gazpacho is a great way to use up a courgette glut. I first had a green gazpacho in France from a carton bought in a supermarket. I googled the brand (Alvalle) to find the ingredients but have had to guess the quantities.

Serves 4 as a starter

2 medium courgettes, topped & tailed
1/2 cucumber

1 green pepper, de-seeded

1/2 small onion, peeled

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 heaped tbsp greek yoghurt (optional)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1tbsp wine vinegar

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

400ml chilled water

Salt & pepper to taste

Roughly chop all the vegetables and liquidise. Can be eaten straight away, poured over ice cubes to chill some more. Or chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the flavours develop.

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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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Vegan Courgette & Cashew Nut Curry

The kids were horrified to learn I was planning to make courgette curry (or any dish for that matter) with my courgette glut.  I've made a couple of courgette curries before, a Courgette Sabzi and Malai Kofta, so thought I'd kind of combine the two. I am honoured to learn that this curry has made it onto my 15 year old daughter's very short list of acceptable courgette dishes.

Serves 4

500g/3 large courgettes, grated

2-4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely sliced

1 large clove of garlic, finely diced or crushed

1cm fresh ginger, finely diced or grated

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

500g carton of passata 

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

Large pinch extra strong chilli flakes

50g cashew nuts

1 tsp salt

Ideally, fry the grated courgettes in advance. If not, just fry the courgettes best you can after frying the onions.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. When hot add each courgette as you grate it and spread out to a single layer fry for a few minutes. You want them to fry rather than steam. Add each courgette as you grate it, push the courgettes the pan to the side, and spreading  out the 'new' courgette out as much as possible and continue frying. The courgette is ready when slightly translucent and lightly brown. Turn off the heat.

In a large saucepan heat another 2 tbsp oil and add the sliced onions. Fry gently until they start to go lightly brown and caramelise.  Add the dry spices, stir around, then add the courgette and passata, half a carton of recently boiled water. Stir and bring to the boil. Cover and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Weigh the cashews into the carton then pour over half a carton of boiling water and leave to soften whilst the curry simmers.

After 20 minutes, liquidise the cashews in the warm water and add to the curry together with the salt. Bring to the boil again. Like most curries this benefits from standing as long as possible for the flavours to develop. But it can be served as soon as the cashew cream shot.  Serve over basmati rice.

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Courgettes in a Japanese Style Teriyaki Sauce

 

First stab at diminishing my courgette glut, with Japanese flavours in an attempt to win over the courgette hating Japanese food obsessed teen Big Boy.

Serves 4 as an accompaniment

4 courgettes, grated or julienned

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp runny honey

4 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine (or apple cider) vinegar

1 large garlic clove, peeled & crushed

4cm ginger, finely grated

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. When hot add half the courgette and spread out to a single layer fry for a few minutes. You want them to fry rather than steam. After a few minutes push the courgettes the pan to the side and add the rest of the courgettes, spread out as much as possible and continue frying, stirring from time to time.

Whilst the courgettes are cooking mix the sauce ingredients in a mug.

The courgettes are ready when starting to go translucent, limp, and tender, although you can continue to fry until lightly brown (if there is to too much liquid in the pan) or serve with still a bit of crunch. When cooked to your liking, turn the heat down to low and stir through the sauce and you're done.

Serve either hot or cold.  I served ours with mixed through noodles, and as a side for the sceptics.  If I can win over Big Boy I will stir it through Japanese rice for packed lunches when he returns to school.

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Arroz Caldoso, Soupy Seafood Rice

OH suggested a risotto to use up the mussel broth we had left over from cooking Moules Mariniere the other day. I googled a few recipes and came across Arroz Caldoso, a kind of soupy paella.

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 

1 red pepper, de-seeded and diced 

2 small courgettes, grated or thinly sliced

500g prepared mix seafood, squid or prawns 

300g paella rice

600ml mussel or fish stock 

Gently fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the red pepper and courgette and fry gently for a further 5 minutes. Add the paella rice, stir through, then add the stock and smoked paprika. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes uncovered. 

After 10 minutes add the seafood and mix well. If you cannot see any liquid in the pan, add about 100ml of recently boiled water. Bring to the books again then cover and leave on the lowest heat for a further 10 minutes. 

Serve.   

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Tian de Courgettes (Baked Rice with Courgette)

I’ve been meaning to make Tian de Courgettes for ages, every time we self cater in the South of France in the summer holidays. 

My gut instinct is that courgettes are dull, flavourless. But frying them seems to add a whole new dimension (and flavour to them). 

Serves 5

500g-1.5kg courgettes (original recipe from Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean Cookery calls for 1.5kg, I only had 500g)

2 onions, peeled & thinly sliced 

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 

350g long grain rice

100g Parmesan or strong cheese eg extra mature cheddar, grated

4 eggs

3 tbsp olive oil

1 vegetable stock cube (optional) 

Grate the courgettes and fry in 2 tbsp of olive oil until dark green and considerably reduced in size. Claudia Roden’s recipe says boil for 20 mins then mash and drain, which may be preferable to frying if using 1.5kg of courgettes. 

Put the courgettes into a bowl and fry the onions gently until caramelised. Add the chopped garlic and then add to the courgettes. 

Cook the rice for 10 mins until tender. Drain. 

Beat the eggs and then mix everything together,

Including the finely chopped stock cube if using.  Grease a baking dish well with olive oil and pour in the mixture.

Bake at 200C/180C Fan for 40 minutes until firm and golden. 

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Courgette & Cheddar Soufflé

I have returned from holiday to a courgette glut at the allotment, so am expanding my repertoire of courgette recipes.  Someone posted a picture of a courgette soufflé on a gardening group on Facebook, so I thought I'd have a go.  Turns out it's not as hard as I thought.

And an unexpected bonus - my nearly teenage son and avowed courgette hater stomped into the kitchen after calling him down for lunch several times, swiped a ramekin of soufflé I'd made with some leftover mixture from the breakfast bar, and promptly wolfed it down.

Serves 4

300ml whole milk

20g butter, plus extra for greasing

20g plain flour

350g courgettes, topped & tailed

1 tbsp olive oil

100g mature cheddar, grated

3 large free-range eggs

Put butter, milk and four into a small saucepan and heat gently, whisking until the butter has melted. Change to a wooden spoon and stir over the heat until it becomes a smooth sauce.  Turn off the heat and leave to cool whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

Coarsely grate the courgettes.  Mix with a pinch of salt and leave in a colander to drain for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes squeeze as much liquid out of the courgettes by hand.  Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the courgette and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to one side

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Lightly butter a soufflé dish. Add 25g of the grated cheese and shake to coat the base and the sides of the dish. Stir the rest of the cheese into the white sauce.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a large, very clean mixing bowl and stirring the yolks into the cooled sauce. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks.

Stir in the courgettes into the white sauce and season with salt and pepper, then gently fold the sauce into the whisked egg whites.

Pour the soufflé mixture into the buttered soufflé dish. and bake for about 35 minutes, covering the top loosely with a sheet of foil after about 20 minutes, until it’s puffed, golden and cooked at the very centre, yet still soft and creamy inside. Serve straightaway with a lightly dressed, soft-leaved green salad.

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Vegan Moroccan Harira Soup

A drizzly lockdown home school/work day calls for a warming and filling soup.  Having spotted homemade Harissa frozen in ice cube trays whilst rummaging in the freezer for something else this morning, Harira came to mind.  And the thick tomatoey soup is a great medium to hide veggies in.

Serves 5 (or a hearty 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 large stick of celery, diced
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1 medium courgette, coarsly grated
1 large clove of garlic, peeled & crushed
50g puy lentils
50g red lentils
50g soup pasta (orzo, vermicelli, stars), or macaroni
1 can chickpeas, including liquid
500ml passata
500ml recently boiled water
2 vegetable stock cubes, crumbled
1-2 tbsp harissa (or 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, pinch of chilli flakes)
Chopped parsley or coriander to serve (optional)

Gently fry the onion, carrot, and celery in the olive oil in a soup pan for about 5 minutes.  Add the courgette and garlic and fry for another 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and bring to the boil.  Stir, cover again and simmer for 20 minutes, checking every five minutes or so that the lentils and pasta aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve when the green lentils are tender.  Sprinkle each bowl with coriander or parsley if you have it.

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Vegan 'Bacon' Risotto

I'm 5 days into a vegan week in the hope that it, together with a few other lifestyle changes (less alcohol, less salt, more exercise, more wholefoods) will lower my blood pressure enough before I visit the GP in another week to avoid needing medication.

My partner suggested I buy vegan 'bacon' for our regular weekly risotto, and he take my serving out before he added cheese to his and the kids helpings.

We kept the plant based bacon a secret from the kids until they had eaten it.  They wolfed it down and   were disappointed there was no seconds.  When we showed them the packet of bacon bits they just tucked into them like a pack of crisps

Serves 4/5

350g risotto rice
1 large courgette, grated, or 2 large leeks, chard or spinach
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated
85g plant based 'bacon'
100ml white wine (optional)
2 vegetable stock cubes, plus a kettle full of recently boiled water
1 tbsp olive oil

Gently fry onion and garlic over a medium heat with the olive oil in a large saucepan. After a few minutes add the 'bacon',fry for a few minutes then add the courgette or leeks and continue to fry and stir until the courgette starts to look quite wilted.  If using chard, finely the stalks and add at this stage.  Add the rice, and crumbled stock cubes, and stir through thoroughly.

Pour in the wine and stir regularly whilst it bubbles away. When the wine has nearly all cooked away and the rice is in danger of sticking, add about 100ml of hot water and stir from time to time until the rice is in danger of sticking again.  Keep adding the hot water in large ladlefuls, stirring from time to time, and adding more when nearly dried out.  This process takes about 20 minutes.

Test the rice after all the stock has been used to see if it is cooked through and not crunchy and uncooked in the middle.  You are also aiming for the risotto to be a slightly loose porridge texture - sticky enough to help it stay on a spoon wielded by a toddler but not so sticky it could be used to make a sand castle!

If the rice is not cooked through keep on adding hot water from the kettle and stirring and bubbling away as before, checking the rice from time to time until it is done.

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Courgette & Pasta Soup

I don't have a courgette glut, but someone on my allotment does.  I picked up a beautiful large yellow courgette from the 'help yourself' table and attempted to sneak it into my kids' lunch.

This soup is a combination of a Courgette Soup I learnt to make as a student in Italy, and Pasta con Brodo.  I think yellow courgette have a less strong flavour than green courgettes, not that I personally think they have much taste any way until fried.  This, and the colour, meant my kids loved the soup and didn't realise until I told them that it had veg in it!  With this success under my belt, I may well try it with a green courgette soon.

1 medium courgette
1 tbsp olive oil
1 litre just boiled water
2 organic chicken or vegetable stock cubes, crumbled
100g soup pasta or macaroni
50g grated hard cheese (parmesan, cheddar)

Grate the courgette.  Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Spread the courgette over the base of the pan and leave it as long as you dare to brown. Stir every now and then to try get all the courgette a golden brown, or until it begins sticking.  Browning the courgette adds flavour, so this step is best not rushed or skipped.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.  Cover and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serve with grated cheese.  I added mint & chilli to mine above, but lemon zest would work well too.

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