Showing posts with label courgette. Show all posts

Crispy Courgette Fritters


Makes about 16 fritters. Enough for three small mains or 6-8 starters. 

If this recipe didn't involve frying, I think I would eat these fritters for every meal. They remind me of some of the great appetisers you can only really get in the US. I am definitely going to have to figure out a baked version of this recipe, but lets be honest. Nothing beats the fried version. Courgette is never really a food I think of as anything special, but is really serves as the perfect flavour base. If I had a garden, I could imagine serving this up with some Pimm's whilst everyone waits for the barbecue to heat up.

Ingredients: 
- 3 large courgette, grated (I used the large holes on the box grater)
- zest of 1 lemon
- 5 heaped tbsp of plain flour
- 100g of feta cheese, crumbled in
- a large handful of both fresh mint and dill, finely chopped
- 2 medium eggs
- half a red onion, finely minced
- 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper

To serve: 

Sriracha mayo:
- 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp of Sriracha
- salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste (I used about 1/4 of a lemon)

Green salad


Preparation: 

  1. Simply add all the ingredients into a large bowl (minus the flour). 
  2. Once combined, add the flour until desired consistency. It is okay if the batter is a little wet, but it should easy enough to grab a small handful without all the liquid running between your fingers. Click this link for an example of the consistency you are looking for. 
  3. In a medium-sized frying pan add enough vegetable oil (anything with a decent smoke point) to cover the base on the pan. You only want about 1/3 of the fritters in oil to shallow fry them. Heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Test the oil is hot enough by adding just a tiny amount of batter. If bubbles form around it, it is hot enough. 
  4. To shallow fry, add 3-4 dollops, evenly spread into the oil. 
  5. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden on both sides. 
  6. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven.

To serve: I suggest the Sriracha mayo recipe above and a green salad. Enjoy! 
appetiser courgette courgette fritters
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Creamy Courgette and Cheddar Risotto


Cold weather makes me crave comfort food. Whilst creamy rice dishes such as risotto may not be the best for my figure, it certainly is good for my soul. This dish has become a new favourite in my tiny flat, and I do not see myself getting sick of it yet. I am a big fan of risotto as you can tell from the many recipes on this blog (Mushroom and Gruyere, Sweet Potato and Roast Tomato, Chorizo, Chicken and Rosemary, Tomato and Mozzarella, Asparagus and Edamame). This one is a little different though, the richness of the egg and the use of cheddar bring a different flavour profile to this dish. For me this is Italian risotto meets British autumn; all in a Swedish girl's tiny kitchen. Hence the corny blog name I suppose.

Ingredients 

 1 heaped tsp of paprika
1 heaped tsp of balsamic vinegar
100g of grated cheddar
2 large cloves of garlic
450g of courgette (zucchini)
200ml of vegetable stock
3 small, brown onions
 250ml of crème fraîche
100g of risotto rice (Arborio)
2 eggs
salt and pepper

 Preparation  

  1. Peel and dice your onions. Add into a frying pan on medium heat with a generous glug of olive oil. 
  2. Whilst the onions are cooking, cut your courgette into bite-sized pieces. 
  3. Then add your courgette and continue to cook for another few minutes or until the courgette has softened slightly. 
  4. Crush in your two, peeled cloves of garlic and cook for another minute.
  5. Add the risotto rice and stir through the vegetables and garlicky oil. 
  6. Then add your vegetable stock. Yes, all in one go. I know, shocking but trust me. Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and allow to cook gently for 20 minutes. 
  7. Just before the 20 minute mark, grab a large bowl. Into the bowl add the crème fraîche and eggs. Whisk together. Then season well with salt, pepper and the paprika. Fold in the grated cheddar and the tsp of balsamic vinegar. 
  8. At the 20 minute mark, stir in the creamy sauce. Let the rice come to a slight simmer, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. 
  9. Serve with an extra grating of cheddar and a drizzle of balsamic. Enjoy! 
cheddar cooking courgette
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Courgette and Red Pepper Pesto with Orzo


As you can tell from my previous post I made my own red pepper pesto, so I had to come up with an accompanying dish. Roasted courgette seemed like a perfect pair. This dish is especially quick and simple if you already have your pesto pre-made. This is a great quick and inexpensive meal. For an even cheaper option try using pasta such as penne or fusilli.



Serves 4 / Preparation: 15 minutes 

Ingredients 

 2 large courgettes (about 400g)
chilli flakes
salt and pepper
250 of uncooked orzo
feta from crumbling on top (optional)
About 4 heaped tbsp of pesto or more to taste

Preparation 

  1. Chop your courgettes into bite-sized pieces. 
  2. Bring salted water to boil. Add your orzo. Cook for 8 minutes or according to packet instructions. 
  3. Fry your courgettes on a medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown. As soon as they are in the pan season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. 
  4. Drain your orzo then add the cooked courgette. Mix in your pesto and combine. 
  5. Serve with a sprig of parsley and some feta. 
  6. Enjoy! 
15 minute meal courgette easy main
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Vegetarian Hash with an Egg Yolk



Serves approx. 4 / Preparation approx. 30 minutes 

This recipe is based on "Hash Pan with Broad Beans" by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl from The Green Kitchen. They also have a blog by the same name. I was really drawn to this book because a lot of their vegetarian recipes are inspired by traditional Scandinavian dishes. This one is based on pytti i panna. This recipe can easily be modified to include any veggies you like. By all means, add meat too if you want.



Ingredients 

 3 medium carrots - cut into 1 cm cubes
2 parsnips  - cut into 1 cm cubes
2 courgettes -  cut into 1 cm cubes
500g sweet potato -  cut into 1 cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 brown onion, finely chopped
about 20 soy beans or a handful of peas
a handful of fresh or dried dill, finely chopped

Dressing

1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp of flavourless oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice

4 egg yolks

 Preparation 

  1. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil or butter on a medium heat. Make sure to use a large frying pan. 
  2. Add the onion and garlic, saute for about a minute. 
  3. Add the sweet potato, carrot and parsnips. Fry for about 15 minutes. 
  4. Then add the courgette, soy beans and the dill. 
  5. Fry for another 5 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. 
  6. For the dressing, add all the ingredients in a jar then shake. 
  7. Serve with an egg yolk on top, the dressing and some pickled beetroot. 
  8. The egg yolk will cook in the heat from the vegetables; however, you can always poach or fry the egg if you are more comfortable with that. 
  9. Enjoy! 
beans carrot courgette
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Slow Cooked Courgette, Tomato and Mushroom Ragout with Walnut Scones





Prep. approx. 30 minutes / Cooking time approx. 7-9 hours. 

 Ingredients 

 Ragout 

1 onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
300g of chestnut mushrooms, peeled and chopped into small cubes
300g of courgette, chopped into small cubes
1 tbsp of plain flour
200ml red wine
400g can of tomatoes, chopped
150ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp of cranberry sauce
1/2 tsp of sage or thyme
salt and pepper

Scones (Not pictured) 

200g self-raising flour or (200g flour, 2tsp baking powder)
50g butter or margarine
50g walnuts, chopped
50g Cheddar cheese
25g parmesan cheese
4-5 tbsp of milk
1 egg

Preparation 

  1. Turn on your slow cooker to low. 
  2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil or butter in a large frying pan, add the garlic, mushrooms and courgette. 
  3. Stir, frying for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. 
  4. Stir in the flour, wine, tomatoes and stock. 
  5. Add the cranberry sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. 
  6. Bring to the boil. Then, pour the ragout into the slow cooker. 
  7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. You want the vegetables to have softened. 
  8. About an hour and half before serving, start preparing the scones. 
  9. Put the flour and butter into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour between your fingers until fine breadcrumbs. 
  10. Add half the egg, then mix in enough milk to form a soft dough. 
  11. Knead the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll out the dough until 2cm (3/4 inch) thick. 
  12. Cut out 8 scones using a 6cm (2 1/2) biscuit or cookie cutter. 
  13. Stir the ragout, then place the scones evenly around the dish. 
  14. Cover then cook on high for 45 minutes. 
  15. Serve with a green salad.
  16. Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from "Mushroom and Walnut Cobbler" from 200 Slow Cooker Recipes by Sara Lewis
courgette crock pot mushroom
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