Cajun courgette 'fries' and butter bean & carrot burgers
The annual courgette marathon has started in earnest, I counted 15 of them growing on my two small plants last week. Just as well I love them. This year's variety are from from Seeds of Italy and the unusually pale green harvest are hidden by viciously spiny leaves, which have proved a particularly successful natural slug deterrent. I really do love courgettes, especially homegrown, and my favourite way to eat them is simply sliced and fried in olive oil but with an ever-growing supply even I have to think up some new ideas.
Our larder is rather well stocked with carrots and onions at the moment, leftover from one of M's recent jobs so these burgers were an attempt to reduce this mountain as well. Satisfyingly, this proved a very tasty and thrifty meal all around and is easy to make too.
Butter Bean & Carrot Burgers
Serves 2 pigs with leftovers for lunch or six if you are a little more gastronomically restrained
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, scrubbed and grated
2 tins of butter beans, drained
1 red chilli, chopped (or half a teaspoon of powder), optional
Large handful of chives and/or fresh coriander, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten (use a tbsp ground flax seed if vegan)
salt and pepper
2 slices of stale bread, made into breadcrumbs in a food processor
Sriracha, mayo, watercress (or other salad) and wholemeal buns to serve
Sweat the onion and grated carrot in the olive oil until soft, adding the chilli for the last minute or so. Mash the drained beans roughly (or use a food processor) but leave some beans almost whole for texture. Add the cooked onion and carrot mixture to the mashed beans with the chopped herbs, beaten egg, salt and pepper and mix well until combined. Using your hands, make six palm sized patties and press both sides into the breadcrumbs. You can either fry these gently until crispy or bake them in a hot oven at 200 degrees celsius for about 20 minutes. If you don't wish to eat them all, they will also freeze well uncooked and can then be cooked from frozen in the oven (add about 10 minutes to the cooking time). Serve in a wholemeal bun with some mayo and sriracha (if you like them spicy) plus some crunchy salad like watercress.
Cajun courgette 'fries' - serves 2-3
I made these as a light alternative to potato fries to go with the burgers above. These are so good, I can imagine a huge bowlful will go down particularly well as a snack with drinks.
10-15 small courgettes, quartered into chips
2-3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 tsp flour
1 tsp ground cumin
large pinch ground ginger
large pinch chilli powder
large pinch smoked paprika
large pinch sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Place a baking tray with the oil into a pre-heated oven (at 200 degrees celsius) for a few minutes. Mix together the seasoning and flour and carefully toss the courgettes in the mixture. Tip the spiced courgettes into the hot oil and return to the oven for about 10 minutes or until they look a little browned on the edges. You want the final fries to be hot but still a little crunchy.
As a quick lunch and combining one of my other most favourite things, goats cheese, this is a lovely summery recipe for a simple meal.
Courgette and goats cheese on toasted sourdough
Serves 2
2-3 courgettes, sliced
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
150g soft goats cheese
large handful of chives, chopped
zest of half a lemon
black pepper
chilli oil to drizzle, optional
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
Fry the sliced courgettes until soft and mash roughly and allow to cool a little. When the mixture is warm rather than hot, mix in the goats cheese, lemon zest, herbs and a grinding of black pepper. Spoon onto the hot toast and drizzle with a little chilli oil if you like a little spice (or just a touch of extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil).
Of course, by the time you've made any of these, another crop of courgettes will be demanding your attention.....
Our larder is rather well stocked with carrots and onions at the moment, leftover from one of M's recent jobs so these burgers were an attempt to reduce this mountain as well. Satisfyingly, this proved a very tasty and thrifty meal all around and is easy to make too.
Butter Bean & Carrot Burgers
Serves 2 pigs with leftovers for lunch or six if you are a little more gastronomically restrained
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, scrubbed and grated
2 tins of butter beans, drained
1 red chilli, chopped (or half a teaspoon of powder), optional
Large handful of chives and/or fresh coriander, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten (use a tbsp ground flax seed if vegan)
salt and pepper
2 slices of stale bread, made into breadcrumbs in a food processor
Sriracha, mayo, watercress (or other salad) and wholemeal buns to serve
Sweat the onion and grated carrot in the olive oil until soft, adding the chilli for the last minute or so. Mash the drained beans roughly (or use a food processor) but leave some beans almost whole for texture. Add the cooked onion and carrot mixture to the mashed beans with the chopped herbs, beaten egg, salt and pepper and mix well until combined. Using your hands, make six palm sized patties and press both sides into the breadcrumbs. You can either fry these gently until crispy or bake them in a hot oven at 200 degrees celsius for about 20 minutes. If you don't wish to eat them all, they will also freeze well uncooked and can then be cooked from frozen in the oven (add about 10 minutes to the cooking time). Serve in a wholemeal bun with some mayo and sriracha (if you like them spicy) plus some crunchy salad like watercress.
Cajun courgette 'fries' - serves 2-3
I made these as a light alternative to potato fries to go with the burgers above. These are so good, I can imagine a huge bowlful will go down particularly well as a snack with drinks.
10-15 small courgettes, quartered into chips
2-3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 tsp flour
1 tsp ground cumin
large pinch ground ginger
large pinch chilli powder
large pinch smoked paprika
large pinch sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Place a baking tray with the oil into a pre-heated oven (at 200 degrees celsius) for a few minutes. Mix together the seasoning and flour and carefully toss the courgettes in the mixture. Tip the spiced courgettes into the hot oil and return to the oven for about 10 minutes or until they look a little browned on the edges. You want the final fries to be hot but still a little crunchy.
As a quick lunch and combining one of my other most favourite things, goats cheese, this is a lovely summery recipe for a simple meal.
Courgette and goats cheese on toasted sourdough
Serves 2
2-3 courgettes, sliced
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
150g soft goats cheese
large handful of chives, chopped
zest of half a lemon
black pepper
chilli oil to drizzle, optional
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
Fry the sliced courgettes until soft and mash roughly and allow to cool a little. When the mixture is warm rather than hot, mix in the goats cheese, lemon zest, herbs and a grinding of black pepper. Spoon onto the hot toast and drizzle with a little chilli oil if you like a little spice (or just a touch of extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil).
Of course, by the time you've made any of these, another crop of courgettes will be demanding your attention.....
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