Posted on June 25, 2018 by Kate Halsall
Ahhh the humble courgette. This seasonal bad boy of the vegetable world is not only a staple in a lot of vegetarian and vegan foods, but is also low fodmap, low carb and delicious. Spiralised, mixed with goats cheese, a pizza or pasta topping, in a martini and even in cake (I kid you not) – this vegetable is a multi-tasker! With so many options on what to do with it, it’s hard to come up with just one recipe. So here are 5 ways with courgettes to give you a choice!
Courgette Salad
A salad has to appear here somewhere! With the weather currently as nice as it is, it’s a no brainer! Simply ribbon your courgettes using a potato peeler. Add some pine nuts, olive oil, some mint or parsley and a squeeze of lemon and hey presto!
Courgette Fritters
Here’s your chance to get that spiraliser out of the cupboard! Spiralise the courgettes so they resemble thin noodles. In a bowl, mix a cup of gram flour (chickpea flour) with 3 tablespoons of coconut yoghurt, and enough water to make a thick “batter”. Add the courgettes and mix. Then either lightly fry in a frying pan with olive oil, or bake in the oven. My other half likes these with a poached egg on top, I like mine with home made salsa.
Baked Courgettes
Cut the courgettes in half and scoop out the flesh. Add the flesh to a pan with garlic, onion, a chopped red pepper and a little oil. Saute until the vegetables are tender. Put the mixture back into the middle of your courgettes. Baked in the oven for 20 minutes. To make this recipe yours, you can add cheese or bacon or even breadcrumbs.
Courgette and Lemon Risotto
For a long time I couldn’t bring myself to eat risottos – simply because when I initially went veggie/vegan, this was all that was on a menu (with the other option of stuffed peppers of course!). However, this zingy version is great in even this warm weather! It combines the freshness of the juice and zest of a whole lemon, with the subtle flavour of lemon thyme. Slurp! The packet of risotto will tell you how much rice and stock to use. The trick is to saute some oil with garlic and onion AND the rice initially. Then add one ladle of stock with all the lemon juice and the lemon thyme, wait until that is nearly absorbed and then add another ladle of stock. Keep this process going until you have used all the stock and the rice is cooked and creamy. Then stir in the zest and seasoning and serve.
Courgette, Pea and Pesto Soup
Another great summer recipe even if “soup” doesn’t sound like it would be! You’re simply combining courgettes with frozen peas and cannellini beans. Saute the courgettes with some chilli and garlic (optional), add stock and cook until tender. Stir in some of your favourite pesto at the end and serve.