05/07/2010 by D.

1 red onion
1 courgette
10 mushrooms
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 beef tomatoes (or 4 smaller ones)

Dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp tomato puree
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sayce
1/2 tsp brown sugar

Mix together the dressing ingredients.  Clean the veg and slice thinly.  Mix with the dressing and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Season to taste and serve with a slice of quiche or a baked potato with butter and cheese.

Posted in Soy sauce, Courgette, Olive Oil, Tomato puree, Salad, Pepper, Onion, Vegetarian, Tomato, Mushroom, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

09/03/2010 by D.

2 courgettes
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 mugs chunky pasta
1 tbsp parsley (optional)
grated cheddar and ground black pepper to serve

Boil the pasta as per instructions.  While it is cooking, wash the courgettes and finely slice (I use the slicer side of my grater).  Crush the garlic.  Heat the butter and oil in  a pan, add the courgettes, garlic and lemon juice.

Fry for around ten mintues, stirring occasionally.  The courgettes should become transparent, but retain some bite.  Drain the pasta and stir into the courgette mixture.  Season to taste with a little salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a scattering of chopped parsley.  Sprinkle over grated cheddar and serve.

 We have this with fish dishes, as the lemon, garlic and sweet courgette compliment the light fish perfectly.

Posted in Cheese, Courgette, Olive Oil, Supper, Butter, Parsley, Pasta, Lemon, Garlic, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

19/01/2010 by D.

This is my take on the delicious Moro omelettes.  Apart from the hour macerating the courgettes, it is a very quick supper to make.

Filling:
4 courgettes, finely sliced and mixed with 1/2 tsp salt (and left for 1 hour)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lightly toasted pinenuts
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Omelette mixture:
6 eggs
2 tbsp milk
100g butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Prepare the courgettes, toast pinenuts and chop parsley.

Whisk together the eggs and milk to make the omelette mixture.  Put a plate in the oven to warm.

Squeeze the water out of the courgettes, heat the oil and fry courgettes and garlic for 5 - 10 mins until soft.  Mix in parsely and pinenuts, season with pepper and keep warm.

You are going to make four omelettes with this mixture.  Use a small frying pan, heat some butter and oil until really hot.  Swirl a quarter of the egg mixture into a thin layer over the bottom, then spoon in a line of the courgette mixture (again, use a quarter of the mixture).  Roll the omelette into a fat sausage and slide onto warmed plate.  Repeat 3 times.

Serve with sumac sprinkled on top.

These are so nice, a really cheap, but extraordinarily tasty supper.  Lovely with a plain green salad tossed with a bit of oil and vinegar.  And popular with both the toddler and the baby, so a good family meal too.

Posted in Milk, Butter, Courgette, Olive Oil, Sumac, Pinenuts, Eggs, Recipe, Toddler, Vegetarian, Garlic, Parsley, Weaning | Print | No Comments »

19/10/2009 by D.

If you are on a diet… look away now!

1 onion
1 tsp olive oil
3 fat cloves of garlic
2 mugs risotto rice
1 pint chicken or veg stock
1 cup white wine (or a cup of 1/2 lemon juice topped up with water)
4 medium courgettes
2 tbsp salted butter
1 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Put the stock (from cube is fine) in a pan and leave to simmer.  Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.  Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic.  Stir gently, for a minute, then add the rice and stir to coat it in the oil and heat up.  Add the wine and stir until almost evaporated.  Add a ladle of stock.  Stir until almost evaporated.  Repeat.  When half the stock is gone, taste the rice.  It should be almost halfway cooked.  It is important to undercook, rather than overcook it, as you will get a lot of liquid from the courgettes.

Add the courgettes and stir well for a minute.  At this point, I usually put the lid on, turn down the heat and leave it alone for about 5 mins, to get the heat through the courgettes.  Stir again and keep stirring until the courgette liquid is absorbed.  Try the rice, it should just have a small amount of bite.  If it is still too hard, add more stock, then stir etc until you have a good texture.  Stir in the butter and cheese.  Taste and season.

I serve this with a peppery Hackney salad.  You can put that flower on top of the risotto as a garnish!  Otherwise rocket is perfect with it.  Offer more parmesan, and some toasted sunflower seeds in separate bowls.  And don’t forget the rest of that bottle of white…

Posted in Hackney salad, Parmesan, Rocket, Risotto, Courgette, Rice, Sunflower seeds, Garlic, Toddler, Weaning, Recipe, Onion, Vegetarian, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »