Courgette recipes

[A_nony_mouse]

courgette recipes
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/searchresults.aspx?tag=courgette

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=Courgette&searchType=recipes
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[A_nony_mouse]

Vegetarian Recipe - Courgette and Mushroom


Either as a vegetarian meal or as an accompaniment to a meat meal this courgette and mushroom recipe is an unusual and easy way to prepare your favourite vegetables.



Ingredients (Serves two)
One tablespoon of olive oil
Two large or four small courgettes
One tube of tomato paste
200g button mushrooms
One crushed garlic clove
Ten cherry tomatoes
One small tub of parmesan cheese
Two tablespoons of water if needed
Salt and pepper to season


To prepare


Wash the courgettes and remove the ends. Slice but not too thinly. Clean the mushrooms and remove the end of the stalks.


Heat the oil in a pan and add the sliced courgettes. Stir so that they do not stick to the pan and are cooked evenly. Do not let them get too soft.


Add the mushrooms and crushed garlic and stir gently for three minutes.


Add half the tube of tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Add more tomato paste if needed.


When the vegetables are coated and the tomato sauce is hot, lower the heat under the pan and add about half the tub of parmesan cheese. This will quickly make the recipe very thick and can stick to the bottom of the pan so keep stirring!


Add the cherry tomatoes and season to taste. If the mix is too thick add the water and stir well.


This recipe is prepared and cooked very quickly but tastes amazing and looks colourful on the plate. You can make any amount by adding more courgettes and mushrooms or use what’s in your store cupboards.



Freezer
This recipe does not freeze very well but being so quick to prepare there is no reason to prepare it in advance.



Cheese
If your family is not keen on parmesan cheese why not try cheddar instead? If the cheese is not very strong add a pinch of dried mustard to enhance the flavour.



Leftovers
This recipe is ideal served with leftover meat the day after a roast dinner or as an accompaniment to a pie. The colourful appearance of the dish enhances plain looking food. Try it alongside poached fish or cauliflower cheese to brighten the plate. Adding a half cup of frozen peas to the meal will also add more colour.



Courgettes
Courgettes come in many sizes these days. Supermarkets often sell the larger odd shaped courgettes at a reduced price. As this recipe uses sliced courgettes you can purchase the cheaper version and make a cost cutting meal. With larger courgettes halve them lengthways before slicing.



Tomatoes
To make a runnier sauce use larger tomatoes rather than cherry ones and slice them before putting in the pan. Or, you can halve the cherry tomatoes so that they cook down more.



Mushrooms
If you do not have button mushrooms you can use the normal or larger ones and slice them before putting them into the pan. However you may find that this makes the tomato sauce a darker muddier looking colour.



Seasoning
Be careful when seasoning this recipe as the cheese will make the meal taste quite salty. Try using milled black peppercorns to enhance the flavours.
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Have a mice day.

[A_nony_mouse]

Courgette, tomato and ricotta bake
Courgette, tomato and ricotta bake. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin A light, fresh-tasting lunch dish. When vegetables are baked in layers with tomato sauce and cheese they can become overly rich. This is a stripped-back, clean-tasting version that is particularly light and fresh. Serves 4.

500g courgettes
olive oil
5 spring onions
750g tomatoes
a handful of basil leaves
250g ricotta

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Remove the stalks from the courgettes then slice them down their length into strips as thick as a pound coin. Brush them lightly with olive oil and grill them on both sides until tender. Remove and season with salt and black pepper and, if you wish, a little more oil.

Chop the spring onions and soften them in a little oil in a shallow pan. Roughly chop the tomatoes, tip them in with the onions, and leave to simmer down to a soft, slushy sauce. Season with black pepper and the basil leaves.

Layer the tomato sauce and the courgettes in a shallow baking dish, crumbling in the ricotta as you go. Trickle with olive oil and bake till the tomato sauce is bubbling.
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Have a mice day.

[A_nony_mouse]

Courgettes with dill cream
Best of fronds: courgettes cooked with cream and dill works brilliantly as a side dish for poached salmon. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin There is lots of creamy liquid in this recipe, and I like to serve it as a side dish with rice to soak it all up. In many ways it is what I would choose to serve with a piece of poached salmon, or perhaps a few roast chicken thighs with a rice pilaf at their side. Serves 2 as a side dish.

500g courgettes
a large handful of dill fronds
120ml double cream

Remove the core of the courgettes and cut each courgette in half lengthways, then into fat chunks. Tip them into a colander in the sink, scatter sea salt over them and leave them for half an hour. This will remove some of their liquid.

Wipe the salt from the courgettes with a piece of kitchen paper then tip them into a steamer or a colander. Place over a pan of boiling water and steam for 8-10 minutes till tender to the point of a knife. Roughly chop the dill. Bring the cream to the boil, stir in a little coarsely ground black pepper and the chopped dill. Tip the courgettes into a serving dish and pour over the cream.
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Have a mice day.

[A_nony_mouse]

Courgette cake
Courgettes have the ability to make a cake as moist and sweet as if you added ground almonds to the recipe. So many have asked for this recipe that I can't resist including it.

Serves 6.

200g butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g courgettes (about 2 small ones)
1 small apple
200g plain flour
a large pinch salt
½ tsp baking powder
pinch cinnamon
60g pecans
80g sultanas (half cup, packed)

Preheat oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Butter and line the base of a loaf tin measuring 20cm x 12cm x 9cm deep. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and mix them in, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Coarsely grate the courgettes and the apple. Squeeze them with your hands to remove any excess moisture, then add to the mixture. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, and gently fold into the mixture. Stir in the nuts and fruit. Transfer to the lined loaf tin and bake for about an hour, or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.
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