Specials Board: Courgette & Lemon Spread

Courgette & Lemon Spread & Vegan Mofo Day 13

This really was a work in progress recipe! You know those times when you make something and it tastes good but it jut needs that something extra? Well, this was one of those times!

The recipe started out as a courgette houmous, which turned into a courgette butter, which finally transformed into the courgette & lemon spread it is today. On the plus side while I was tweaking the recipe I did have some good ideas of what else I could do with my courgettes, so watch this space......

The ingredient list is the full list of everything I used and I have described my tweaking at the end of the method. You could omit the garlic if you wanted a more sweet spread but I thought the garlic gave it the depth. If you're not a massive lover of garlic halve the amount.

You can see how much tasting I did as the top photograph shows the jar almost empty compared to the photos below. I must admit I did keep going back for another helping!

Ingredients
150g Courgette, halved and sliced (I used a yellow one)
1 Garlic clove
10g Cashews
2 Tsp Tahini sauce
½ Tsp Turmeric
½ Lemon, rind only
Juice of ¼ of Lemon

Method
Cook the courgette in 2 Tbsp of water over a low heat until you can just about pierce it easily with a knife. Don't overcook the courgette you need a little bite to it still.

Drain the courgette and pat dry with kitchen towel. Transfer to a blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until you have a smooth spread. 

My first attempt just used the first five ingredients and although it was tasty, (I went back for seconds so it must have been) I thought it was missing that punch! Enter the lemon zest. I sprinkled a little zest onto bread topped with the spread and took a bite. That was getting close.

I took a quick snap and thought that the taste didn't match the colour, after all we do eat with our eyes, so I added a touch of turmeric. I didn't want to effect the taste too much so it was just a sprinkle at first. I liked what the turmeric did for the taste and the colour so I added a little more. The final touch was adding the lemon juice, this gave it that zing!

Normally I wouldn't share a recipe until I have finished tweaking but as it's vegan mofo I thought what the heck I'll give you a glimpse in to what I get up to in my kitchen.

As I was tweaking more ideas flooded my head and I can't wait to get back to the kitchen and start experimenting. Tomorrow is going to be one heck of a party in my kitchen!

Jar almost full of the courgette houmous/butter

After numerous helpings & a lot of bread eaten!

With a dusting of lemon rind. That gave me the idea for the finished recipe

The finished article - but look how much I had eaten!

Stuffed Courgette

When I put my Monthly Menus together I have created recipes which help celebrate different food holidays or what fruit and vegetables I need to harvest from my small kitchen garden. I very rarely have a recipe waiting in the wings!

Even though I have had courgettes coming out of my ears I didn't get round to stuffing one until earlier this week. As usual it was a case of sitting in front of the fridge deciding on what needed eating up first to create the stuffing mixture.

I had a packet of Cauldron Falafels that were fast approaching their use by date, which I'd picked up with the intention of speedy work lunches but never got round to using them. So they needed to be the main ingredient in the stuffing. After scanning the fridge I also picked out a few ingredients that also needed eating up and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients - Serves 2 on their own or 4 as a side
2 Courgettes
1 red pepper
4 Celery sticks
1 large onion
6 mushrooms200g Falafels
1 Tsp Dried parsley
1 Tsp Garlic salt
1 Tsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce

To serve
Cooked spaghetti
Handfull Fresh basil, shredded
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Finely dice the onion, red pepper and celery sticks.

Cut the courgettes length ways and scoop out the seeds. Put the two halves for each courgette back together and wrap in silver foil. Place in a moderate oven while you make the stuffing.

Fry the onion in a a little olive oil until translucent, add the red pepper and celery and saute for another 2 minutes.

Dice the mushrooms and add to the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their liquid.

Crumble the falafels into the pan and give everything a good stir to combine all the ingredients.

Add the parsley, garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce and give everything another good stir.

Remove the courgettes from the oven and unwrap, careful they will be hot! Spoon the stuffing mixture into the courgette troughs and pat down so the mixture is compact. Return to the oven on a baking tray for another 15 minutes or until the courgettes are cooked.

To serve toss the spaghetti in the extra virgin olive oil and shredded basil and sit the courgette halves on top.