Sunday 10 August 2014

Heavenly halloumi burgers

There is a fantastic vegetarian stall in Borough market which produces heavenly halloumi burgers. At £4,50 a pop though, I justify them as a Friday lunch time treat. It was with this mind and some halloumi in the Fridge that I decided to make my own heavenly halloumi burgers. I can say with all honesty that were delicious and extremelly fresh.


What you will need
1 packet halloumi
1  courgette
1 carrot
1/2 an onion
1 egg
4  heaped table spoons of plain flour


Begin by grating or blending together the courgette, carrot, halloumi and onion. Season very well with salt and pepper and stir in the egg and flour.

 The mix is quite loose, but add more flour if needed, before shaping into patties. Fry these in some oil.

Turnover and cook the other side for 5 minutes.
To ensure the burgers are cooked all the way through, place in the oven for 10 further minutes at 200 degrees.


Serve on burger baps with fresh tomato salsa and some slices of avocado.

These would be great cooked in advance and then re-heated on a BBQ to give your veggie friends a treat!

Leek and mushroom stuffed courgette boats with goats cheese

I came back from the Shires this weekend with some beautifully organic and fresh courgettes from Mother-in-Law Spread's garden. These fantastic little gourds were too pretty to chop and add to other dishes, so I decided to stuff the beautiful fresh vegetable with some of their seasonal and similarly local chums. I also had a fantastic British lemon and black pepper goats cheese which was going to make all the seasonal vegetables sing.


What you will need
2 courgettes
2 leeks
250g good quality mushrooms
1 handful chopped walnuts
2 cloves garlic
Juice of half a lemon
Fresh parsley
Fresh lemon thyme
Good quality goats cheese log


Firstly, begin by slicing the courgettes in half lengthways. Next, using either a melon scoop or tea spoon, scoop out the flesh. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees to soften before stuffing.

 

Next, slice the leeks and mushrooms and add to a pan of oil with the chopped courgette flesh. Season well with plenty of salt and pepper before adding the lemon juice and the crushed garlic. Allow the vegetables to cook down on a low heat for 10-15 minutes to remove as much water as possible.


When the vegetables have softened, stir through the chopped walnuts, fresh herbs and then stuff inside the courgettes.


Finally, top with the slices of the goats cheese log and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the courgette flesh has softened and the goats cheese browned.


Serve with a green salad and balsamic drizzle.

Broad bean and goats cheese salad

Broad beans only have a very short season. I was very glad to walk into the Marks and Spencer's near my work to find some for sale. The revelation of the gorgeous bean from within the pod is very exciting. This meant of course that they had to be the star of the meal.


What
you will need
180g broad beans
Lettuce leaves
A handful of radishes
1 log of goats cheese
1 clove garlic
1 tea spoon chilli flakes
Fresh mint
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 table spoons


Start by de-podding the beans. Place into boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. When ready, rinse with cold water.

Next, make the dressing using the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic and chillies.


When ready to serve, toss the lettuce, broad beans and radishes together with the fresh chopped mint.


Place the salad on a plate and top with three slices of the goats cheese log (this can also be grilled, if desired).


Pour over the dressing and serve.