lunch idea

Courgettes/Zuchinni stuffed with Feta and Sun Dried Tomatoes

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Courgettes can be pretty boring, and during Summer they are cheap snd plentiful.  I found myself with a couple of largish courgettes and these can often be watery and tasteless.

I decided to try pimping them up with some some dried tomatoes and feta, and they were yummy.  This makes a good lunch dish or you could serve them as a side dish and is fairly quick and easy.

Serves 2

2 Large courgettes

100 Grams Breadcrumbs

100 Grams Feta Cheese (crumbled into 1-2cm lumps

50 Grams Sun dried tomatoes in oil (roughly chopped)

1 Tsp Fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp of dried (you can use any herbs you have, rosemary also works well, but use a bit less as it’s stronger)

1 Clove of garlic (finely chopped)

1 Tbsp Oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes

A little extra oil for brushing the courgettes with

Combine the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
  • Trim the top and bottom of the courgettes and cut in half length ways, use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds in the centre of the courgettes
  • Brush with oil and place cut side down in a baking dish, and bake for 10 minutes
  • In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients
  • Remove the courgettes from the oven and over to the cut side with a spatula
  • Fill the scooped out centre of the courgettes with the filling before returning to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until the filling is golden brown

Roast Red Pepper, Tomato and Lentil Soup

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Cold dark winter days call for warm comforting food.

This delicious bright red soup is super healthy and filling, packed with fibre and flavour.

When I’m using the oven, I always throw in a tray of vegetables to roast so that I get my money’s worth by cooking a couple of things at once. I roasted a red pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic which give a really intense flavour. I also used a potato which helps give a creamy texture.

Ingredients

1 Red pepper (deseeded and cut into large chunks)

1 Tub Cherry tomatoes

1 onion (peeled and cut into large chunks)

1-2 Cloves of garlic (skin left on)

100 Grams Split red lentils

1 litre Vegetable stock (I used a stock cube)

2 small potatoes (cut into large chunks)

1 Tbsp smoked paprika (add half a teaspoon first then check for taste as some paprika is stronger than others)

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

Salt

Method

  • Add the onion, pepper, tomatoes and garlic to oven proof dish, drizzle with oil and roast at 180 degrees (Celsius) for around 30 minutes or until the edges of the pepper start to char. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly
  • Add the lentils, potatoes, and vegetable stock to a large pot and bring to the boil, before reducing to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes (or until the lentils and potatoes are soft)
  • You can use a blender/food processor or an immersion blender. Add the roast vegetables (remove the skin from the garlic), to lentils and stock.
  • Sprinkle in half the smoked paprika and blend the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Check the seasoning, add more paprika if you like it spicy and salt if you think it needs it
  • I served this with some fried up tortillas that had gone a bit stale (try this it’s yummy), but fresh crusty bread is also delicious with it

Pork, Apple and Sage Sausage Rolls

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After Christmas many of us have pork sausage meat and sage left over from making stuffing, and this recipe is a great way to use it up. I actually didn’t have this so you can also use pork mince instead, it will still taste great.

I made cute little sausage rolls because I was making them for friends calling over over but you can make them bigger and they are great for lunches. I liked the sage with these these but if you don’t have, just use the herbs you have available. I know I have preached before about the buying reduced bread in the supermarket and turning it into breadcrumbs to keep in the freezer for recipes like this (do it, they’re super handy and versatile)

Use shop bought pre-rolled puff pastry to make these super quick to make. (only people with no life make puff pastry from scratch).

Makes 24

Ingredients

(for the filling)

400 Grams Pork mince or sausage meat

1 Small Apple (cored and cut into 1 cm chunks)

1 Clove garlic (finely chopped)

1 Egg

1 Handful of breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp Chopped fresh sage

Salt and Pepper

(for the pastry)

1 Sheet of pre rolled puff pastry

1 Egg yolk

1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

  • Preheat over to 180 degrees (Celsius) , and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Add all the ingredients for the filling into a large bowl and get your hands in and mix until all the all the ingredients were combined
  • Unfold your sheet of puff pastry, and cut in two lengthways, so you have 2 long strips of pasty
  • Add the filling mixture down the centre of the pastry leaving 2-3cm of pastry at each side
  • Beat the egg yolk lightly and brush some down one of the long edges of the pastry, then bring both side together with side brushed with egg yolk slightly overlapping the other side (it will help glue the 2 side together
  • Turn the roll over, so that the were the 2 edges meet is on the under side. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the sesame seeds if you are using them. Cut roll in half and then devise each half into three (you can make bigger sausage rolls if you want), before placing on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the other half of your pastry and the filling)
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown