Moussaka !

I decided yesterday that I would make a moussaka. I didn't have any aubergines so I used ............. courgettes instead, well one very large courgette to be precise

Although I had made moussaka before, I had always used pre-mixed spices and herbs, but as I didn't have a pack of these I just threw a few things together and it was delicious, this is what I did;

Ingredients;

500g lean lamb mince
1 very large courgette, cut into 1cm slices
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed or chopped
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2tsp mixed herbs - I used dried herbs
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 lamb stock cube
and a glug of red wine, about half a glass

Firstly I top and tailed the courgette and sliced it into 1cm thick pieces. Lay the courgette circles on a baking tray (I used 2 trays as there was a lot of courgette) and drizzle with a little olive oil (I used spray oil), season with salt and pepper then place in the oven gas 5/ 190C / 375F for about 20 minutes until soft.

Next I browned the lamb mince in a frying pan, by cooking it over a low heat for about 5 mins. I then drained the mince through a colander to remove the excess fat.

Return the mince to the pan and add the chopped onion and garlic and fry for further 5 minutes or so until the onion is just soft.

I then added all the other ingredients and cooked this uncovered for about 25 minutes until most of the liquid in the pan had gone.

For the White Cheese Sauce;

This is a low fat white sauce.

1 pint milk - I used skimmed
2 tbsp cornflour
1tsp mustard powder
salt and pepper
100g cheese grated - reserving some to sprinkle on the top


First, put most of the milk into a pan and heat gently, reserving about 4 tbsp. Mix the cornflour and mustard powder with the reserved milk until you have a paste. Once the milk is nearly boiling, add the cornflour mix and stir continually until it is incorporated into the milk, then bring the milk to the boil still stirring to avoid any lumps. This needs to be cooked for about 2 mins. After 2 minutes, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and add about half the grated cheese.

So now is the time to assemble the moussaka, start by lightly greasing the dish, then lay the softened courgette in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Then add the meat mixture and then another layer of courgettes and finally cover with the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the remainder of the grated cheese.

Place in the oven for about 40 mins at gas 5 / 190C / 375F it should be bubbling and golden brown on the top. We had it with salad, yummy.

Courgette again

Well I have lots of courgettes and I was looking through a Rosemary Conley cookbook and found a recipe for Courgette and Basil Soup, so thought I would share it with you;

Ingredients;

2lb courgettes
2 medium onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 pint of vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 pint skimmed milk
salt and pepper
approx 20 fresh basil leaves

So, first of all top and tail the courgettes and roughly chop. Place them into a large pan with the other ingredients, except the milk and basil. Bring the pan to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 - 20 mins until the veg is soft.

Allow the soup to cool slightly and then liquidise in batches until smooth, adding a little milk and a few basil leaves to each batch

Return the soup to the pan and season to taste.

You can adjust the consistency of this soup by adding more or less milk, depending on how thick you like it.

You could of course add any veg that you like to the soup, not just courgettes.

This soup also freezes well so is a good way of preserving your courgettes to enjoy in the winter months.

Courgettes

Hubby went to the allotment yesterday to water the plants and came home with a bag of courgettes from another plot holder who had too many so this is what I made today;

Courgette, bacon and cheese muffins

Ingredients;

8oz self raising flour
1/4 tsp salt (I used just a small pinch as the bacon is quite salty)
freshly ground pepper - to taste
1tsp mustard - I used powder
2oz soft butter or margarine
2 courgettes, around 6 inch long, grated
6 rashers of bacon, finely chopped
3oz cheese - whichever you prefer
2 medium eggs
6floz milk

Firstly, sieve the dry ingredients together into a bowl and then add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour until you have fine breadcrumbs. Then add the courgettes, bacon and cheese.

Secondly, lightly beat the milk and eggs together before adding to the dry ingredients and mixing gently until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Next, spoon the mixture into muffin tins and put into the oven and bake at Gas 6 /200F / 400F until light brown - approx 25 minutes.

These are really tasty, but I think that next time I make them, I will add some herbs and spices, maybe some cayenne pepper or paprika would be nice.