vegetables | a canoe of courgette with sweet pepper sauce

Serves 2-4 with salad and vegetables or meat

Ced and I were both a little bit stuck as to how to make a lovely courgette dish without using cheese. After lots of tinkering, I eventually came up with this - and it's delicious.

Wheat free, dairy free, nut free, meat free version...

Method...

1. Heat the oven to 150°C
2. Slice courgettes in half lengthways, rub with a little oil and put on baking tray (if roasting tomatoes too, put in on same try at same time).
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
4. Whilst they are cooking, boil the potatoes.
5. Then start sautéing the aubergines in 3 tbsp oil with a sprinkling of salt for 15-20 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and mash them.
7. Add the aubergine with oil and thyme to mashed potato mixture. Add mustard, garlic purée and mix well.
8. Take courgettes out of oven, scoop out the middles gently and add to the mash.
9. Mix well, divide into 4 and put back into the courgette canoes. Put courgettes back in oven whilst you make the pepper sauce. You can add some breadcrumbs on top if using.
10. Sauté the shallots and red peppers for 5 minutes, add the tomato paste, balsamic, lime and sugar. Add water and heat thoroughly until bubbling. Blend and put into a small jug or dish.
11. Take out the courgettes, they should have started to go golden on the top with a few crispy bits.

Maybe serve with...

My favorite way is with roasted strips of small vine tomatoes and sautéed sugar snap peas.

For those able to eat dairy ...

You could simply sprinkle some cheese on top of the courgettes at stage 9 of the method. You could also mix grated cheese with breadcrumbs and add at stage 9 too.

For those able to eat fish and/or meat...

You could serve the canoes and sauce with a baked or pan-fried piece of fish or meat. If you were pushed for time, just make the sauce and serve with the fish. You could always add mashed potatoes with chives too, or some bread.

For those who can eat wheat...

You could add a sprinkling of wheat breadcrumbs mixed with grated cheese, if you were able.

If you have leftover aubergine, courgette and tomatoes, you can make the simple ratatouille. If you have aubergines left, try the aubergine caponata. If you have lots of tomatoes left, try the sublime tomato soup.

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