Sorry what a dismal photo
So of course I have never gone anywhere near Anna Jones, being as she is successful and popular and “everywhere”, I just think Buh, fuck off.
But then my dear friend Annie gave me her cookbook and I had a flick through it and still thought Jesus what is all the fuss about.
But THEN feeling inspired and living life slowly at the moment – both kids are off school and Sam has had such uncontrollable runs I had to put him back in a nappy for two days – I bought all the ingredients for and made her courgette and chickpea thing.
(I am also always on the lookout for good vegetarian cooking because I reckon come the apocalypse, if I survive, if you have a really good repertoire of vegetarian cooking, life will be better. You think I’m joking.)
Anyway it was great! One of those dishes where you look at it when it’s finished and think “What a dismal heap of hedge clippings” but it wasn’t, it was absolutely terrific. Giles loved it. “This is wonderful,” he said, which he doesn’t always.
Also one of those ones where the first time you make it, it’s all a bit of a hassle, but subsequent times you can do it without thinking and it would be a breeze.
Anyway here we go.
Sweet roasted courgettes with crispy chickpeas from Anna Jones
For 4, or for 2 if it’s all you’re eating
4 medium courgettes
olive oil
1 red onion
1/2 bunch thyme
1 jar roasted red peppers
500g cherry tomatoes (I don’t think I used 500g – just “some” will do)
2 cloves garlic
1 tin chickpeas, rinsed
1 unwaxed lemon
1 Preheat your grill to absolute full bongoes and grate your courgette into a baking tray. Chuck over a lot of salt and pepper and some drizzles of olive oil then put the tray under the heat while you do everything else. Give it a stir and a shuffle every now and then.
2 Put a frying pan with some olive oil on a medium heat. Thinly slice the red onion and put it in the oil with picked thyme leaves. Cook gently for about 5 minutes.
3 Chop up the red peppers, garlic and tomatoes.
4 When the onions are cooked and tangly and the courgette is browning at the edges and looking a bit cooked, (don’t worry if they seem a bit sloppy), put in the red peppers, tomatoes and the onion and put back under the heat.
5 Without bothering to really clean the pan from cooking the onion, put in a bit more oil and then put in your chick peas, salt and pepper and the zest of the lemon. On reflection I would add the lemon as a garnish to finish it as my lemon zest just got stuck to the bottom of the pan and burnt.
I think “crispy” chickpeas is a bit of a reach as a description for this – what the chickpeas do is go brown. That’s not a bad thing, but don’t think you’re getting “crispy” chickpeas, that’s all.
Anyway, cook the chickpeas in the pan reasonably hot, shaking them about and paying attention to them until they look crispy, (without necessarily genuinely being so), and then shake them over the courgette-and-pepper thing under the grill. Crumble over some feta too if it’s all just too stoic without it. Jones suggests halloumi or ricotta but it’s up to you really.
To my mind this is kind of crying for that fresh lemon zest sprinkled over the top at the end, with some chopped mint – after all, it’s not the apocalypse yet.
That’s my tea sorted, thank you!
Hi Esther, I have missed your posts!! Glad you are back!
Haha
I quite like vegetarian food too.. will try this – cheers!
thanks Esther I like the look of this a lot. My sister is an amazing cook and cooks Anna Jones a lot. Ive got one of her books but have to say Ive only done one recipe (potatoe salad with burnt leeks but it took about 5 hours!) it was good though. Ive got people coming for lunch on Friday and been wondering what to cook, do you think this would be good with a couple of roast chickens and some nice bread?
Sarah yes absolutely – that would be my perfect menu xx
Always on the lookout for courgette recipes for the summer growing glut. This looks just up my street thank you!
xxx
Thanks! Wish i could pretend I grew my own veg (fantasy life) but sadly even my thyme in the garden is dead X
This looks brilliant but a right old faff. Is it worth the effort and washing up of a million pans?
it’s actually only 2 pans and a chopping board and a grater. it really depends on how dedicated you are to the vegetarian cause tbh… xxx
I am very relieved that I am not the only person that is embracing a more plant-based diet to be prepared for the apocalypse! (Joking) (Sort of)
ha ha! (seriously)
I think I hoard tins of beans and pules for the same reason. Counted last night. I have 39. Should keep us going for a month or so….
pulses of course.
Esther, checkout Hungermama instagram and blog. She has a great répertorie of vegetarian recipes (w/odd meat recipe). I’ve made quite a few they are kid and adult friendly.
I will be making this as soon as humanly possible! 😋
made this tonight, thumbs up from me.. Will repeat. thank you.
Sounds fabulous. Will definitely make. Maybe I’ve been living in Hebden Bridge for too long?
Delicious-sounding recipes that make you laugh too. Food and LOLs. What more could you want, really?
I have an irrational hatred of grating things. Would whizzing the courgettes in a processor work? Thanks!
if you’ve got a food processor, use the grating attachment – actually blending the courgettes will get you a yucky sludge…
So, how hot would you say ‘full bongoes’ is? As in temperature?I am not sure whether Norwegian and British ‘full bongoes’ is the same, lol. Also, for how long? I am so absentminded these days I need to set a timer whenever I cook anything,or else I’ll drift off into another little project and only be startled back into the cooking bit by the smoke alarm.
Ha ha! Full bongoes is AS HIGH AS IT WILL GO. And for about 20 minutes – possibly longer.
I just made and ate this, threw in some kale with the courgettes which went nice and crispy, IT IS SO GOOD!!!! xx