Chocolate Courgette Muffins {vegan, gluten-free}

These Chocolate Courgette (Zucchini) Muffins are delightfully decedent and incredibly moist. Plus they are gluten-free and vegan.

close up of chocolate courgette muffins

There is something about courgette that makes a chocolate muffin taste even more chocolately. It seems to deepen the flavour, make it earthier and more complex. The courgette within the muffin doesn’t taste of vegetables but it does give the muffin a kind of intensity that will make you wonder why you don’t put courgettes into all your chocolate cakes.

How to prepare courgettes for cakes

Courgettes are easy to get ready for your cakes. They just require a quick rinse in fresh water, top and tailing, then grating. If you have a grater attachment with your food processor then you’re good to go. However hand grating or using a julienne peeler is just fine too, although will take longer.

The next step is to remove as much excess water out of the courgette as you can. The best way to do this is to wrap the grated courgette in a clean porous cloth, muslin or nut milk bag and squeeze it out by hand. There shouldn’t be a huge amount of water produced but it’s a worthwhile job lest it interfere with the liquid ratios in your cake.

Vegan Baking

Vegan baking can have its detractors but if you use real whole ingredients in your vegan cakes they will produce amazing results. Instead of vegan butter think coconut butter and gravitate towards these kind of ingredients. Homemade cashew milk (which is dead easy to make) or coconut milk without complicated stabilisers will produce much better cakes than your generic carton of soy milk.

These Chocolate Courgette (Zucchini) Muffins for instance are as good (actually better!) as any muffin you will have tasted. So light yet almost fudgy. Gluten-free or vegan be damned, they are just an incredible muffin and a perfect way to use up this season’s courgette glut.

Overhead shot of chocolate courgette muffins

How do you make vegan muffins?

Making great vegan muffins is easy once you understand what roles the dairy and eggs play in regular muffins. Then we just need to replicate those roles in other ways.

Fat

The fat is easy to replace as muffins are usually made with a liquid fat anyway. For our vegan muffin we could use a light olive oil but here we’re opting for melted coconut oil.

Rising Agent

That would usually be the job of the eggs and a touch of baking powder. For this recipe though we’re going all in on bicarbonate of soda and baking powder for a really good lift.

Vegan Baking Tip 1: Apple Cider Vinegar

This is the key to the rise. Any vinegar or lemon juice will do the job but apple cider vinegar is my favourite acid to use in a cake. The acid reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to give a great rise to the muffins. It doesn’t hurt that this reaction also gives the cake a really tender crumb.

Vegan Baking Tip 2: Chia Egg

Chia seeds (or flaxseeds also do the same job) can be used to great effect in both vegan and gluten-free cakes to help naturally bind the bake together. A chia ‘egg’ is incredibly simple to prepare:

Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until the chia seeds have become a sticky gloop. The texture will resemble a whisked egg.

A chia egg is not really a replacement egg exactly. For example, it’s not quite the case that you can just replace the eggs in a cake with the same amount of chia eggs. However, they will definitely help your cake bind really well, giving great moisture content, and that’s pretty much what a real life egg does too.

Gluten-Free Flours

The gluten-free flours in vegan cakes have to work extra hard as they won’t have the protein structure of eggs to help bind the muffin together. So we are looking to use a flour with a very high protein content:

  • Almond flour does this job perfectly and gives great structure to the muffin. However, if we have too much protein then our muffin will be dry and stiff so it’s good to mix the almond flour with something a little lighter and fluffier:
  • Oat flour is the ideal companion to the almond flour in both texture and flavour.

Oat flour substitute – If you find oats hard to digest then you might want to replace it with sorghum flour or teff flour.

Click here for instant access

Moisture

The one thing a lot of vegan and gluten-free bakes lack is moisture. However we are lucky in these Chocolate Courgette Muffins that there is a lot going on that help us out on that front. We have:

  • Courgettes
  • Coconut milk
  • Coconut oil
  • Chia egg
  • Brown sugar

The result is that these muffins are almost fudgy like in texture. They hold together well, they are so delicious and you will be going back for more. And more.

If you are unsure about vegan baking or want to prove to someone how delicious vegan baking can truly be then point them in the direction of these Chocolate Courgette Muffins. No one is going to be disappointed.

Shop the recipe:

Trigger-release ice cream scoop
Julienne peeler
Nut milk bag
Apple cider vinegar
Regular 12-hole muffin tin

If you love these muffins then why not try these other vegan baking recipes?

Lemon Iced Stem Ginger Parkin
Banana Peanut Butter Streusel Muffins
Chocolate Coconut Banana Loaf

If you make these Chocolate Courgette Muffins then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.

Overhead shot of chocolate courgette muffins
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Courgette Muffins

Chocolate Courgette Muffins are delightfully decedent and incredibly moist. Plus they are gluten-free and vegan.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Servings: 15 muffins
Calories: 331kcal
Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 250 ml coconut milk
  • 140 ml coconut oil melted and cooled
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 300 g courgettes grated
  • 350 g soft light brown sugar
  • 200 g almond flour
  • 125 g oat flour
  • 70 g cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark Fill a muffin tin/s with 15 muffin liners.
  • Prepare the chia egg by mixing the chia seeds with the 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5-10 minutes for the chia seeds to gel together.
  • Place the grated courgette in the centre of a large piece of muslin, porous cloth or even into a nut milk bag. Using your hands, squeeze the excess water out of the courgettes. After this the grated courgettes should weigh about 250g. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl then set aside for a moment.
  • Pour the coconut milk and apple cider in a large bowl or food mixer and beat until the liquid is frothy.
  • Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, sugar, chia egg and grated courgette. Beat until well combined.
  • Mix the dry ingredients with the liquid ingredients in two batches to ensure even combining.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling each almost to the top.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
  • Remove the muffins immediately from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

  • Use a coconut milk that doesn’t have any thickeners, stablilisers or gums. The best one in the UK is the Biona brand.
  • Oat flour substitute: you can switch out with sorghum flour or teff flour
  • If you can’t find gluten-free oat flour then you can grind your own by using the equal weight of gluten-free rolled oats and grinding in your food processor. Since you’ll probably be unable to achieve as fine a grind the texture of the muffin will be slightly chewier but just as delicious.
  • The best way to scoop the muffin batter into the muffin liners is to use an ice cream scoop. Each muffin should contain about 2 generous scoops.
  • The muffins will keep up to 5 days in a air tight tin in a cool dark place.
  • These muffins freeze excellently. Freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months and leave to defrost on the kitchen top thoroughly before consuming.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 3.7mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2.4mg

 

Filed Under: Cakes, Vegan Tagged With: , , , ,

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread {Gluten-Free}

Gluten-Free Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread is a perfect accompaniment to your barbecues and summer parties. Sweet, savoury and spicy, it makes the most of a glut of courgettes and is so easy to prepare.

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread on a wooden board with a knife next to courgette and jalapenos

I’ve been trying to get my act together at dinner time lately. It’s quite difficult when I’ve got no idea if I’m going to get an evening or not. Bedtime begins at 6.30pm in our house. Sometimes I can get both children asleep within the hour, if so then I get the same feeling that my husband would have got had England beat Croatia on Wednesday. Most of the time though it’s near 9pm, and after trying to settle them for two and a half hours there is no way I have the energy for cooking. At that point toast and chocolate is the only option.

Since I haven’t been out for dinner in an absolute age I’ve been trying some different recipes to make my hum drum evening meals a bit more exciting and this Gluten-Free Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread was one of my latest triumphs. Who cares about the latest Ottolenghi restaurant opening when I have just nailed cornbread. I threw it together pretty quickly on a bit of a whim and was so excited about the results. That’s no lie. I was very excited, this is the simple life I live.

overhead shot of Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread on a wooden board with a knife next to courgette and jalapenos

I originally made the cornbread plain with just the honey lending a wonderfully sweet taste. The second time I got a little more adventurous and added some courgette that needed to be used up from the fridge. The third time though I was out of control, I threw the playbook out of the window and reached for the jalapenos. I declared to my enthralled cats that this was the definitive version and have been making it that way ever since.

This cornbread eaten warm from the oven with a slab of salted butter is what dreams are made of. Since I made the cornbread to go with some leftover pulled pork and coleslaw, I will now consider Gluten-Free Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread absolutely essential every time I serve up pulled pork and coleslaw in the future. It’s funny how dinner traditions can suddenly spring up when you least expect them.

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread on a wooden board with a knife next to courgette and jalapenos

Best thing I’m going to tell you is that it’s a really easy recipe to achieve. It relies on fine cornmeal and the gluten-free flour blend which you can pick up at most supermarkets so no hard to find ingredients. If you don’t have the buttermilk then just use the same amount of whole milk with half a lemon squeezed in. If you can’t get hold of jalapenos then just use regular green chillies, but do double check the strength of them before adding in. Jalapenos are quite mild so be careful when adding the same amount of a different chilli. If you want to serve it to the whole family then by all means leave the chilli out completely. I’m handing the reins over to you now, adapt as you see fit.

This Gluten-Free Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread has been one of my favourite dinner experiments yet this summer. Sweet, savoury and spicy and I know it’s going to find a place on our table at the rest of our summer barbecues, picnics and every time I pull some pork.

Shop the Recipe:

  • 8 inch square baking tin
  • Food Processor

If you would like some more courgette recipes then why not try:

If you make this Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread on a wooden board with a knife next to courgette and jalapenos
Print Recipe

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread {Gluten-Free}

Gluten-Free Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread is a perfect accompaniment to your barbecues and summer parties. Sweet, savoury and spicy, it makes the most of a glut of courgettes and is so easy to prepare.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time55 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 156kcal
Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

  • 180 g fine cornmeal
  • 180 g gluten-free flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 200 ml buttermilk
  • 100 ml honey + 2 tablespoons for finishing
  • 90 g unsalted butter melted then cooled
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 350 g courgettes grated and squeezed dry, about 2
  • 3-4 jalapenos 2 de-seeded and finely chopped, 1-2 sliced so there are 16 rounds.

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170°C and line and grease an 8 inch square baking tin.
  • Grab two large mixing bowls. In one mixing bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, cornmeal, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
  • In the other mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk, honey, butter and eggs.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well with a wooden spoon until completely combined.
  • Stir in the grated courgette and finely chopped jalapenos until evenly dispersed then pour it all into the baking tin. Arrange the sliced jalapeno on top so each square of cornbread will have a jalapeno.
  • Bake for around 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove the cornbread from the oven. Pour the 2 tablespoons of honey into a saucepan and heat until the honey is very runny, then brush over the top of the warm cornbread with a pastry brush. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Filed Under: Bread, Side Dishes and Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,

Courgette Relish

This Courgette Relish is my favourite way to get the most out of a bumper courgette crop. It is an easy relish to knock together and has endless uses from burger toppings, barbecue accompaniments or the grace within a cheese sandwich. I love its tangy sweetness flavoured with turmeric, mustard seeds and nutmeg.

Courgette Relish on a wooden box with forks

This recipe is a re-post of a classic recipe which I first posted on the blog in 2014. It’s courgette season and I’m about to make my annual batch of this Courgette Relish as our kitchen is bereft without it. I wanted to refresh the post with new images and contemplated just doing that and slotting it back into the archive but I love this recipe so much and thought the new photos deserved a bit of a fanfare too. So here are my original words back from 2014.

Courgette Relish on a wooden box with forks

Certain recipes come into your life in different ways, and this one was begged and pleaded for after we fell in love with a jar of this courgette relish. Our friend who had bestowed this precious gift on us couldn’t quite remember where she got the original recipe from; she thought maybe The Times, but when it was passed along the quantities were in cups so perhaps it originated across the pond. I wish I could thank whomever came up with it as it really is one of the staples of our larder and this time of year I make it in bulk when the courgettes are proudly in bloom. A large quantity is a must as one of the worst things to befall our kitchen is when the last jar is finished in March and we have to wait months for the next glut of courgettes.

courgettes in a wooden bowl on the grass

The beauty of the relish is that although its natural season to be brought to the table is summer when the barbecues hit, its amiability knows no bounds. The obvious use for this courgette relish is on a burger and really you can get no better topping. The flavour is sweet and piquant with the gentle pop of mustard seeds. However, it can also accompany the sausages that are grilled on bonfire night to great effect and a laden Christmas buffet replete with roast ham and turkey pies.

grated courgette

Ingredients for courgette relish in preserving pan

Ingredients for courgette relish in preserving pan

Ingredients for courgette relish in preserving pan

Ingredients for courgette relish in preserving pan

During the rest of the year it’s included in lunch staples such as toasted sandwiches or brought along to spring picnics. The courgette relish pairs naturally with cheese and I got into a bit of a habit earlier this year of stirring it into a cheddar and tuna salad along with a bit of olive oil for dressing.

If you come round to my house it’s more or less guaranteed you will leave with a jar of something homemade, and the wise visitor will make a request for the courgette relish, after all that’s how it came to us in the first place.

Courgette Relish on a wooden box with forks

Courgette Relish on a wooden box with forks
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Courgette Relish

A sweet tangy relish which goes with anything and everything.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time8 hrs 40 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: British
Servings: 80 servings
Calories: 86kcal
Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg courgettes julienned, about 12
  • 1 kg spanish onions grated, about 4
  • 2 red peppers sliced very thinly, then quartered lengthways
  • 3 tablespoons salt
  • 1.5 kg granulated sugar
  • 925 ml white wine vinegar
  • 1.5 tablespoons turmeric
  • 1.5 tablespoons white mustard seeds
  • 3 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 3 teaspoons nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

  • Place the courgettes, onions, peppers and salt in a large preserving pan, cover with water and leave to stand overnight.
  • The next day drain and rinse well to remove the excess salt.
  • Return the courgette mix to the preserving pan and add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Decant into sterilised jars*. It is ready to eat straightaway or you can store in a cool dark place until needed for up to a year.

Notes

*To sterilise the jars place the very clean jars you would like to use in an oven pre-heated to 140°C for 20 minutes. Sterilise the lids by dropping them into a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar. I don’t sterilise my lids in the oven as they tend to ruin.
Yield 8 380ml jars

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

SHOP THE RECIPE

I would be nowhere without my Magimix 4200XL Food Processor – Satin for this recipe. I have easily had over ten years and the grating attachment is an absolute must for grating this kind of quantity of courgettes, it takes about one minute to grate the lot. The Magixmix an impressive piece of kit which even survived being dropped when we moved into our house (although it did have to have the motor replaced but that wasn’t too expensive). I put all the attachments in the dishwasher and they come out brilliantly clean but it also gives just great results. I love my Magimix and along with my Kitchenaid is the piece of equipment I use most often (almost everyday) in my kitchen.

The links above are affiliate links so if you decide to buy anything using the links given then I will get a small commission from Amazon at no cost to you. To learn more about how the data processing works when using these Amazon affiliate links then please visit my privacy policy page.

If you would like more courgette recipes then how about…

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread on a wooden board with a knife next to courgette and jalapenos

Courgette Oatmeal Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing {gluten-free}

This Gluten-Free Courgette Oatmeal Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing makes the most of summer’s bounty and is perfectly light, moist and incredibly moreish

Filed Under: Condiments, Pickles and Sauces, Dairy-Free, Savoury, The Larder, Vegan Tagged With: , , ,

Courgette Oatmeal Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing {gluten-free}

Courgette Oatmeal Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing is a gluten-free cake that makes the most of summer’s bounty and is perfectly light, moist and incredibly moreish.

courgette cake on a plate

It boasts a wonderfully light sponge with a tender crumb thanks to the combination of rice and oat flour which not only makes this bad boy gluten-free but also lends it a toasted, coming to the end of high summer, campfire in the evenings vibe. It is iced with a creamy lemon mascarpone with only a mere whisper of sugar, but plenty of zesty citrus as a perfect compliment to the delicate courgette flavour. A perfect treat for our heady August days when cake might otherwise seem too indulgent.

courgettes

This cake was inspired by the bountiful mountain of courgette at the farmer’s market last week, all shapes and sizes in varying shades of green. I have been fancying a courgette cake for a few weeks now and just like that it all fell into place.

These days courgette nests proudly in my vegetable drawer. At one time considered a boring watery addition to Sunday roasts, it dragged everything down with its mopey presence. Then I started using it raw in salads, roasted in garlicky olive oil and finally as courgetti. Now courgette is celebrated and embraced in our family, an absolute must in our weekly shop but it’s at its very best right now. Like any vegetable you have to know how to get the best out of it and boiling it to oblivion is never the answer. In my house, cake is the more obvious solution.

courgette cake on a cooling rack

And this courgette oatmeal cake with lemon mascarpone icing is my new favourite family friendly bake. It’s a complete stunner and despite making and eating it more times this week than is really acceptable for someone who is on a never ending mission to lose her baby weight, I haven’t come to resent it once. That is because the batter comes together in moments, baking up a dream so it is ready, iced and on your fork before you can change your mind about having an afternoon slice of cake.

ingredients for courgette cake

The sponge is so light thanks to the power partnership of rice and oat flour. If you can’t find oat flour then by all means whizz up some oats very finely in your food processor, the results will be the same and oat flour can be quite pricey. Rice flour though is more accessible these days and is an absolute must in my larder, not just for gluten-free baking. I intend to post a lot more using rice flour since I am having a little love affair with it at the moment but having just had this particular delicacy for lunch here is one of my favourite uses for it.

The courgette cake is then carefully spiced with a touch of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, not too much to overpower but just to add soft flavour.

The icing feels like a bit of a cheat as it is just so easy and unlike most icings you don’t even need a mixer, just whipping together with a wooden spoon is enough. It barely uses any sugar, a tip I garnered from my neighbour after being bowled over by how creamy and cheesy her cream cheese icing was. She confessed that she had only used a smattering of sugar to make it more child friendly. However I found without the addition of butter and hardly any sugar, the icing then becomes all about the texture and flavour rather than a sickly counterpoint.

courgette cake batter in a kitchenaid mixer

This idea works so well with this mascarpone icing to which I’ve only grated in the zest of 1 lemon and added 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and then a couple of tablespoons of natural yoghurt to help with the consistency and add tang. It’s so delicious that you can happily eat with a spoon all day long. Actually I don’t know if that makes this icing more dangerous but I do know that it is simply dreamy with the courgette oatmeal cake.

courgette cake

courgette cake on a plate
Print Recipe

Courgette Oatmeal Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing {gluten-free}

Courgette Oatmeal Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing makes the most of summer’s bounty and is perfectly light, moist and incredibly moreish.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Cake
Cuisine: British
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 504kcal
Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

  • 400 g light muscovado sugar
  • 300 ml light olive oil or other flavourless oil
  • 4 eggs about 200g
  • 240 g rice flour
  • 80 g oatflour or oats finely ground to a powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 340 g grated courgettes (about 4) squeezed to remove excess moisture

For the Icing

  • 500 g mascarpone
  • 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1 lemon grated zest

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170°C and line a grease a 13x9x4 inch baking tin.
  • In a large bowl (or stand mixer) beat together the sugar, olive oil and eggs until smooth and thick.
  • Add all the other ingredients in, except for the courgette, and beat until everything is fully mixed together.
  • Finally stir in the courgette until evenly dispersed and pour into the prepared baking tin.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, checking after 20 minutes and covering with foil if the cake seems to be browning too much.
  • When ready, leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes to settle before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely before icing.
  • To make the icing beat the mascarpone together with the yoghurt, icing sugar and lemon zest until light and smooth and spread onto the top of the cooled courgette cake with a palette knife.

Notes

Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Carrot Spice Cake in Flavor Flours

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 0.9mg

If you like this recipe then you may like…

Golden Beetroot Carrot Cake

This gluten-free Golden Beetroot Carrot Cake is the best carrot cake you will ever taste. Full of sweet earthy goodness thanks to using both golden beetroot and carrots; complex with pecans, sultanas and apples; perfectly complimented with a not too sweet cream cheese buttercream and adorned with the delightful crunch of a salted pecan praline and candied beetroot and carrots.

Courgette Relish

Courgette Relish on a wooden box with forks

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread

Jalapeno Honey Courgette Cornbread on a wooden board with a knife next to courgette and jalapenos

Filed Under: Cakes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Roasted Aubergine and Courgette with Sumac and Herbs

These easy Roasted Aubergine and Courgettes are sprinkled with sumac and tossed with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon before serving. A wonderful vegetable dish which can be eaten hot or as part of a salad buffet.

Roasted Aubergine and Courgette with Sumac and Herbs

This is an excellent standby week night meal which takes moments to prepare. The vegetables don’t even need peeling, just minimal chopping and then 30-40 minutes roasting in the oven.

Aubergines and courgettes are often misunderstood vegetables as they seem difficult to cook correctly. Sometimes with watery or oily results.

However this recipe is so easy and absolutely foolproof that aubergines and courgettes will become your absolute go-to veg choice when you are looking for a quick meal.

courgette and aubergine3

Why this recipe works so brilliantly

  • Minimal prep time so ideal if you need a hands off dinner.
  • The sumac, fresh herbs and lemon balance out the richness of the roasted vegetables.
  • You can make ahead as this dish is just as good eaten at room temperature.
  • Roasted Aubergine and Courgette can accompany a variety of different meals.

If you need more veggie side dishes then why not try:

English Mint Potato Salad
Garlicky Slow Braised Tomato and Aubergine
The Best Homemade Coleslaw

courgette and aubergine

Do you need to salt aubergines?

Yes and no. Years ago aubergines were much more bitter so they required salting to make them more palatable. The bitterness has been bred out of them now though so there is no more need to salt for that purpose. However, aubergines do soak up a lot of oil when cooking so salting them prior to cooking helps the aubergine to absorb less oil.

I’m happy to report though that there is no need to salt the aubergines in this recipe. We are looking for speed here.

TIP:  If you feel the end result is too oily then you can pat the vegetables dry with clean kitchen paper before tossing with the herbs and lemon.

What is Sumac?

Sumac is popular in middle eastern cooking. It has a tart lemony flavour. Lovely sprinkled over salads, grilled meats or vegetables.

Here it adds a tanginess to the roasted vegetables, cutting through the richness of the olive oil.

How to Roast Aubergine and Courgette

There is minimal prep involved here.

  1. Cut each vegetable into 8 wedges, by slicing in half width ways, then cutting the halves length ways twice.
  2. Toss in the olive oil, sumac and salt and pepper.
  3. Roast for 30-40 minutes (depending on how large your vegetables were to begin with).
  4. Finally toss with the fresh herbs and lemon.

Roasted aubergine and courgette2

What to serve with Roasted Aubergine and Courgette

  • Lamb Kebabs
  • Roasted Chicken
  • Toss through with pasta for a vegan main dish
  • Serve drizzled with garlicky yoghurt
  • Take to a pot luck for a healthy veggie option

If you make this Roasted Aubergine and Courgette with Sumac and Herbs then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.

Roasted Aubergine and Courgette with Sumac and Herbs in a baking tray with a wedge of lemon
Print Recipe

Roasted Aubergine and Courgette with Sumac and Herbs

These easy Roasted Aubergine and Courgettes are sprinkled with sumac and tossed with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon before serving. A wonderful vegetable dish which can be eaten hot or as part of a salad buffet.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 210kcal
Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

  • 2 aubergines
  • 2 courgettes
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon sumac
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 10 g mint leaves roughly chopped
  • 10 g coriander leaves roughly chopped
  • 10 g parsley leaves roughly chopped
  • Wedge of lemon

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.
  • Prepare the courgette and aubergine by slicing off the stems. Cut each one in half width ways. Halve each again lengthways and then cut into 16 wedges in total.
  • Place the wedges on a baking tray then toss with the olive oil, sumac and salt and pepper.
  • Roast for 30-40 minutes, checking halfway through to give a good mix around.
  • Once the aubergine and courgette are soft, lightly browned and slightly crispy at the corners then remove from the oven.
  • Sprinkle over the fresh herbs, mixing together with a squeeze of lemon.

Notes

  • Cut aubergine browns quickly so don’t leave it hanging around the kitchen after you have turned it into wedges.
  • You can enjoy this dish hot from the oven or cooled and served at room temperature.
  • Lovely served with grilled lamb or chicken or tossed through pasta for a vegan option.

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 821mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg

Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, but was updated in August of 2019 to make the recipe instructions clearer as well as nutritional information and expert tips.

Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Savoury, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,