Seared Courgettes with whipped feta

January 21, 2024September 28, 2025 ~ Corrie ~ 3 Comments

This TikTok inspired recipe makes a fantastic lunch for one or two… If you like sharing, which I do not.
I would advise against using an oven-proof frying pan for this recipe (despite my images) as it’s far too easy to burn yourself on the handle when removing the courgettes from the oven – trust me, I found this out the hard way. Seared courgettes? More like seared hand skin. I now transfer the courgettes into a baking dish to finish off in the oven, in an attempt to protect my soft womanly palms.

Seared Courgettes with whipped feta and walnuts
Serves 2 / Hands on time 15 mins / Total time 30 mins / V Gf
You’ll need: Medium sized ovenproof dish or frying pan, small food processor
2 medium courgettes
Salt (I use salt flakes)
4 tsp rapeseed oil or any cooking oil
Dip:
60g yogurt
60g feta plus extra for garnish
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper
Small garlic clove, roughly chopped
Handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
Handful fresh dill, roughly chopped
Garnish:
Handful of walnuts, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. Slice the courgettes in half lengthways and score the flesh roughly (but not too deeply with a knife). Sprinkle with salt and leave for 20 mins. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7.
2. Once the courgettes have released some of their moisture, dab them with kitchen roll to absorb any excess moisture.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Place the courgettes scored side down for 6 mins. You want the courgettes to char so keep the heat high and press down firmly on the skins with a spatula.
4. Once the courgettes have a bit of colour, flip them over and transfer to a suitably sized oven dish that has been lightly oiled. If using an oven-proof frying pan, slide straight into the oven. Cook in the oven for 6 mins.
5. Meanwhile, make the whipped feta by adding the feta to a food processor. Blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs and then add the yogurt, garlic, salt and pepper. Add most of the mint and dill but save a little back for garnish. Blitz again until combined. Divide the yogurt between two plates.
6. Finally, remove the courgettes from the oven and carefully place on top of the yogurt. Crumble over any extra feta along with remaining herbs, chopped walnuts and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian Gf – Gluten free

Courgette carpaccio

July 29, 2019July 23, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 6 Comments

This week I’ve been galavanting around Menorca with my friend/partner in crime Philippa. We drank all the wine and beer the little island had to offer, until I rather unceremoniously fell down a flight of marble stairs – SPLAT! With severely bruised legs and ego, I shook off the do-gooders attempting to peel me off the floor and hobbled angrily to the bar with my friends laughter still ringing in my ears. I spent the rest of the holiday covered in bags of ice and drinking away my shame – so all in all, a very successful holiday!

Anyhoo, since returning home, I’ve been busy licking my wounds and stuffing shop-bought stuffed-crust pizzas into my mouth to cheer myself up. That was until I realised I couldn’t remember the last time I ate a single vegetable. So yesterday, I ran/hobbled to the shop and bought myself a giant courgette and ate it raw, slathered in olive oil and goats cheese. Fortunately for me, courgettes are high in magnesium, which supposedly helps to heal bruising and inflammation, so I’ll only have to eat a thousand more before my legs start resembling legs again.

Courgette carpaccio with goats cheese
Serves 8 as a side / Hands on time 5 mins / Total time 5 mins / V Gf
2 large courgettes, peeled into ribbons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes
Handful fresh Dill, roughly chopped
70g vegetarian soft goats cheese (optional) – I used Sainsbury’s Abergavenny goats cheese

Method
1. Using a potato peeler, peel the 2 courgettes into ribbons and put in a large bowl. Squeeze over the lemon, 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle over a large pinch of salt.
2. Add the chopped dill and give it a good mix (being careful not to break up the courgette ribbons). Once everything is nicely dressed, pour out onto a large platter and dot with chunks of goats cheese. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and serve.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian Gf – Gluten free

Courgette penne with fresh mint & feta

March 5, 2018July 8, 2020 ~ Corrie ~ 2 Comments

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock this past week (in which case, you would probably be dead), you may have noticed it’s been snowing a bit. Okay, so it’s been snowing a lot, but I still don’t think it warranted the levels of hysteria that perhaps the apocalypse would have caused. Yes, I’m aware the ‘Beast from the East’ has been wafting Baltic conditions over our little island, but can we all just put on a jumper and shut up about it? Also, if I see one more Instagram of someone’s snowy back garden, I’m going to throw my phone on the floor and stamp on it.
Anyway, now that the snow has melted, we can all get on with our lives. For me, that was walking to work this morning and passing a handmade sign that read ‘please stop shitting outside our home’… Normality has officially been resumed.
Anyhoo, I love this pasta dish, it’s actually one of the first recipes I ever blogged about, but over the years it has evolved and simplified, so I thought I’d share the updated recipe with you. It’s super-easy, cheap, and takes no time at all. Bon appetit.

Courgette penne with feta & mint
Serves 2 / Hands on time 25 mins / Total time 25 mins / V
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 courgettes, soft middles removed and grated
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Handful of fresh mint
2 handfuls of black olives
100g vegetarian feta
150g wholemeal penne
Drizzle Pomora extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method
1. Start by boiling a kettle of water and weighing out your pasta. Pop the pasta into a saucepan and season well with salt (don’t cook your pasta just yet).
2. Chop the courgettes into three large chunks and grate the sides until you reach the soft core – the middle of the courgettes is too wet to use so only use the outer layer and discard the middle. Peel and finely chop the garlic and add to a large cooking pot over a medium heat. Cook the garlic for a couple of minutes before adding the courgette. Stir well, up the heat, add a pinch of chilli flakes and season well with salt and pepper. Continue to cook stirring occasionally.
3. Add the boiled water from the kettle to the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Now is a good time to roughly chop the mint leaves, black olives and crumble the feta, put to one side.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and add straight into the courgette mixture. Give it a good stir until combined. Incorporate the black olives and fresh mint. Divide into bowls and top with the crumbled feta and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Lovely jubbly.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian