Chilli & Garlic Courgettes with Lemon Butter Beans and Crème Fraîche
The key to this recipe is to use a jar of butter beans which you can usually find in most artisanal or international stores. You can definitely use other jarred beans like white beans or chickpeas but the standard supermarket tinned beans won't cut it.
Ingredients
2 medium courgettes
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
½ tsp crushed chilli flakes
Sea salt and black pepper
2 banana shallots
1 lemon
1 jar butter beans, approx 540g
Small handful parsley, finely chopped
Small handful basil, roughly chopped
20g pine nuts
Reduced fat crème fraîche
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
Slice the courgette into 1.5cm rounds and add to a roasting tray along with 3 whole garlic cloves (no need to peel). Drizzle over 2 tbsp of olive oil, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and toss well. Roast for 35-40 minutes, turning half way or until soft and slightly golden but not fully collapsing.
Meanwhile, finely dice the shallots and add to a medium saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil and a small pinch of salt. When the onions are translucent add 1 clove of finely chopped garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
Grate the rind of the unwaxed lemon and set aside for later.
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the onions. Let the liquid evaporate a little then add the butter beans with their liquid. Add a good crack of pepper and taste for seasoning. The butter bean liquid can contain salt so you may not need to add much. Let the beans cook for about 30 minutes so the liquid evaporates but is not completely dry.
Whilst the beans and courgettes are cooking, you can toast off the pine nuts until golden brown but not burnt. Set aside for later.
Once the courgettes are done, remove the garlic cloves from the roasting tray, remove the skins and put the cloves back into the tray. Crush the garlic into a paste with the back of a spoon and toss the vegetables in the garlic paste.
Just before serving, remove the beans from the heat and add the finely chopped parsley and stir it through.
Serve the beans with the courgettes on top, scatter over the toasted pine nuts and basil and a dollop of crème fraîche. Take a pinch of the grated lemon and scatter over the top.
Enjoy!
