English Emma Blooms

get back. Your time is your life." That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. From The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren

COURGETTE AND POTATO GRATIN A layered vegetable bake that makes a tasty side dish to any main course. Serves 4-6 4 tablespoons olive oil 800 g potatoes, very thinly sliced (best with a slicer) 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon salt 450 g courgettes, thinly sliced Pepper to taste Preheat oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Grease a baking dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom, overlapping each other. Season them with some of the thyme and salt, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add half of the courgettes. Season the dish again and drizzle with more of the oil. Add the second layer of potatoes, then the second layer of courgettes, seasoning again each time. Finish with a drizzle of oil. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the cover and bake for a further 15 minutes before serving.

BASIC VEGGIE BURGER RECIPE Spice things up! Add corn, black beans and chilli to the mix (plus one extra egg); top with cheese and avocado. 1 &1/2 teaspoons ground dry mustard 1 egg 2 small courgettes, shredded 1 medium carrot, shredded 1/2 medium onion, minced (any colour) 90 g dry bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper Combine mustard and egg in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss gently. Add the mustard mixture and combine well. Shape into 4 burgers. The burgers can be baked, grilled, fried or barbecued – if you are going to barbecue them, you may want to pre-bake, so the burgers hold shape. Feel free to experiment and substitute with different veggies!

COURGETTE AND CHEESE PILAU 1 onion, peeled and chopped 1 courgette, diced 1 red chilli, de-seeded and chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 225 g bulghar wheat 300 ml vegetable stock 50 sultanas or raisins 25 g pine nuts, toasted 125 g mozzarella cheese, shredded 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped Salt and pepper Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and chilli and fry for 5 minutes. Next add the courgette and fry a further 5-10 minutes until golden. Remove mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat to low and add the bulghar wheat and heat for 30 seconds until the grains are glossy. Add the stock and sultanas. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the bulghar has softened and the water has absorbed. Return the courgette and onion mixture to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Add the pine nuts and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and add the

WARM CARROT, COURGETTE AND RED PEPPER SALAD 250 g small leafed spinach, washed and drained 1 red pepper, de-seeded 375 g carrots, cut into slices 450 g courgettes 150 ml olive oil Salt and pepper Wash and dry the spinach leaves and lay them in a shallow serving dish. Cut the courgettes into thick batons. Place the olive oil into a wide casserole dish over low heat. Add the peppers and carrots and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Cover the casserole dish and cook gently for around 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the courgettes, cover again and leave for another 10 minutes. The courgettes should be tender but still have their colour. To serve, place the warm salad with its juices onto the spinach leaves.

Sticky Chicken one cut up chicken, or whatever pieces you like one bottle of Russian dressing one jar of apricot preserves one envelope of Lipton's mushroom-onion (or just plain onion) soup mix Mix everything together and pour it over the chicken. I usually spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan before I put down the chicken pieces. (If you use more chicken, increase the other ingredients accordingly.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until chicken is done. Serve over rice. Variations can include using grape jam, or cranberry sauce instead of the apricot preserves.