Monday 4 April 2016

Broad bean and mint zoodles

 Well it is most definitely starting to feel like spring here in the UK, there's flowers everywhere now, the weather is very slightly warmer, and the evenings are longer. We even sat and ate and drank outside at home the other day, though it was perhaps not quite warm enough to have done it...  With this comes a desire to eat more spring/summery feeling foods. The other day was one of those days and prompted by the emergence of the first chive flowers if the year so far, I promptly whipped this simple dish up.

You need hardly any ingredients, and it tastes absolutely delicious!


You can also make the pea and mint mixture and eat it as a dip, it's a lovely fresh alternative to guacamole.

If you can't find chive flowers you can just finely chop a few chives instead and mix those in. I, however, was so excited to find my chives had flowered, that I couldn't resist. I've also had a few select borage flowers popping up, and I've got plenty of mint already. Definitely staring to feel excited about the upcoming growing season, especially as we are about to move house so I'll have a new garden to get started on!


For two people you will need:
  • Two courgettes/ zucchini
  • One cup of broad beans
  • A small handful of spinach
  • 1/2 cup of crème fraiche
  • A few florets of cauliflower, I also used a big chunk from the base of the cauliflower
  • A good handful of mint leaves
  • A couple of chive flowers
  • Microleaves to garnish- optional- I used purple radish


To make it:
  • Spiralize your courgettes, I use this Spiralizer , and then set aside on some kitchen towel (some liquid may drain from them
  • Cut your cauliflower into small pieces and steam for a few minutes until soft enough to easily pierce with a fork
  • Pop your beans (they don't need cooking), spinach, mint (leave a couple of leaves out to garnish) and crème fraiche into a food processor and blend until smooth
  • Empty your spiralized courgettes and drained cauliflower onto your kitchen surface and tip the minty mixture on top of them.
  • Massage it altogether with your hands. This works a lot better than trying to do it with a fork or spoon which seems to break the zoodles up a lot and still doesn't manage to evenly distribute the mixture
  • Pop into your bowl to serve, then tear the petals off the chive flowers and scatter them over the top followed by the micro leaves if you're using. them. These are both optional but the chive flowers will give a lovely light onion flavour.
  • Enjoy, close your eyes and pretend it's still summer!


 
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4 comments

  1. This looks gooood!!! Can't believe you have chive flowers already!
    Ella XO

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    Replies
    1. I know, they're out very early! Also got some rocket flowers now too! x

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  2. Oh, this is art on a plate! SO so SO wonderful!
    This just looks like it came out of a summer catalog from a household of the Queen!
    I will have to get strongly inspired (basically do it step by step as you tell :D ;) ) by you and hope I will recreate it soon a warm weekend.
    I will have to buy a new spiralizer somehow mine got missing in my small kitchen 2 weeks ago I have no idea how that happened.
    Are you using the small or large one? I had the small one but consider getting the bigger one this time so I can spiralize a squash as well :)
    Hope you have a fab week! :)


    http://potsofsmiles.blogspot.com/
    xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your lovely comment! I have a large spiralizer. I use it all the time. I've linked to it on my essentials page at the top. It's very hard duty and seems to manage to spriralize everything! x

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