Courgette Topped with Lamb Mince

Serves 4

Preparation: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 20 - 25 mins

Do you ever wonder what to do if you have so many courgettes growing in the garden that some of them reach whopping proportions in size?    Each year we grow less plants but still end up with more than we can eat or give away!   I do have lots of recipes that use courgettes but this is a variation of stuffed marrow and, in my opinion, a much tastier option with less waste because you can eat the whole courgette, skin and insides!

You can obviously substitute Lamb mince with any mince of your preference, or even go for a vegetarian option using quorn mince or lentils, rice, couscous - there are endless ideas to try!

We like this very simple recipe and have this often - also cheap and easy!

My roasting tray measures diagonally 40 cms to give you an idea of size.

Ingredients

l large courgette or just use smaller ones, cut in half lengthwise

l large Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil

400g lamb mince, or whatever mince you prefer

One 400g can of chopped or whole italian tomatoes

Punnet (or from the greenhouse) cherry tomatoes

2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste

One generous tablespoon Italian dried herbs

A generous squirt of red wine (I always have a box of this in both red and white on standby!) (optional)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black Pepper

One tablespoon thickening granules, or you could mix a little water with either cornflour or plain flour in a small cup, just to thicken the mince slightly.

Large chunk mature or extra mature cheddar for grating generously on top.

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....

1. Pre-heat oven to 190C.
   
   
2. Peel and finely chop a large Spanish onion and saute with olive oil in a covered pan on a medium heat with a little water added until soft, but not browned.
   
   
3. Add the mince, separate and stir well into the onion, cover and allow to cook through, stirring occasionally - for about 5-10 minutes.
   
   
4. Add the tinned tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, herbs and red wine (if using).
   
   
5. Stir well until ingredients well combined, replace lid and allow to simmer for at least 10 - 15 minutes.
   
   
6. Add some seasoning and it is essential to add a little thickening, as described above, so that the mince will hold together reasonablly firmly when it is spooned onto the top of the courgettes.
   
   
7. Place your courgettes, skin side down into a large roasting pan.   If they wobble or slant to one side, then skim off a small piece of the skin in parallel to the top and then the courgette half will sit absolutely straight in the pan.
   
   
8. Spoon the mince topping onto the courgette.
   
   
9. Now place the cherry tomatoes on top of the mince.
   
   
10. Finally, grate a really generous amount of mature cheddar cheese and sprinkle liberally onto the top of the mince and tomatoes.
    
    
11. Pour some cold water into the roasting dish, at least 2 cms deep and place in the oven for 20 - 25 mins.
    
    
12. The cheese should have melted and look a little golden and you should be able to pierce the courgette, near to the base easily - now it is ready to eat and enjoy!