Bethany's Vegan Kitchen

The last time I ordered  food shopping, I accidentally ordered three courgettes instead of one cucumber. Remember to take care when you’re doing things while being tired. I had to use them up, so I came up with this courgette and minced “beef” bake. Layers of tomato, herb and “beef” sauce, in between layers of baked courgette, topped with dairy-free cheese.

Yield; Four-Six servings(260-173kcal per serving) Cook time; 50 minutes

You’ll need;

1. Three courgettes(a.k.a. zucchini) sliced
2. Half a teaspoon of salt
3. One tablespoon of vegetable oil
4. Two cloves of garlic, minced
5. One brown onion, chopped
6. One tablespoon of each tomato puree, fish-free Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce
7. 250g/9oz meat free mince
8. One teaspoon of each dried basil, dried oregano and dried parsley
9. 20g/0.7oz dairy-free parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
10. 120g/4oz dairy-free cheese, grated or sliced

Method;

• Lay out the slices of courgette onto some foil  or baking paper. Evenly sprinkle over the salt, and allow them to sit for 20 minutes. While the salt is drawing out the moisture, you can work on the tomato and meat sauce.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, fry the garlic for one minute before adding the onion.
• Cook the onion for five minutes before adding the tomato puree. Cook for a minute or two, then add the mince, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and herbs. At this point add the parmesan, if using.
• Add the slices of courgette into a large bowl and rinse off the salt with cold water. Drain and set aside.
• Assemble the dish by firstly adding a layer of the tomato and meat sauce onto the bottom of a heat proof dish. Top with a layer of sliced courgettes, then top with more sauce. Continue until you run out of both courgette and sauce, finally top with cheese.
• Loosely cover the top with foil, taking care to ensure the foil doesn’t touch the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 220ºC/200ºC fan assisted/400ºF. After 25 minutes have elapsed, remove the foil and continue baking for a further five minutes.

Serve with couscous, potatoes or pasta. Or simply serve with crusty bread.

Tip; You can purchase dairy-free cheese, dairy-free parmesan and meat-free mince at larger branches of both Tesco and Sainsbury’s.