Mexican courgette boats

It's been a while since I've had the chance to be creative in the kitchen. I've either been at work, or I've been cooking bloody lentil soup or bloody fried eggs on toast. Today I was so excited to finally be able to get back into the kitchen and create something wonderful.

While there are many upsides to only living with boys, I would be lying if I said I didn't occasionally wish I lived with girls. This was my thought process as I made these courgette boats.

Yay, back in the kitchen! This is going to be great!

Oh, it's a bit messy in here. Oh well, it's okay, I'll just give the counter a bit of a wipe.

I'll just move these dirty plates over to the sink first.

And this bag of coffee.

And this box of cereal.

And all this other stuff.

Okay, counter is clean, here we go!

Now, where's the frying pan?

Oh, it's dirty. It's fine, I'll just use the big wok instead.

Just need to chop up some onions.

I'll just clean this knife first...

Now where's that tin opener?

It's not in its usual spot... where on earth is it?

Oh, it's by the toaster. Of course. Where else?

Okay, beans are in.

La la la, this is great, this looks yummy.

Great, now I ust need to put my courgettes onto a baking tray.

Hurrah, there's a tray on the draining board, clean and ready to be used! Someone should get a medal!

Oh, I can still see the greasy outline of some sausages on it.

Never mind, I'll just give it a quick wipe over.

Time to add a bit of grated cheese.

Oh, the grater is dirty. It's okay, I'll use the other side.

Hurrah! That dinner was totally worth it.

PS. Sorry for the glary photos. The lighting in my kitchen is most obnoxious at this time of day, but I couldn't really avoid it today because of my ridiculous schedule.



Mexican courgette boats

Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side or appetiser

1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1tbsp oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
200g tinned sweetcorn kernels (drained)
200g tinned black beans (drained)
250g passata
4tsp hot chilli powder
2 courgettes
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).

In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil and gently soften the onion and garlic over a medium heat. After a couple of minutes, add the red and yellow pepper, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

Once the vegetables are slightly soft, add the corn, beans, passata and chilli powder. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Without removing the ends, halve the courgettes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds to create a well along the length of the courgette. Fill this well with the black bean mixture, and top with the grated cheese. Lay the courgette halved in a baking tray (you may need to prop them against each other so they don't topple over!) and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has browned.

Note: These are fairly spicy. If you're a wimp when it comes to spice, use less chilli powder, or use a milder version.