Vegetable Squidges

What do you think of when you think of a 'light summer lunch'? Salad? A measly bowl of soup? An egg white omelette with an assortment of fairly tasteless green ingredients? We're shaking things up a bit. Throw some colour and taste into healthy eating with these vegetable squidges- an assortment of colourful veg gently fried into a bright ball of taste.

Vegetable Squidges (Serves 1) 

Ingredients: 

• 3oz grated carrot (approx 1 carrot)
• 3 oz grated courgette (approx 1/2 courgette)
• 1 oz finely chopped leek 
• 2 oz frozen sweetcorn
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp olive oil 

Method:

• Grate the carrot and courgette using a normal cheese grater. Finely chop the leek and weigh out the frozen sweetcorn. 
• Place the carrot and courgette onto a piece of kitchen paper and put another piece over the top. Push down gently on the kitchen paper until the excess moisture from the vegetables has been absorbed.
• Place all the vegetables into a mixing bowl and add the flour and olive oil then mix. Separate the mixture into 5 even sections. If the mixture is not binding together much add a bit more flour and oil.
• Spray a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. Spoon each section of vegetables into the frying pan (not yet on the heat) and squidge into circular flat shapes using a spatula.
• Place the frying pan on a medium heat. Fry for 10 minutes until the vegetable squidges are a golden brown colour on both sides- once the underside is cooked use a fish-slice to turn over and cook the other side. Try not to turn over the vegetable squidges too many times as it may lead to the mixture disintegrating.  As you cook the squidges occasionally press down on the squidge with the back of a spatula for a few seconds to flatten it. You may also need to re-shape the vegetable squidge as it cooks to stop it from falling apart.