HAND HELD FOOD PROCESSOR RECIPES

Steps:

• To make the fried courgette, cut the courgette into slices the thickness of a pound coin.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the courgettes in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Make sure they don’t overlap. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then turn them over and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, until golden. Remove from the heat and transfer to a warm plate.
• Mix the sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce together in a cup. Pour over the warm courgettes and serve immediately.
• To make the baked courgette, heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Cut each courgette in half across the middle, then cut these pieces in half lengthways, and then lengthways again to make wedges.
• Mix the oil, chilli flakes, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the courgette wedges and toss to coat.
• Arrange the courgettes skin side down on a baking tray and cook for 20–25 minutes, until soft and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm, garnished with the fresh chopped mint.
• To make the spiralised courgette, spiralise each courgette on a hand held (pencil sharpener type) spiraliser or using the large noodle attachment of a free-standing mixer or food processor.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the courgette and cook for 1–2 minutes, until slightly softened. Stir in the pesto and cook for a further 1 minute to warm through.
• Serve on a warm serving plate sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan, if using.

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps of butter. Add 3 tablespoons water and stir into flour (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Gently squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit dough into tart pan and fold overhang inward to reinforce side. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until edge is pale golden and side is set, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Carefully remove weights and parchment and bake shell until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Remove tart shell from oven and reduce temperature to 300°F.
• While shell bakes, split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a heavy medium saucepan with tip of a paring knife. Add pod to saucepan with cream and milk. Heat over medium heat until hot, then let steep off heat 30 minutes.
• Whisk together yolks, whole egg, 6 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a quart measuring cup, then whisk into cream mixture until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into measuring cup.
• Put tart shell (in pan) in a 4-sided sheet pan. Put in oven, then pour custard into shell. Bake until just set but still slightly wobbly in center, 30 to 35 minutes (custard will continue to set as it cools). Remove tart from sheet pan and cool on a rack 30 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour more.
• Just before serving, sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over top of tart. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just above top of tart, avoiding crust, until sugar is caramelized and slightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.