30 in 30: Courgette and cannellini bean toasts

Shopping list:

Fresh ingredients:

1 bulb garlic

1 courgette

1 lemon

1 small bunch mint

1 bunch spring onions

Dry ingredients:

400g tin cannellini beans

1 French stick

Total cost: Dh26

Method

Finely chop two garlic cloves. Slice the courgettes into slim rounds. Slice half the lemon into thin half moons, then cut into small triangles. Finely chop the mint leaves and slice the spring onions.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the courgette slices. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper, squeeze over a generous amount of lemon juice (from the unsliced half) and cook for three to four minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Return the frying pan to the stove, increase the heat and add a little more oil if needed. When you can feel a strong heat rising from the pan, add the lemon slices and cook for one to two minutes on each side or until they start to caramelise and turn a dark golden colour. Set aside.

Heat a little oil in a saucepan, add the chopped garlic and spring onions and sauté gently until softened. Tip the drained cannellini beans into the pan, season with salt and black pepper and heat through. Slice and toast as much of the bread as you want.

Roughly mash the cannellini beans, before tipping them into a large bowl. Mix in the courgettes, caramelised lemon slices and mint leaves. Pile the beans on to the toasted bread and serve any remaining mixture in a bowl on the side.

* The 30 in 30 recipe works on the premise that you have some basic store staples - such as oil, vinegar, butter, salt and pepper - at your disposal

eshardlow@thenational.ae