These courgette bites are great for travelling with or a lighter lunch or snack option for those who prefer something savory.
Each time I made these i was pleasantly surprised at how soft & moist they are, this is due to the grated courgette which when baked releases water which is absorbed by the flour to keep it soft.
Pair these with my plant based cream “cheeze” spread and it’s lovely, the match between onion and sweet tomato puree with the creamy, garlic spread is so tasty and takes these bites to the next level.
As this recipe only makes a few of them you can double it if you want a bigger batch to last you longer through the week.
Recipe (makes 5 bites/buns)
-70g buckwheat flour (or other wholemeal flour)
-120g grated courgette (weigh carefully)
-1 Tbsp tomato puree
-1/3 small red onion, diced
-1/2 Tbsp oil
-1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-1/4 cup (60ml) water
optional: pinch of salt/1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Vegan garlic “cheeze” spread
35g Violife plant based cream cheese (find it in all big supermarkets)
1 Tbsp hot water
1 medium garlic clove, crushed
Few dashes of tamari/soy sauce, adjust to taste
optional: sprinkling of Italian herbs/oregano etc
TIP: Don’t skip the cheeze spread, it really helps amp up the flavour of the buns & make sure to include the paprika, onion and tomato puree in the buns too as these are big flavours which you need in savory bakes, I’ve also tried other spreads with this but none are as good as the Violife one with some salt and garlic added to it.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180c fan
Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl, weigh and grate the courgette then add to the dry mix along with the rest of the ingredients and stir well
Spoon into 5 bun/muffin cases and bake for 25mins
For the spread, simply add the cream cheese to a small food processor with the other ingredients and briefly blend to a smooth texture. You can do this in a bowl but it won’t be as smooth and it’ll be messier as this brand of spread is quite thick.
