I love cheese. With thyme leaves. My trade-off for diving into this decadence without the heaviness of carbs as a base is to layer the cheese generously on warm grilled vegetables instead.
For this recipe, I placed an order for courgettes, sweet cherry tomatoes and Nabulsi cheese from Greenheart Organic Farms to create this simple, healthy organic dish. Courgettes are a winner sitting at only 17 calories per 100g, they contain no saturated fats or cholesterol — and their peel is a great source of dietary fibre that helps reduce constipation.
Nabulsi cheese is a Palestinian cheese (made from goats and cows milk at Greenheart’s farm, free from antibiotics and pesticides) and is very versatile when cooked and grilled, giving it the perfect melt-in-the-middle and grilled to crispy-golden-perfection on top. It is also used in traditional Arabic desserts during Ramadan such as kunafeh.
This is one of my favourite no-fuss healthy recipes — I hope you enjoy recreating it at home!
INGREDIENTS
3 medium courgettes
6 sweet cherry tomatoes, diced
Fresh thyme leaves (zaatar — use as much or as little as you like; I used a full teaspoon)
3 chunks of Nabulsi cheese
1 teaspoon vinegar
Non-stick spray
Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Celsius, 482 degrees Fahrenheit
Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
Cut courgettes in half and scoop the seeds in the centre out, then season generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix together tomatoes, thyme, vinegar then scoop the tomato mixture into the hollowed courgettes. Bake for 20 minutes, until the courgettes are tender.
Remove from the oven.
Cut the soft Nabulsi cheese into small chunks and cover the top of each courgette with it. Place back in the oven until the cheese starts to crisp and turn golden in colour. Remove from oven and serve with a nice big bowl of salad — an efficient yet extremely satisfying and healthy meal.
