Budget Bites: Three recipes to make the most of summer’s best vegetables

Vegetables like corn, green beans, and courgette are such highlights of summer produce, so let’s make them shine in this corn pasta, crispy green bean rice salad and miso carrot and courgette halloumi burgers.

If you are looking to reduce washing up and time spent in the kitchen, this month’s Budget Bites column, in collaboration with Sorted Food, is for you.

Maximising on taste and minimising on both mess and food waste, these light summer veg recipes also make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal.

We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (thoguh hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online.

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It’s CORN! When we tried it with butter, everything changed... summer is corn season and we love that delicious, sweet flavour in this pasta dish.

Ingredients:

2 corn on the cobs

5 spring onions

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

0.5 tsp chilli flakes

20g unsalted butter

200g dried pasta spaghetti

30g hard Italian cheese

Method:

1. Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil - this will be for the pasta later.

2. Put 2 corn on the cobs on a flat chopping board and slice off the kernels as close to the cob as you can get. Pop the cobs into a large saucepan over a high heat and cover them with the boiling water from the kettle -this will be to cook the pasta.

3. Finely slice 5 spring onions, separating the whites from the greens. Finely slice 2 cloves of garlic.

4. Tip 200g of pasta and a pinch of salt into the pan with the corn cobs and boil for 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is soft but still with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.

5. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the spring onion whites - keep the greens for later. Add the sliced garlic, 0.5 tsp of chilli flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until soft.

6. Pour in ¼ cup of boiled water from the kettle, then add 0.75 of the corn kernels along with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the corn kernels are soft.

7. Transfer 0.75 of the corn mixture to a measuring jug. Using a hand blender, blitz the corn until it’s nice and smooth.

8. Put the large frying pan back over a medium heat and add 20g of butter, then pour in the blended corn mixture and stir to combine. Finely grate in 15g of hard Italian cheese. Stir to incorporate. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

9. Once the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it straight from its cooking water and into the frying pan with the sweetcorn - it doesn’t matter if a little pasta water carries over. Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding a bit more pasta water if needed to loosen it, until it coats the pasta in a smooth and silky sauce.

10. Divide the pasta between bowls, sprinkle over the spring onion greens and finely grate over the remaining 15g of hard Italian cheese. Tuck in and enjoy!

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Green beans add a nice crunch to this crispy rice salad when you cook them quickly in some boiled water.

Ingredients:

200g fine green beans

5 spring onions

1 small red onion

250g microwave white rice

0.5 tbsp vegetarian Thai red curry paste

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp vegetable oil

0.5 tsp chilli flakes

2 limes

2 tbsp caster sugar

50g roasted peanuts

Method:

1. Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil. Top and tail 200g of fine green beans and cut into 2cm lengths. Finely slice 5 spring onions, saving a handful of the greens for garnish. Peel and finely slice 1 small red onion.

2. Add the green beans and red onion to a large bowl and pour boiled water from the kettle to cover them. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then drain into a colander.

3. Add the cooled green beans and red onion to a large serving bowl along with the sliced spring onions and give them a toss to combine.

4. Break apart 250g of cooked rice in the packet and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add 0.5 tbsp of Thai red curry paste and a pinch of salt. Add 2 tbsp of plain flour and give it all a mix to coat the grains of rice in the mixture.

5. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add the rice in a thin layer and press down. Leave to cook for around 5-7 minutes, or until a golden crust forms. Gently turn over and repeat on the other side. Add some more oil if needed - don’t worry if the rice breaks into pieces. Once the rice is golden brown, take it off the heat and let it cool down.

6. Add 1 tsp of chilli flakes to a small bowl, squeeze in the juice of 2 limes, and add 2 tbsp of caster sugar. Give it a good whisk.

7. Break the cooled crispy rice into the green beans bowl. Pour over the dressing and give it a good toss.

8. Roughly chop 50g of roasted peanuts. Scatter the reserved spring onion greens and the peanuts on top of the salad and serve!

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Miso and halloumi are a match made in savoury heaven, and this burger salad combo sings summer to us! The salad is great as a side dish too.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp miso paste

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp cider vinegar

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 small courgette

1 small carrot

225g halloumi

2 brioche burger buns

2 tbsp mayonnaise

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp of miso paste, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of cider vinegar, 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 tsp of chilli flakes and give it a good whisk to combine.

2. Top and tail 1 small courgette. Using a peeler, peel thin strips of the courgette into the large mixing bowl with the dressing. Peel 1 carrot and remove and discard the ends, then using the peeler again, peel strips into the large bowl. Toss to coat.

3. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to a large frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat. Cut 1 225g block of halloumi into 6 slices while you wait.

4. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, lay in the halloumi slices and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden on one side, before flipping and repeating on the next.

5. Once the halloumi is golden all over, transfer the slices to a plate.

6. Toast 2 halved brioche buns, cut-side down in the residual oil for 1-2 minutes over high heat, until golden.

7. Spread 1 tbsp of mayonnaise onto the bottom half of each toasted bun, followed by the halloumi, then top with a generous pile of the courgette and carrot salad.

8. Load the halloumi burgers onto plates with any extra courgette and carrot salad on the side. Enjoy!