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

Vegetables like corn, green beans and zucchini are summer staples, so let's make them shine in this corn pasta salad, green bean crispy rice and miso, carrot and zucchini burgers with halloumi.

If you're looking to cut down on washing up and time spent in the kitchen, this month's Budget Bites column, in collaboration with Sorted Food, is for you.

These light summer vegetable recipes maximize flavor and minimize mess and food waste—plus, they make the most of your basic ingredients and keep your fresh grocery list to a minimum.

We've also provided a handy shopping list of the ingredients (although we hope most are already available), used in all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, either locally or online.

Shopping list

Creamy Corn Pasta

open image in gallery

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

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn

5 spring onions

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

0.5 teaspoon chili flakes

20 g unsalted butter

200 g of dry pasta spaghetti

30 g hard Italian cheese

Method:

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

2. Place 2 ears of corn on a flat chopping board and cut off the kernels as close to the cob as possible. Place the ears in a large saucepan over high heat and cover with the boiling water from the kettle – this will be used to cook the pasta.

3. Thinly slice 5 spring onions, separating the white part from the green. Thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic.

4. Add 200g of pasta and a pinch of salt to the pan with the corn cobs and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is soft but still slightly crunchy. Continue with the rest of the dish while you wait.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white parts of the scallions (reserve the green parts for later). Add the sliced ​​garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.

6. Pour 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 to 5 minutes, until the corn kernels are tender.

7. Transfer 0.75 of the corn mixture to a measuring cup. Using a hand blender, blend the corn until smooth.

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

9. Once the pasta is done, use tongs to transfer it directly from the cooking water to the pan with the sweet corn (it's okay if some pasta water spills over). Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding a little more pasta water if needed to loosen it, until the pasta is coated in a silky smooth sauce.

10. Divide the pasta into bowls, sprinkle with the chives and finely grate the remaining 15g of hard Italian cheese. Enjoy!

Crispy rice salad with green beans and red curry

open image in gallery

Green beans add a crunch to this crispy rice salad when you cook them quickly in a little boiling water.

Ingredients:

200g fine green beans

5 spring onions

1 small red onion

250 g of white microwave rice

0.5 tbsp vegetarian Thai red curry paste

2 tablespoons of common flour

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

0.5 teaspoon chili flakes

2 limes

2 tablespoons of powdered sugar

50 g roasted peanuts

Method:

1. Fill a kettle with water and bring to the boil. Trim the tips and ends of 200g green beans and cut into 2cm pieces. Thinly slice 5 spring onions, reserving a handful of the leaves for garnish. Peel and thinly slice 1 small red onion.

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

3. Add the cooled green beans and red onion to a large serving bowl along with the sliced ​​scallions and toss to combine.

4. Separate the 250g cooked rice from the packet and pour it into a large bowl. Add 0.5 tbsp of Thai red curry paste and a pinch of salt. Add 2 tbsp of plain flour and mix everything together to coat the rice grains with the mixture.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the rice in a thin layer and press down. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until a golden crust forms. Carefully flip it over and repeat the process on the other side. Add a little more oil if necessary; don't worry if the rice breaks into pieces. Once the rice is golden, remove it from the heat and let it cool.

6. Add 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes to a small bowl, squeeze in the juice of 2 limes and add 2 tablespoons of icing sugar. Whisk well.

7. Pour the cooled crispy rice into the bowl of green beans. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well.

8. Chop 50g roasted peanuts. Scatter the reserved spring onion leaves and peanuts over the salad and serve.

Miso, carrot and zucchini burgers with halloumi

open image in gallery

Miso and halloumi are a perfect match for the palate, and this salad and burger combination is a summer treat. The salad is also great as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon miso paste

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of cider vinegar

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 small zucchini

1 small carrot

225 g halloumi

2 brioche burger buns

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon miso paste, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon chili flakes and whisk well to combine.

2. Remove the ends and stems from a small zucchini. Using a peeler, peel thin strips from the zucchini and place them in a large bowl with the dressing. Peel a carrot and remove the ends and discard them. Then, using the peeler again, peel the strips and place them in a large bowl. Mix well.

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

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

5. Once the halloumi is golden brown on all sides, transfer the slices to a plate.

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

7. Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on the bottom half of each toast, followed by the halloumi and top with a generous amount of courgette and carrot salad.

8. Place the halloumi burgers on plates with the remaining courgette and carrot salad. Enjoy!