• PIERO'S· STUFFED COURGETTES

With the green courgettes surmounted by gold, cheese-topped stuffing, this looks irresistible; it is also healthy and low in calories since it contains several high-protein ingredients but very little carbohydrate. As it takes only \0 minutes to bake and can be prepared a day ahead, it is especially suitable for eveningswhen you wanta really good meal but expectto arrive home late.

Although it is a stuffed dish, it hardly counts as such in terms of time and fuss as the filling is so firm that it can simply be heaped over the hollowed-out courgette shells. If you do not hollow out the shells very tidily, it will not show; it is preferable to avoid breaking the skins, but even this scarcely matters: just serve carefully. As whole skins are desirable, however, choose vegetables without blemishes. It is also con-