Zucchini Oven Chips

Zucchini Oven Chips

Ingredients
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.
Linda Oldenburg, Cooking Light
AUGUST 2005

Zucchini and Potato Pancakes

Zucchini & Potato PancakesMichelle (MMmom) from Joy the Baker Cookbook

4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups peeled and grated potato
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Sour creme or creme fraiche, for serving
Paprika and ground cumin for dusting

Place a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and add onions. Cook onion until it is translucent, then add garlic. Cook for 1 more minute. Place onions and garlic in a small bowl.

Place zucchini and potato along with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a colander over a medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, then press down with a clean towel, squeezing out excess of water.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the cooked onions and garlic, zucchini, and potato, and stir together until well combined.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees F. The oven will keep the pancakes warm as they are being cooked in batches.

In the medium sauté pan used to cook the onions, heat to tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When oil is heated, drop in the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls. Flatten gently with a fork. Cook about 2 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden. Place on a plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Serve with sour cream or créme fraiche and a dusting of paprika and ground cumin. These pancakes are best served immediately, though they can be cooked up and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a lightly greased sauté pan the following day.

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Grilled Brussels Sprouts
Amy (amylz)
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008

1 pound Brussels sprouts, as uniform in size as possible*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*Cook's Note: In order to facilitate even cooking, it is important that the Brussels sprouts be as uniform in size and shape as possible.

Heat a grill to medium. Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowing outer leaves. Place the Brussels sprouts into a large, microwave safe mixing bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add the olive oil, garlic, mustard, paprika and salt and toss to combine. Allow the sprouts to cool until you can handle them. Skewer 4 to 5 Brussels sprouts onto each metal skewer with the stem ends facing in the same direction, leaving at least 1/2-inch in between each sprout. Place the skewers onto the grill with stem end closest to the flame. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the skewers over and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Serve as is or for additional flavor, remove the sprouts from the skewers, return them to the original mixing bowl and toss with any of the remaining oil and garlic mixture before serving.

Obi-Wan Kebabs

OBI-WAN KEBABS
Amy (amylz)
Star Wars Cookbook

2 chicken breasts
4 small red potatoes
3 zucchinis
3 ears of corn
olive oil

Soak 8 wooden skewers in water for 30 min. Pre heat oven to 375 Cut chicken breasts into cubes (about 1 inch) Cut potatoes in halves, the zucchinis and corn into 1 inch rounds Place ingredients onto skewers in the following order: corn, potato, chicken, zucchini. Brush kebabs with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake till veggies are tender and chicken is done. About 20 min.

Pesto Peas

Pesto Peas
Amy- amylz
about.com  Serves 4-5

1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby peas
1/3 cup basil pesto
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare peas as directed on package. When done, drain and combine with pesto, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Charred Corn Tacos with Zucchini-Radish Slaw

Charred Corn Tacos with Zucchini-Radish Slaw

smittenkitchen.com, corn filling adapted from David Schuttenberg

1/2 pound red radishes (from about 2/3 of a bundle with stems and leaves), trimmed
1 small (4 to 5 ounces) zucchini, long and narrow if you can find it
2 limes
Salt
4 ears corn, husks removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional if blistering tacos in skillet
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped epazote (if you can find it), cilantro or parsley (for the cilantro-averse) leaves (optional)
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces or 70 grams) crumbled cotija cheese (or another salty, crumbly cheese such as ricotta salata or feta)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
10 to 12 small (6-inch) soft corn tortillas

Cut radishes and zucchini into tiny matchsticks with a mandoline. If you don’t have a mandoline, you can use a peeler to peel thick ribbons down the long side of the zucchini. Stack the ribbons and cut them crosswise into thin matchsticks. Cut the radishes into a similar shape by hand. Toss radishes and zucchini together. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over the radish and season with salt to taste. Add more lime juice if desired. Set aside.

Remove toddlers from the kitchen. Over a hot grill or an open gas-stove flame char two of the ears of corn until well-blackened but not completely burnt. If you’re using the burner method, you’ll probably, quickly, notice that corn likes to pop and snap, occasionally spraying you with splats of corn. It’s a little scary, which is I why I suggest you remove anyone small and easily harmed before you begin. However, I found the charred corn flavor to be completely worth the scare and hope you do too.

Remove cobs from heat, and when cool enough to handle, shave off kernels using a large knife and reserve. Remove kernels from remaining two ears of corn.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and oil together and once hot, add the onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the raw corn kernels and sauté until corn is just cooked through, about three to five minutes. Turn heat to high, add the charred kernels of corn to the mixture, and toss to combine until heated through. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the corn mixture, and use the juice to scrape up any stuck bits. Season the corn mixture with salt and chili powder. Stir in chopped herbs, if using.

You can heat your tortillas one of two ways. You can wrap the whole stack in foil and place it in a warm (250 degrees) oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. However, I prefer to get a nice blister on them before filling them. Coat the bottom of a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and wipe it out so on the thinnest slick remains. Heat the skillet on high. Once hot, cook a tortilla for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, until lightly blistered. Repeat with remaining tortillas but if your skillet is well-seasoned, no need to repeat the oiling process.

Fill each taco with a few small spoonfuls of the corn mixture. Top with a spoonful of crumbled cheese and a bit of the radish-zucchini slaw. Serve with an extra lime wedge on the side (you’ll have half a lime left to slice up), and whatever fixings you like (sour cream, avocado wedges, etc. See above).

Persian Eggplant Stew

Persian Eggplant Stew (Fesenjan-e Bademjan)

Serves 4

• 2 large eggplant
• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
• several grinds fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons walnut butter
• 2 cups water
• salt
• handful parsley leaves

1. Peel eggplants and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a single layer on an oiled cookie sheet, brush or spray with more oil, lightly shower with salt and roast for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and black pepper and cook for one more minute. Add the molasses, honey, red wine vinegar, and walnuts and water. The walnut butter will be a lump at first, but once it heats up you can whisk it in easily.
3. Simmer for a few minutes and then season with salt as needed. Add the cooled eggplant back to the sauce. Reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook until the eggplant is fully tender and the sauce thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne, or vinegar as needed to achieve a complex mixture of spices, sweet, and sour.
5. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve over couscous.

Smokey Blue Cheese Risotto with Almonds and Pear Sauce

Smokey Blue Cheese Risotto with Almonds and Pear Sauce

(source: unknown)

In a medium sized sauce pan, heat approximately 3 cups ofvegetable broth* with a pinch of saffron to just under a simmer. Keep this nice and warm, not boiling, on a back burner.

In a second pan, prepare your pear sauce. over medium heat add:

• three peeled, sliced and cored pears [or one can of pears in juice, drained, reserving liquid]
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1/3 cup of pear juice or wine or water

Simmer over medium heat while preparing your risotto, approximatley 30 minutes. Mash your fruit to small sized chunks, or blend to make smooth.

In your designated risotto pan [wow, you're going to have three pans going at once! Good job, now you're cooking!], heat on medium:

• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 Tbs butter

Add to risotto pan and saute:

• 3/4 of a small onion, diced
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt

When your onion is translucent [I actually like to take mine to golden around the edges], add to the saute pan:

• 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
• 1 Tbs butter

and bring heat up to med high, stiring your rice almost constantly, for approximately 1-2minutes, not allowing the rice to color.

Now, procede to make your risotto in the traditional style:

• add to your sauted rice a good splash of white wine, stiring constantly. [I used headbutt's Vintners Reserve throughout the cooking of this dish and enjoyed it.]
• add one ladle of your warm, backburnered broth, at a time, stirring almost constantly
• when the broth has been absorbed by the rice mixture, add another ladle of broth
• continue ladling and stiring until the rice is just cooked all the way through, approximately 20-25 minutes
• I like my last liquid addition to be wine rather than broth, so add a splash here at the end

Turn off the heat and stir in to your risotto:

• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1/3 lb of blue cheese, crumbled [I used a variety calledFourme D' Ambert]
• about 3 Tbs grated parmigiano reggiano
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup smoked roasted almonds, bashed a bit into chunks [roasted hazelnuts work very well too]

Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Plate risotto, splash a wave of the pear sauce over the top and sprinkle with any leftover nut bits you may have.

Mixed Greens and Wild Mushroom Casserole

Mixed Greens and Wild Mushroom Casserole

1 cup red lentils

2 cups veggie stock (I used veggie bullion cubes)

1 bay leaf

2 cups grated sharp cheddar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag of frozen, chopped mixed greens (I found this at Whole Foods), thawed and wrung out; or equivalent fresh

1 leek, chopped finely

10-12 oz. chopped mushrooms - button, shiitake, maitake... it's all good

1 ½ cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

1-1 ½ Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 eggs

salt & pepper

1) Preheat oven to 375. Prepare spinach, breadcrumbs, cheese, leeks, garlic, & mushrooms.

2) Put stock, or water and bullion, in a small sauce pot and add lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until liquid absorbs and lentils are soft. Discard bay leaf.

3) While lentils are cooking, sauté leeks, garlic and mushrooms in pan. When leek/garlic/mushroom mixture is done, fish out a handful of nice-looking sliced mushrooms for the top of the casserole.

4) Put sautéed leek/garlic/mushroom into a large mixing bowl, and add lentils, spinach and breadcrumbs. Add mustard. Add cheese last, then salt & pepper to taste.

5) Lightly beat two eggs and stir in lemon juice, then add to mixture in bowl.

6) Spoon into a loaf pan (arrange mushroom slices on top if you want) and bake at 375 degrees for an hour until golden.

7) I usually serve with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad

Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad Recipe

(source: Heidi at 101cookbooks.com)

I like to buy young carrots at the farmers' market - slice them slightly thicker than a banana chip for this salad.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

more olive oil (or ghee) for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
3 cups cooked white beans
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil or a spoonful of ghee (I love ghee with carrots). Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. All told, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans as well heated through. If you are using beans that weren't canned you can allow them to brown a bit as well (just cook a bit longer, and stir less frequently) - they can handle this in a way that most canned beans can't. If you need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan - do so.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with hazelnuts and dill

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts & Dill

(junquegrrl, from Mark Bittman)

1 lb. Brussels sprouts

¼ cup olive oil or 4 Tbs. butter

salt & pepper

½ cup chopped hazelnuts

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Trim the woody stem end off the sprouts and slice thinly or shred – like you would cabbage. Put half the oil or butter in skillet over medium high heat. When oil is hot or butter has melted, add the shredded sprouts and ¼ cup water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, turn heat down to medium and cover. Cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, or until nearly tender.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil or melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add hazelnuts and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but just barely browned, about 5 minutes.

When sprouts are ready (nearly tender, as above), uncover and raise the heat back to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until any remaining water has evaporated and the sprouts are fully tender, another 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, garnish with nuts and their cooking oil/butter and dill, and serve.

[note: Bittman says this basic preparation can also be done with shredded cabbage, snow peas, snap peas, green beans, chicory… and that mint is also good instead of dill. But this the only version I’ve tried, and it is luscious. My husband said the leftovers were also delicious tucked into an omelet the next day.]

Savory Bread Pudding w/Pumpkin, Kale and Leeks

savory bread pudding w/ pumpkin, kale and leeks

from caorganicfoodie.blogspot.com serves 2-4

3 cups day-old bread, cubed

3 cups squash, cubed

4-5 leeks, white parts thinly sliced

1 cup chopped kale

1 cup whole coconut milk

1/3 cup water

2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cold water

sea salt

1. Place squash in a pot and cover liberally with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cooking for 15-10 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2. In a heavy pan, saute leeks in olive oil over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until tender. Turn heat up to high. When pan is hot, add chopped kale. With lid ready, add cold water and immediately put lid on pan, allowing greens to flash steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove lid and allow remaining water to evaporate. Remove pan from heat.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs, coconut milk and water.

4. Add leek and kale mixture and pumpkin. Stir to combine. Season with sea salt.

5. Add bread and stir gently, making sure to soak the bread in the liquid. Once combined, allow to set for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. In an oiled glass or ceramic baking dish, spread pudding mixture evenly. Bake for 35-45 minutes until bread begins to brown slightly.

Black Bean Tacos with Feta And SLaw

Black bean Tacos with Feta & Slaw
OP???

2 cans of black beans, drained
1 tsp. ground cumin
red pepper flakes or cayanne pepper, to taste(optional)
salt & pepper, to taste
2 teaspoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 cups cabbage or coleslaw mix
4 green onions, sliced thin
yellow or corn tortillas
1 container of feta cheese
hot sauce or salsa

Partially mash the beans in the bowl. Add and mix the cumin, salt & pepper and red pepper/cayenne pepper(optional). Heat a skillet with cooking spray on medium heat. Add the beans and cook until beans are warm. Mix cabbage/slaw with lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in bowl. Serve beans in warm tortillas. Top with green onions, slaw, hot sauce/salsa and feta!

Moms' Best Spinach Salad

Mom's Best Spinach Salad
~Melissa~mom-2-four~

1 bag Spinach
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1 can bean sprouts, drained
2-4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
6-8 slices cooked & crumbled bacon

Combine all ingredients in large serving bowl.

Dressing:
1 cup canola (or veg) oil
1/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. worsteshire sauce
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup catsup
1 small onion, diced

Mix all ingredients well in blender or food processor. Allow to sit in fridge for a few hours or overnight for best flavor.

I serve the salad with dressing on the side.

Mom's Cucumbers

Mom's Cucumbers
Amy (amylz)
about.com Servings: 5

3 large cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup chopped onion

Peel the cucumbers and slice wafer thin. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then squeeze cucumbers to release moisture. In a medium size bowl mix sugar, water, vinegar, celery seed, and onion. Add cucumbers to mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Pretzel Jello

Pretzel Jello
mbcraven

2 c. pretzels crushed
3/4 c. melted butter
3 T. sugar

Mix these and spread in a 9x13 dish. Bake ifor 8 min @400. Let cool.

8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
2 c. cool whip
1/2 c. sugar

Mix these and spread over pretzels

6 oz. package strawberry jello
2 10 oz. packages of frozen strawberries
2 c. boiling water

Dissolve jello in water and add strawberries. Pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate!

Sweet Potato with Fiddlehead Fern

JunqueGirl--"I made a really nice meal last night with one of the choicest and rarest of spring vegetables – the fiddlehead fern. The still-curled fronds of the ostrich fern only make an appearance at the farmer’s market for two weeks all year, so we grab ‘em up when they show. Could be made with green beans or asparagus.

I cubed a sweet potato and tossed with some olive oil, salt and pepper and put it in the oven to roast, and rinsed a can of pinto beans and left ‘em in the colander to drain. A big handful of fiddleheads got steamed to kill any unknowns (they’re foraged, so who knows?) and then sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and butter with some diced red onion to get them nice and browned. When they looked close to being done, I added the beans and let them warm up. Then I turned off the heat, tossed in the roasted sweet potato and dressed the whole thing in a honey, lime and chili powder vinaigrette I made. It was really tasty – the luscious green fiddleheads, hearty and nutty beans, the sweetness of the yam and the really bright, tangy vinaigrette… yum."

Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

(junquegirl)

4 red bell peppers

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 shallots or one medium onion

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut red, orange or yellow bell peppers in half, cut or pull out seeds, put cut-side down on foil-line pan and roast until skin is charred and bubbling.

While peppers are roasting, slice shallots or onions and sauté on low to medium heat in olive oil until soft and carmelized. Put into blender or food processor.

After removing peppers from oven and given them a chance to cool down, remove skins. Add pepper flesh to processor bowl.

Add vinegar, paprika and a pinch of salt to onions and peppers and puree. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This rich, sweet and smoky sauce is good over baked potatoes or roasted root vegetables or pasta, mixed with mayonnaise to make a sandwich dressing, whisked into oil and vinegar for as a a salad dressing, added to white bean puree to make a dip or sandwich spread, mixed into store-bought tomato sauce, or served over scrambled eggs. Try changing it up a bit by adding a little hot sauce, lemon juice or fresh herbs.

Beeet and Goat Cheese Gratin

Beet & Goat Cheese Gratin

(junquegirl, from Mark Bittman)

1 Tbs. butter or olive oil

5 cups of sliced, roasted beets (roast in a tinfoil packet in the oven, can be done ahead of time)

salt & pepper

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves (or significantly less dried)

Preheat broiler and put rack about four inches from heat source. Use butter or oil to grease a shallow medium baking pan or gratin dish.

Lay beets in the baking dish , sprinkle with salt & pepper and most of the thyme, cover with cheese and sprinkle on the bread crumbs. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are crisp. Add more pepper to taste and garnish with remaining thyme.

[note: I usually use about half the amount of cheese called for because my huband has some lactose intolerance, and it's still quite good! For company, I'd use the whole amount and I might even make it the filling for a savory tart or galette - that would look spectacular, especially if I used red and golden beets and alternated them in the dish.]

Indian-Style Potatoes and Spinach

Indian-Style Potatoes and Spinach (JunqueGirl)

(source: Vegandad.com, who adapted it from Best Ever Curry Cookbook)

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 tsp mustard seeds

- 1 large onion, halved and sliced

- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

- 1" piece of ginger, minced

- 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

- 1/2 cup water (more if needed)

- 1 tsp chili powder

- salt to taste

- 2 handfuls baby spinach

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and fry until they begin to pop and splutter. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 5-7 mins, until translucent.

2. Add potatoes, water, chili powder, and salt and mix well. Add a little more water, if needed, to make a nice sauce. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 12-15 mins, or until potatoes are cooked. Stir occasionally.

3. When potatoes are cooked, add spinach to the pan. Cover and cook for a few mins until spinach wilts but is still a nice vibrant green.