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.