Butter Bean and Zucchini Triangles

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Recipe Source

Wow - it's been awhile since I've posted anything other than a meal plan.  I just haven't had the motivation lately, I guess.  Maybe I just needed a blogging break. 

However, my garden has kicked into high gear in this past week.  And the one thing that we always (never fails) have an over-abundance of?  Zucchini!  With only two of us in the house, I'm always struggling to find different ways to use it, or begging my friends and family to take some off our hands!  I know there are so many ways that zucchini can be used.  So, this year, I'm going to try to explore them all. (Okay, maybe not all, but a lot!)

Yesterday I really wanted to find a different recipe for zucchini for dinner.  For some reason the fact that we had a can of butter beans was sticking in my mind, so I put the two together, and found this!  I guess this is basically like a quiche (though, TBH, I've never made or actually had quiche) without the pie crust.

J and I both thought it was very good.  And it was quite filling!  It's also very easy to make.  Just mix everything together, pour into a pie tin and bake!

Ingredients:
2 c grated zucchini (try to squeeze out as much water as you can)
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/4-1/2 c)
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c shredded cheese (I used colby and monterey jack)
1/2 c self-rising flour
3 eggs
2 T olive oil
1/4 t salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a pie pan or 9"x9" baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, onion, beans, cheese and flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil and salt.  Then pour your egg mixture into the zucchini mixture, and stir well.

Pour into your pie pan and cook for about 30 minutes, until top is lightly golden.  Cut into 8 triangles and enjoy!

Rosemary Sage Potato Slices

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Adapted from Elly Says Opa!

I got this idea from Elly's blog. I didn't want to do the salt and vinegar flavor, so I went with rosemary and sage.

These are a cross between potato chips and baked potatos.  They're easy to make, especially if you have a mandoline to slice them, and only take about 20-30 minutes in the oven.  These would probably be great grilled as well (you'd just have to grease the grates really well).

Ingredients:
3 baking potatoes, sliced about 1/4"
Salt & pepper
1-2 T olive oil
Fresh rosemary, chopped
Fresh sage leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with the rack in the upper third of the oven.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Toss potatoes with remaining ingredients then place in a single layer on the baking sheet - potatoes can slightly overlap.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes, turning once, until soft and lightly browned.  Serve hot.

Healthy Coleslaw

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Recipe from FabulousFoods.com

I made this coleslaw over the Fourth of July weekend for a picnic at my Dad's house. It was a really good, light side dish for a meal of grilled ribs (delicious), macaroni salad and baked beans. :)  And it was extremely simple to make.

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 c carrot, shredded
1 shallot, minced
1 T poppyseeds
1 c nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 T honey

Instructions:
Toss together the cabbage, carrot, shallot and poppyseeds.

Whisk the yogurt, vinegar and honey in a small bowl, then pour over cabbage mixture.  Toss until all ingredients are coated in the dressings.  Serve cold or room temperature.

Avocado Salad

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Recipe from Food alla Puttanesca

Delicious, light and simple! :)

Ingredients:
2 avocados, peeled and diced
1 c corn, cooked (canned, fresh or frozen)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c red onion, diced
2 T fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 T fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and toss gently to mix.  Serve immediately.

Cherry Tomato Salad

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Recipe from Annie's Eats

This was a really delicious, fresh tasting recipe.  Perfect for a hot summer day.  I can't wait until I can make this with ingredients fresh from the garden! :)

I halved this recipe for J and I, and it was the perfect amount for us.

Ingredients:
2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 t salt
1/2 t sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t dry oregano
1 medium shallot, minced
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T EVOO
Pepper, to taste
Small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
4 ou feta, crumbled
1-2 T fresh parsley, minced

Directions:
Toss together the tomatoes, sugar and salt. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a salad spinner and spin to to remove seeds and excess liquid, about 1 minute. Return tomatoes to the bowl and set aside. (If you do not own a spinner, like me.  Place tomatoes in a bowl with a tight fitting lid and shake as hard as you can to separate the juice and seeds.)

Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer to extract about 1/2 c of juice.

In a small saucepan, combine the juice, garlic, oregano, shallot and red wine vinegar. Simmer until reduced, about 6-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.

Season to taste with pepper, and whisk in the EVOO.

Add the the juice mixture, cucumber, feta and parsley to the tomatoes and toss gently to combine.

Mexican Couscous

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Recipe from Fish Food

This couscous was delicious!  It had great flavor!

The recipe says to chill this before serving, but I didn't have the time, so I served it at room temperature.  We then ate the leftovers the next day, cold.  I thought it was much better at room temperature.

I looked at three different grocery stores for the chipotle in adobo, and, of course, couldn't find them anywhere.  So I had to skip that ingredient.  I think that would've been a great addition, however.

Ingredients:
2 c water or chicken stock
1 T cumin
2 t garlic powder
1 t chili powder
1 t paprika
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 c couscous (one box)
1/2 c black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c tomatos, seeded and diced
1/3 c red onions, minced
1/4 c cilantro, minced
1/4 c crumbled queso fresco cheese

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the water or chicken stock through the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Pour in couscous, gently stir, cover and remove from heat.  Let sit for five minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork and fold in the remaining ingredients.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Baked French Fries

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I really like homemade french fries - especially baked.  None of that grease you get when you fry, and so much healthier. :)

Ingredients:
Baking Potato(s)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.

Cut your baking potato(s) into strips, trying to keep them as even as possible.  (I used my handy french fry cutter for this - I love gadgets.) :)

Place the fries into a bowl and very lightly coat with olive oil, then season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika.  Toss to coat.

Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake for about 30 minutes in the upper 1/3 of the oven, turning once or twice, until lightly browned and crispy on the outside.

Mushroom Marsala Risotto

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Recipe from What's Cookin, Chicago?

This risotto was so good.  Rich and creamy, and I loved the added marsala flavor.  I used to be so nervous about making risotto.  It seemed like something so easy to mess up.  I do admit my first attempt wasn't great - I think I just need to add in some more broth, as it wasn't fully cooked.  But from that point forward, every time I make it, it turns out delicious.

I'm so glad I decided to give it a shot! :)

I cut this recipe in half, as it was just the two of us eating it.

Ingredients:
1/2 T butter
1/2 chopped onion
5 ou sliced baby bella (crimini) mushrooms
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 c Marsala wine
3 cups heated stock (I used chicken)
1/4 c grated Parmesan
Salt to taste

Directions:
Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and saute the onions until soft.  Add the mushrooms and saute until tender.

Mix in the arborio rice and heat until coated and transluscent, then mix in the marsala.  Stir until the marsala has been fully absorbed.

Add about 1 ladle-full of stock to the rice.  Stir almost constantly and simmer gently.  When the stock has been fully absorbed, add another and repeat the process until stock is gone and rice is tender.

Mix in the Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.  Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for about 2 minutes before serving.

Shrimp Summer Rolls

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Recipe from Emeril Lagasse

I really love summer rolls. I made these a couple of times last summer, and they have yet to disappoint.  Summer rolls are very versatile; you can really use whatever flavors you love to make these.   

These do take a bit of time to make, first with prep and then with assembly, but I think they are definitely worth it!

I served these with Ellie Krieger's Vinegar Dipping Sauce,  which includes soy sauce, chili sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, lime juice, carrot and scallion.  It was really good with these rolls, though it definitely had a kick to it. :)

Emeril has a spice mixture called Essence.  The recipe is at the bottom of this post.  You'll want to prepare this before you do anything else.

 Ingredients:
2 ou mung bean or cellophane noodles
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, halved
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c sugar
4 bay leaves
1 T chopped green onion (white and green parts)
1 t chopped garlic
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t cayenne pepper
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail removed
2 t Essence, recipe follows
8 (8 1/2 inch) rouch rice paper wrappers
1 c baby spinach (original calls for romaine, but I already had spinach)
1 ou alfalfa sprouts
32 fresh mint leaves
32 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded (I cut into matchsticks)

Directions:
Pour 2 cups hot water in a large bowl and add the noodles. Soak until softened but slightly resilient, about 20-30 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, return to bowl and cover until ready to use.

In a medium stockpot, combine 4 cups water, ginger, lemon, soy sauce, sugar, bay leaves, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne and bring to a boil.  Season the shrimp with the Essence and add to the boiling water. Boil 2 minutes, then remove from heat and keep in hot water for another 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from the water and let it cool.

While shrimp cools, prep the rest of the vegetables.  When they are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise.

Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl.  (Instead of using the kitchen towel, I lightly spray a large plate with Pam and use that to prep the rolls.)

Submerge 1 rice paper into the hot water and soak until softened, about 1 minute. Carefully (this will tear fairly easily) remove rice paper from water and place flat on the towel.

In the center of the rice paper, layer on 1/8 of the noodles, a few baby spinach leaves, about 20 sprouts, 4 halves of shrimp, 4 mint leaves, 4 cilantro sprigs, and 1/8 of the carrots.

Pull the bottom up over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll up like and egg roll.  Place seam side down on a plate (I typically place a damp paper towel on the plate, then cover with another damp paper towel to keep the rice paper soft) and repeat with remaining wrappers.

Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.  If you have leftovers, you can wrap them in damp paper towels, then in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  They keep very well for at least a day (they are always eaten in that time frame in our house).

Emeril's Essence Seasoning
Ingredients:
2 1/2 T paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme

Directions:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

Crash Hot Potatos

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Recipe from The Pioneer Woman 

I've seen this recipe popping up a lot lately in my Google Reader, so I decided to give it a try as a side to Neely's Roast Beef. These didn't disappoint.  They were flavorful and had just a bit of crunch on the skin.  I also tried them with some of the gravy from the roast beef - delicious!

I'm not putting exact increments, because it's really all to taste.

Ingredients:
Whole new potatos (or whatever kind you want - I used Red)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
Whatever herb you'd like (PW says to do fresh, but I didn't have any so I did dried rosemary.. still good!)

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to boiling and add the potatos.  Boil until fork tender.  This took about 35-40 minutes for me.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove potatos from water and place them on a baking sheet, with plenty of space between them.

With a potato masher (I don't have one, so I used a meat tenderizer), gently press down on each potato until it mashes slightly.  Rotate potato masher 90 degrees and mash again.

Generously brush or drizzle each potato with olive oil.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and herbs.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Parmesan Roasted Potatos

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Recipe from Elizabeth's Edibles

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest, and this one definitely fits the bill.

I loved how these potatos turned out.  They had great flavor and this nice crispness.  So good!  These are definitely on my make again and make often list. :)

I was able to toss these together in about 5 minutes before I left for my workout, then I just had J throw them in the oven while I was gone so they were done when I got home.

Ingredients:
1 lb red potatos, cut into chunks
3 T olive oil
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c grated Parmesan
8 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl mix all ingredients.  Place the potatos on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Cook for about 40 minutes, until brown and crisp.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

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Recipe from Ellie Krieger

This was a really quick, simple recipe that I threw together to go with the Curry Chicken Salad Wraps. The only change I made is that I added a bit of curry powder to them, to mesh with the wraps. Oh - and I halved the recipe for just the two of us.

J and I both thought these were really good. 

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4" thick
1 T olive oil
1/4 c grated Parm
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 t curry (optional)
1/8 t salt
Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a bowl mix toss the zucchini with the olive oil.  In another bowl mix the remaining ingredients.

Coat the zucchini with the Parmesan mixture and place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake until browned and crisp, about 25-30 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

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Recipe from $5 Dinners 

This is recipe #4 featuring my Ingredient of the Month: Maple Syrup!

I love Maple Syrup!  And I've really enjoyed implementing it into different dinner recipes.  This one was no exception!

This was such an easy side dish to throw together.  And I loved the maple flavor with the butternut squash - as did J.  This recipe is definitely a keeper! :)

Ingredients:
1 2-3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 T EVOO
1/4 c Pure Maple Syrup
Pinch of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss squash with remaining ingredients and place in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Cook for about 30-35 minutes, until fork tender.  Mix once or twice as it cooks.

Butternut Squash Fries

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Recipe from LaaLoosh

I came across this recipe and thought it was another interesting way to use butternut squash - my 4th and final recipe using my Ingredient of the Month!

These were really good!  I just wish I could get them crispier.  It may just come down to keeping them under the broiler for a longer period of time.  I guess they could be dropped in a deep fryer, but I want to keep it healthy! :)

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash
1 T kosher salt
1 T olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.

Peel and seed the squash and then cut it into french fry shapes - try to keep the size consistent as possible.

Drizzle with the olive oil - only enough to just coat, and then sprinkle with the salt.

Place fries in one layer on a baking sheet (coated with a light layer of cooking spray).

Cook for about 40-45 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  If they don't crisp - you may want to try the broiler.  Serve with ketchup - so good!

Grilled Asparagus

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I just wanted one more light side for our anniversary dinner, so I decided on asparagus.

This was extremely simple to make and it was a great accompaniment to the meal.

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, stalks trimmed
Kosher salt
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium (since mine was hotter for the steaks, I just used the top rack).

Toss asparagus with olive oil, just enough to lightly coat.  Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and toss.

Place asparagus on grill for about 5 minutes, until desired tenderness is reached, turning about every minute.

Remove and serve immediately.

Avocado Tomato Stacks

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Recipe from "...but where do you get your protein?"

I came across this recipe and thought it would be a great, light, easy side dish for a quick weeknight meal.  This was really delicious!  I loved the flavors that the cilantro-lime dressing brought to the tomato and avocado.


Ingredients:
1/3 c fat free milk
1 t vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 c chopped cilantro
3 T plain yogurt
1/2 t lime zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t salt
1/8 t ground cumin
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium tomatos, sliced
1/4 c red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado
Dash pepper

Directions:
Prepare the buttermilk by combining the milk and lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for about 10 minuutes.

To make dressing, add the buttermilk and all ingredients through the red pepper in the bowl of a small food processor.  Process about 30 seconds until well blended. Cover and chill.
Note: I actually made the dressing on Sunday for Wednesdays dinner to cut back on the weeknight cooking time.

Layer 1 tomato slice, followed by sliced avocado and then onion.  Repeat 2 more times.  Spoon over the dressing and add a bit of pepper, if desired.

Zucchini Potato Scallion Pancakes

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Recipe from REC(ession)IPES

We have so much zucchini to go through this year.  So when I came across this recipe, I decided this would be a great way to go about it!

This was good - but I feel like it was just a little bland.  Maybe I just needed more salt - or maybe it needed some spice in the form of cayenne or paprika.  Or some thyme or rosemary.  I think any of these would help.

I decided to bake these instead of frying to keep them healthy.  Last time I made zucchini cakes I fried them, and, while good, it was just too much grease for me.


Ingredients:
1 large potato
2 large zucchini (about 2-2.5 cups)
Salt
4-5 scallions, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c whole wheat flour
Pepper
1 c sour cream
1 bunch chives

Directions:
Chop chives and combine with sour cream in a small bowl. Place in fridge until ready to use.

In your food processor, or using your box grater, shred the potato and zucchini. Place in a colander and toss with about 1 t of salt.  Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes.

Take a clean dish towel, and grab a large handful of the zucchini/potato mixture.  Squeeze out all of the excess moisture, then place them into a large bowl.  Repeat with remaining zucchini/potato.  Use a second dish towel if needed.
Note: I prepped up to this point on Sunday, then placed it in the refrigerator to cut down on my weeknight prep time on Monday.

Add the scallions, flour, eggs and pepper to taste to the bowl and stir to combine.  I actually just ended up using my hands to mix it together.  It was easier that way.

Preheat oven to 450.

Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Form the zucchini mixture into flattened cakes.  This made about 6 good sized cakes for me.  Set the cakes on the baking sheet.

Cook for about 5-7 minutes per side until lightly browned.  Serve with a dollop of the sour cream/chive mixture.

Zucchini Cakes

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Recipe from What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen

We always get tons of zucchini from our garden (unfortunately not quite as much this year, but still a good bit). Typically I'll make a batch of zucchini bread, and the rest I end up just grilling as a side dish. It gets a bit old.

I came across this recipe for zucchini cakes while I was looking through blog updates yesterday. I checked out the ingredient list and I actually had everything I needed to make them! So - a side dish was chosen. :)

Really good recipe, but a word of advice. Drain that zucchini!! There is tons of water in there - and I definitely could've gotten more out of it. The cakes tasted delicious - but weren't quite together as I would've liked.

Next time I may try to bake them, just because of the unhealthiness of frying. :

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini (not those extra-large jumbo guys, just your regular large ;p )
1 T minced garlic
1/2 c Italian bread crumbs
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs (add 1, then mix - if needed then add the second)
1/2 t thyme
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper
Oil for frying

Directions:
Shred the zucchini and drain well! Wrap in strong paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze until you can't get any more liquid out.

Place in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients through the salt and pepper and mix well. It should be somewhat batter like and not crumbly. If needed, add the second egg.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop about 3 T of the mixture onto the skillet and flatten. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. Continue with remaining mixture.

Serve with Ranch dressing.

Pork Chops w/ Tomatilla Salsa & Cucumber, Mango, Black Bean Salad

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Well, sadly I am back from vacation. :( We had a great time, as always. The weather was perfect all week - it only rained a couple of times in the evening - and then it didn't matter. :)

I spent most of my time sitting in my chair by the water, reading. I could do that forever.

We went out on my uncle's pontoon boat for a day and did a bit of fishing. And, of course, we ate some great food. My brother made us some delicious grilled mahi-mahi with strawberry salsa; we also had some homemade spaghetti and meatballs, beer soaked chicken, fresh blue crab claws, shrimp cocktail, and some type of bacon-tomato pasta. We went to a place called Indigo Marsh on Thursday for dinner and I had a delicious plate of pasta with sun-dried tomatos, shrimp, crawfish tail and crab meat. YUM!

This is the sound side of the island, which is why the water is so calm. Gorgeous, isn't it? The ocean is a short 10 minute walk across the island (it's very narrow on this south end), or you can walk around the tip of the island, which is a little over a mile.

We take turns making dinner when we're there - each couple takes a night. For J and I, I wanted to find something fairly easy to make for a crowd (10 people), not too expensive, healthy and delicious! I found these recipes from Cooking Light that definitely fit the bill.

Unfortunately we were in such a hurry to get the food on the table and eat, I completely forgot to take a picture. :/ I thought about not blogging these, but they were so good that I didn't want to pass up the chance to pass them on to my readers.

For the main course we made Grilled Pork Chops with Tomatillo, Corn and Avocado Salsa. I'm not going to repeat the recipe - I followed this one exactly as written in the link above.

This salsa was so good - it had the sweetness from the tomatillos, and just a bit of kick from the jalepenos. I was eating the leftovers for a few days after with tortilla chips. :)

I would say, start to finish, this is about a 1/2 hour meal. I served the pork over Basmati rice as the recipe suggested. Oh, and instead of pork chops, we actually bought a sliced pork loin.

This is extremely simple to throw together. The worst part is there is a good bit of chopping. We doubled the recipe, plus the knives at the house we rented were absolute crap. But we managed. :)

As a side to the pork, we made Cucumber, Mango and Black Bean Salad. It kind of looked like a chunky salsa. We ended up tripling this recipe, and I'm glad I did! This is, again, really simple to throw together. It's maybe 10 minutes to make, and you want to let it sit for about 15 for the flavors to blend.

I only made one change. I thought we had some orange juice, but it turned out it was gone. So I substituted a bit of lemon juice instead.

Spinach-Stuffed Tomatos

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Recipe from The Rookie Chef

Well - I didn't love them. Didn't hate them. The taste was good, but I think it was a texture thing for me. I think I'd like it much better if everything wasn't all ground up in a food processor. Also - I think the ratio of stuffing to tomato was too much, mostly because the stuffing was much better eaten with a bite of tomato. Not something that can stand alone.

I love the idea of stuffed tomatos, but next time I'll probably skip the food processor. :)

The only addition I made is that I added some fresh pesto and a bit more olive oil. I ended up getting 3 tomatos out of it.

Ingredients:
3 vine-ripened tomatos
1/2 c Italian bread crumbs
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
1/4 c pesto
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 c baby spinach
2 T olive oil

Directions:
I just used my toaster oven to make these, instead of heating the house even more by using the oven. So preheat it to 400.

Line the toaster oven rack with aluminum foil.

Cut to tops off of all three tomatos, and then remove the inside. I did this by using a knife to cut around the edge, then used a spoon to scoop out the guts.

Set tomatos aside.

Add the remaining ingredients to a food processor and process until finely ground.

Stuff the tomatos to the rims with the stuffing. Place them in the toaster oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from toaster and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.