Parmesan Zucchini Sticks with Smoky Romesco Sauce

I love my life in the 'burbs north of Dallas. BUT...if I could live any place else on the planet, it would be somewhere in Spain. I love the spirit of the place. And the food. (And the wine.)

I've researched Spanish cooking pretty religiously. I've prepared paella. Made shrimp with garlic. Even a classic tapa like jamon croquettes. But I'd never made a Romesco sauce. That classic blend of roasted red peppers, almonds and the best of Spanish spices. That changed tonight...

I originally tabbed this recipe as another creative way to fix the ubiquitous zucchini. But, I have to admit, the sauce might be the star of this one. And it's really not that complicated. Try it...it will be delicious with seared scallops. Roast chicken. By the spoonful. Whatever.

Parmesan Zucchini Sticks with Smoky Romesco Sauce
From Cooking Light.
Makes 8 servings.

3 medium red bell peppers
2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup (1/2-inch) cubed French bread baguette, crusts removed (I just tore my bread up...and left the crusts on. Such a rebel.)
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked almonds
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (If it's not in your pantry...make it so.)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 large garlic clove


Zucchini:
3 large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup egg substitute (or REAL eggs, beaten)
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

To prepare sauce, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves and tomatoes, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten bell peppers with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop, reserving any liquid. (You can also use the grilling technique previously described about green chiles.)

Combine bell peppers, reserved liquid, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare zucchini, cut 1 zucchini in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into 8 wedges. Repeat procedure with remaining zucchini. Combine breadcrumbs, panko, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dip zucchini in egg substitute; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini on a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat zucchini with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with sauce.

Food/Wine Pairing: Awwww...come on. You have to ask? Crack open that Spanish Crianza. Montecillo. El Vinculo. Marques di Ribera. You get the idea....

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin

Zucchini seems to inspire jokes like this one....

What's the perfect zucchini recipe?

1 bushel zucchini
1 raincoat
1 pair of sunglasses
A moderately fast car

Directions:Go to a busy parking lot. Drive around until you find an unlocked car. Put the zucchini in the back seat and drive away FAST before you are discovered!

Why? Beacuse it seems to be so easy to grow. While folks struggle to have their tomatoes set, their cucumbers avoid bitterness and their onions rot, zucchini takes over the garden.

No worries! If you're lucky enough to have this "problem," prepare a great dish like this one:

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin
Makes 4 servings.
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

2 tablespoons butter
2 medium zucchini (about 7 ounces each), sliced crosswise one inch thick
2 medium yellow squash (about 7 ounces each), sliced crosswise one inch thick
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup panko (or regular breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450°. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add zucchini, yellow squash, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini and squash are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add cream, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in 1/2 cup panko and cup Parmesan.

Spoon mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining panko and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Bake until top is golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Southwestern Beef-Stuffed Zucchini

I remember stuffed peppers well from my childhood. Green bell peppers filled with a mixture of ground beef, rice and tomatoes. I have collected quite a few recipes that I still need to try.

In the meantime, here's a delicious twist with zucchini (easy to find in the farmers markets this summer) standing in for bell peppers. The jalapeños add a nice subtle kick...

Southwestern Beef-Stuffed Zucchini
Serves four.

4 zucchini (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3/4 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup jarred pickled jalapeño chiles, finely chopped
One 8-ounce bag Mexican-style shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°. Arrange the zucchini cut side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water to the dish, cover with foil and bake until the zucchini begins to soften, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and cumin and cook, breaking the meat up, until just browned, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and pickled jalapeños.

Uncover the baking dish, pour off the water and season the zucchini with salt. Fill with the beef mixture and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes

Farfalle with Yogurt and Zucchini

Found this recipe in Food & Wine magazine and their roundup of the year's best cookbooks. It's wonderfully easy and might be a good way to sneak vegetables into your kid's meals...or anyone else who usually turns their noses up at zucchini or other growing green things. Yogurt, a surprise ingredient, makes the final dish both tangy and creamy. It's just on the sinful side of guilt-free and healthy eating...make it even better for you by using whole wheat pasta.

Farfalle with Yogurt and Zucchini
From On Top of Spaghetti
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1 pound farfalle
4 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), coarsely shredded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the farfalle until al dente; about 1 minute before the farfalle is done, add the shredded zucchini to the pot. Drain the farfalle and zucchini, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the butter. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Greek yogurt and the 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and season the yogurt sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add the farfalle, zucchini and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and cook over low heat, tossing, until the sauce coats the pasta; transfer to warmed bowls and serve with the extra cheese.

Zucchini Feta Fritters

They stole my schtick.

Those of you who are regular followers of this blog know that I spent an entire month back in March testing cookbooks (one a day) and offering up a recipe that I had particularly liked.

Well...it turns out that two Canuck chicks had the same idea. But THEY sold it to Oprah and have a TV show. Whatever. (That's all I'll say about them. Google away and find them yourself. I ain't giving them free advertising.)

That said, I watch them. (Yes, even DVR them.) And they turned me on to The New Moosewood Cookbook, a vegetarian cookbook first published in the 1970's and updated in 1990. I'm always looking for yummy veggie recipes to try and eat a little healthier.

This one was intriguing. It didn't turn out exactly as I expected..it was a little "eggier" than I thought it would be. Which was a nice surprise. Definitely worth a try in your kitchen. (And you can experiment with this one...see the notes below.)

Zucchini Feta Fritters
Makes 4 servings.

4 eggs, separated
4 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 4 squash)
1 cup finely crumbled feta cheese (Here's the first variation you could try. A Mexican cheese like Cotija could work. Parmesan. Maybe even blue cheese. Try it and let me know.)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dried mint (OK...I can't stand mint in a dish like this. You can use it or do as I did and try a little oregano. I bet thyme would be good too.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
1/3 cup flour
Oil for frying

Beat the egg whites until stiff.

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg yolks, cheese, scallions, seasonings and flour. Mix well.

Fold the egg whites into the zucchini mixture. Conserve as much volume as you can for a fluffy fritter.

Heat a little oil in a sauté pan. When hot, add spoonfuls of batter and fry on both sides until golden and crisp. Note: be prepared to do later batches in fresh oil...the zucchini sheds a lot of water and transforms the frying method into pseudo-boiling if you don't watch it.

Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt. Or, as this Southern boy did, with Ranch dressing.

Zucchini with Lemon and Thyme

OK...a usual late-afternoon snack for me is a big hunk of cheese. With some flatbread.

And a martini.

So I was quite proud of my healthy self the other Saturday when I whipped this nutritous snack up to combat the before-dinner munchies. It's in the Rolodex now....both as a potential dinner side item and a light lunch.

Zucchini with Lemon and Thyme
From Everyday Food.
Makes 4 servings.

Cut 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium) into large pieces. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-heat. Add half the zucchini and toss to coat in oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and cook until golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Transfer zucchini to a serving bowl. Repeat with 2 more teaspoons oil and remaining zucchini. Stir batches together and add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooking with Books: Cheesy Baked Zucchini

I buy quite a few books on the deep discount table at the bookstore. If it passes my "flip open" test (randomly opening the book to three recipes and if at least two are interesting, bingo), I have no problem spending under ten bucks for a new set of recipes to try.

This particular book, The Vegetarian Cookbook, is one of those slightly annoying books that was printed in England and therefore includes metric measures. No worries, though, this one translates it to our traditional measurement system right alongside.

The Vegetarian Cookbook includes a great variety of recipes. Appetizers and Light Meals. Salads. Side Dishes. And Main Courses.

I'm already eying Lattice Tart filled with spinach and cheeses. Stuffed Mushrooms. Even a classic like French Onion Soup (no beef broth in this one). And as a sweet ending to the meal, Baked Apricots with Honey.

Today's featured recipe is a reminder that a vegetarian recipe isn't always plain sauteed vegetables and dried grains. Think about it...vegetarians have to get their protein somehow. So cheese becomes a vital ingredient. But it's still pretty healthy. An Italian-style veggie dish that is hearty enough to stand in as a main course. Or, for us meat-eaters, as a hearty side alongside roast chicken.

Cheesy Baked Zucchini
Makes 4 servings.

4 zucchini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons fresh basil or oregano, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish

(Note: You'll see in the photo above that I used slices of cherry tomatoes. I think it looks nice. And I used dried oregano without a problem.)

Preheat the oven to 400°. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into 4 strips each. Brush each with oil and put in a baking dish.

Bake the zucchini in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until softened but still holding their shape.

Remove from the oven. Arrange the cheese slices on top and sprinkle with the tomatoes and basil. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve garnished with fresh herb leaves.

Squash, Red Pepper and Corn Gratin with Cheddar Crust

I posted yesterday my solution to some extra cucumbers that were lying around. The orphaned squash situation was worse. So off to my trusty recipe files I went. Eureka! Delicious cheesy squash casserole.

Squash, Red Pepper and Corn Gratin with Cheddar Crust
Makes 8-10 servings.
From Bon Appetit magazine.

Sauce:
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, hot
3/4 cup (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Vegetables:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound medium-size yellow crookneck squash, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 pound medium-size zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 1/4 cups diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Topping:
1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh breadcrumbs made from crusty French bread (do not remove crust)
1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

For sauce:Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk 1 minute. Whisk in hot milk; whisk until mixture boils, thickens, and is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and hot pepper sauce and whisk until cheese melts. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

For vegetables:Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of yellow squash and half of zucchini; sauté until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer squash-zucchini mixture to large bowl. Repeat with 1/2 tablespoon oil and remaining yellow squash and zucchini. (Note: If your household prefers softer squash (as my other half definitely does), you might just steam the squash pieces rather than sautéing them.)

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until onion is golden and pepper is tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in corn and rosemary. Transfer to bowl with squash-zucchini mixture. Mix in cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

For topping:Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, and melted butter in bowl until crumbs are coated with butter. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over gratin. Bake until vegetables are heated through and crumbs are crisp and golden, about 35 minutes.

Summer Frittata with Zucchini and Corn

"Clean Out the Refrigerator" Quiche is a pretty regular Sunday night task around here.  I combine any veggies from the fridge are counter that are almost past their prime with eggs, a few herbs and maybe a handful of cheese.  Sometimes with a crust, sometimes without.  It means that tomatoes, onions, spinach, mushrooms and asparagus go into my breakfasts for the week rather than the compost pile.



With that logic, we might as well call this Farmers Market Frittata.  No leftover vegetables here...instead, stars of the summer harvest at the peak of their flavor.  Use the freshest, preferably local, produce you can find and see if you don't agree.

Summer Frittata with Zucchini and Corn
Makes 4-6 servings.
From Whole Living.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh corn kernels

Kosher salt

8 large eggs

Preheat broiler. In a medium ovenproof (preferably cast-iron) skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion and jalapeño, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and corn and cook until tender, about 7 minutes more. Season with salt.

In a bowl, whisk eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pour into skillet with vegetables. Cook until sides are just beginning to set, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and broil until just set in the middle and lightly golden and puffed on top, 2 to 3 minutes.

Healthy Substitutes: Fool Your Taste Buds.

So you're trying to lose weight and doing pretty well. Suddenly you're hit with a craving for potato chips. One or two would be ok, right. Two bags into it, you realize, "Probably not a good thing." The man in your life may think a diet without steak is ridiculous. And those of you carb-lovers out there cannot live for two weeks without potatoes.

As I've tried to add full flavor to my vegetarian recipes over the last week of the detox plan, I've made a couple of interesting discoveries. Vegetables cooked a certain way that could be stand-ins for their less-healthy cousins. Try some of them and see if you agree.

Grilled Portobella Mushroom
I love a good steak. Especially a ribeye...medium rare. But it's a once-a-month treat...at the most. Too full of saturated fat, and definitely not a part of the detox plan. I've learned though that a Portobella mushroom makes a great substitute. Here's how I do it.

Take a Portobella mushroom and marinate/season just as you would a steak. I drizzle both sides with olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic pepper and seasoning salt. Then I grill until well-browned on both sides, about ten minutes total. Cut into with a steak knife and you might just fool yourself into thinking you're having sirloin.

You can also prepare on the stovetop in a hot grill pan. And I have always said that the best and easiest grilled vegetables are made on a George Foreman indoor electric grill. Might as well grill a whole batch of vegetables while you're at it. Onion, squash, bell pepper...just slice and use the same marinade you do on the mushroom.

Zucchini Oven Chips
One of my favorite comfort foods is fried yellow squash. Slices of crookneck squash dipped in milk and then coated in cornmeal and fried. The crispy coating is the perfect complement to the tender fleshiness of the squash. I can eat platefuls of the stuff. Last summer, I tried this healthier alternative. When I fixed it again this last week, I realized it also could be a good stand-in for potato chips. The thin slices of zucchini end up nice and crisp with just the right amount of saltiness. (Note: The breadcrumbs, milk and Parmesan are all "cheat" ingredients in the first couple of weeks of the detox plan, but if it prevents me from grabbing a bag of Ruffles, I think the end justifies the means!)

From Cooking Light

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

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.

Butter-Braised Radishes
I know you think I'm crazy to say that radishes are a substitute for anything, but I was surprised when I tried this recipe last week. I expected the radishes to be slightly tender with their bite tamed a little, but was pleased to see that they ended up tasting an awful lot like boiled new potatoes. (And, of course, if you're having a total potato craving, try steamed cauliflower mashed with a little butter and garlic. Much healthier than traditional mashed potatoes.)

Adapted from Food and Wine magazine

1 cup vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds radishes with their greens removed, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, bring the vegetable stock and butter to a boil over moderate heat. Add the radishes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are crisp-tender and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a shallow bowl.

What do you think? Did you fool yourself at all?

Summer Vegetable Casserole

I have said that I am REALLY sick of seeing tomato-zucchini tart/gratin/casserole recipes this summer. Seems that food magazines are desperate to help us get rid of summer's bounty. This recipe gets my approval though. It takes things one step further by adding onion and red bell pepper over a potato base. It's delicious.

Summer Vegetable Casserole
Makes 4-6 servings.
From Food & Wine magazine.

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 small zucchini (1/2 pound), sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread the potatoes in the dish in an even layer; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Arrange two-thirds of the bell pepper mixture over the potatoes and drizzle with oil.

Top with the tomatoes and the zucchini; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining bell pepper mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°. Uncover the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and glazed on top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho

Regular readers of this blog know that I love things Spanish. Bracing manzanilla sherry. Tangy shrimp with garlic tapas. Saffron. Smoked paprika. Crusty rich paella studded with chicken and shrimp. Austere, but rich wines from Rioja. And I haven't even mentioned Picasso, Miro, Barcelona or Gaudi.

And gazpacho is one of the most wonderful things that those non-Spanish among us can claim as out own. Bracing in its acidity, but comforting in its richness, it's a great cold soup--even for those of us who don't love soup.

So how excited was I to find this recipe? With the same brightness of traditional gazpacho, but also an additional bonus richness thank to the grilling of the veggies, it's a great soup to take us from summer to autumn.

Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho
From Food & Wine magazine.
Makes ten servings.

4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 large red bell peppers, cored and quartered
2 large yellow bell peppers, cored and quartered
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
1 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch slabs
2 ears of corn, husked
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

Light a grill. Thread the garlic cloves onto a skewer. Lightly brush the garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, onion and corn with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic and let steam for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the garlic cloves from the skewers, peel them and transfer to a large bowl. Using a large serrated knife, cut the charred corn kernels into the bowl. Peel the peppers and add them to the bowl along with the zucchini, onion, cumin, crushed red pepper, tomato juice, orange juice, lemon juice and vinegar.

Working in batches, puree the vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor. Pour the gazpacho into a clean bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Just before serving, stir the cilantro into the gazpacho. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cucumber and serve.

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Chili

I seem to be making a lot of chilies these days. And apparently the only thing that makes a soup a chili is the addition of chili powder. Here's one that utilizes another of my favorites...the good ol' Crock Pot. It's healthy too...a Mexican minestrone, if you will..,


(Note: Although the other half and a neighbor disagreed with me, I think this could use a little more spice. You might experiment with a bit more chili powder. Or add a dash of cayenne or crushed red pepper....)

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Chili
From Southern Living.
Makes 15 servings.

2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
2 celery ribs, diced (1/2 cup)
1 medium-size sweet onion, diced
Vegetable cooking spray
2 (8 ounce) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large zucchini, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow squash, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups tomato juice
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained (You could use Rotel-style tomatoes if you'd like.)
4 (15 ounce) cans pinto, black, great Northern, or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

Sauté first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash; sauté 3 more minutes. Add chili powder and next 2 ingredients, and sauté 5 more minutes.

Stir together tomato sauce and tomato juice in a 6-qt. slow cooker until smooth. Stir in diced tomatoes, next 2 ingredients, and carrot mixture. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.

Note: Cool leftovers, and freeze in plastic freezer containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags for up to 2 months.

Stuffed Eight-Ball Squash

I've been reveling in the bounty that is the farmers market these days. My morning smoothies are much better with fresh peaches or blueberries. I seem to make a pot of green beans and new potatoes every Sunday. And I seem to be having sliced tomatoes (or those wonderfully sweet golden cherry tomatoes) with every meal.

But I was stumped by the round zucchini that I kept seeing alongside the regular zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. They seemed to be too interesting to just steam or drench in cornmeal and fry. So I was thrilled to find this recipe in The Dallas Morning News. It was rich and healthy all at the same time. It's a great vegetarian meal or would be a good side dish for roasted pork or chicken. (My other half said it tasted just like Thanksgiving.)

Stuffed Eight-Ball Squash
Serves four as a side dish.

4 eight-ball squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (can substitute shallot)
1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning (or thyme or oregano)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Fill a big pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cut 4 eight-ball squash in half horizontally. Cut just enough of the stem end off for that half to sit flat. Trim off the end of the other half so it also sits flat. Scoop out the pulp to create a 3/8 -inch-thick shell. Reserve the pulp. Boil the shells in salted water for 2 minutes. Remove and drain.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a baking dish large enough to hold the halved eight-balls.
Finely chop the reserved squash pulp. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped pulp, onion and Italian herb seasoning and sauté until tender. Remove from heat and combine with the bread crumbs , Parmesan cheese, parsley, several grinds of black pepper and salt to taste.

Place stuffed eight-ball halves in the prepared dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Food/Wine Pairing: It might seem strange to propose a wine pairing for a side dish, but this one is a homerun. Open a bottle of rosé--the perfect summer wine--to go with this one. Maybe one of these.

Mexican Everyday: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I have stacks and stacks and stacks of cookbooks. And one of my New Year's resolutions is to try and actually cook from some of them. It's so easy to get distracted by the recipes I find online or in the many magazines I take. So to get 2008 off to a great start, I opened a cookbook that I bought last year and have drooled over often but never cooked from: Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday. Bayless is a chef with several restaurants in Chicago and champions traditional Mexican cooking...something we don't get everyday, even down here in Texas.


The book includes recipes for Mexican basics, including tortillas and refried beans. But the taco and enchilada recipes include ingredients we're not used to--like zucchini, mushrooms and seafood salad. And there are some delicious looking recipes for fish, including Snapper with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo and Jalapeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes.


I've marked several of those pages and will try as many as I can in the next weeks and months. But I started with something simpler. A delicious riff on salsa. This one isn't red and not even that spicy, but wonderfully flavorful with roasted tomatillos, onions and jalapeno. Delicious with tortilla chips, of course, but would also be yummy heated slightly and served over grilled chicken or roast pork. I adapted it slightly (I roasted the vegetables in a baking dish rather than in the cast iron pan Bayless recommends and he doesn't roast the onion but uses it fresh.), but Bayless still deserves the credit for the inspiration and the basics.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Adapted from Everyday Mexican.


4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
1/2 small onion, sliced
About 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro


In a greased baking dish, roast the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno and onion in a 400 degree oven until slightly browned. (It will take about twenty minutes total, and you should turn the vegetables at least once to ensure browning on all sides.)


Scrape into food processor or blender and let cool to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Add the cilantro and up to 1/4 cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salsa dish and season with salt to taste, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.

Roasted Figs with Crispy Prosciutto and Blue Cheese

It's interesting to watch trends in food. I'm not talking about big ones...like the proliferation of tapas/small plates and the exploration that some chefs are doing with more "scientific" preparations. I like seeing what new ingredients and ingredient combinations rear their heads. Last summer I ripped out several recipes for zucchini "carpaccio"--very thinly sliced raw zucchini with a variety of toppings.

More recently, I've started to see recipes with various combinations of roasted figs, prosciutto and cheese--either blue cheese or Parmesan. They got my mouth watering. So, when Andrea Immer Robinson provided a recipe as a pairing with one of her A-List wine shipments I thought I would try it.

It was a wonderful collision of flavors: richly sweet figs, funkily salty blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto--an elegant riff on the bacon we're more used to. The recipe below was delicious, but could be even easier. Grab a jar of fig preserves (heat if you'd like to), spread on some flatbread and sprinkle the blue cheese and prosciutto pieces on top. Come to think of it, it would probably be good with plain ol' non-crispy prosciutto as well. On small crackers of some sort, it would make an elegant canape for your upcoming holiday parties.

Roasted Figs with Crispy Prosciutto and Blue Cheese
from Andrea Immer Robinson
Serves four.

6 firm-ripe figs, quartered
2-3 ounces prosciutto slices
2 ounces blue cheese (I used Maytag), crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
Flatbread or cooked pizza crust

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Oil two baking sheets or spray with nonstick spray. Arrange the figs on one baking sheets and lay the prosciutto slices on the other. Place both pans in the oven and bake until the figs are tender (about 20 minutes depending on the firmness of the figs) and the prosciutto slices are crisp and brittle (about 15 minutes). Watch both pans carefully and remove before over-cooking.

When the prosciutto slices are done, remove then to paper towels to drain and cool.

If serving as a starter or "salad" (or even as a cheese course before dinner), place the roasted figs on serving plates and cool slightly. Or spoon onto flatbread or crackers. Sprinkle with cheese and season with black pepper. Crumble the prosciutto slices on top. And enjoy.

Wine Pairing:
The wine Andrea sent with this one was a South African red--2003 Simonsig Pinotage, Stellenbosch. Figgy and tarry with a touch of pepper, it was a perfect match for this recipe...and the take-out lasagna we had afterwards. At $30, it's worth looking for.

By the way, I want to again encourage you to sign up for Andrea's A-List. The wines and recipes are always wonderful, and you have the chance to explore wines you'd likely never otherwise taste. Plus you get the bonus of Andrea's wonderful, NON-overblown descriptors. For example, she described the Pinotage as having a Band-Aids and Mercurochrome nose. Know what? She's right!

Summer Squash Fritters

A work colleague has the "curse of the zucchini"....wonderfully productive vines that allow her to share the bounty with us weekly. I can't ever pass it up, so I'm always on the look out for new and interesting ways to prepare it.

This one fits the bill. It's is almost a combination of squash casserole and the cornmeal-crusted yellow squash my other half loves so much. See what you think...

(P.S. Don't worry if you think you've made too much of the fritter mixture...put it in a small baking dish topped with breadcrumbs and heat it up a night or two later.)

Summer Squash Fritters

5 cups coarsely chopped or grated yellow or zucchini squash (about three squash)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Cooking spray
Canola oil, for frying

Steam squash and 1/2 cup onions, covered, 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Stir in breadcrumbs, seasonings and eggs. Cover and chill for 3 hours; drain away any excess liquid.

Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Divide squash mixture into small patties. Coat on both sides with cornmeal.

Heat 1/2 inch depth canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 4 fritters in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining patties. Serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto

I am a big fan of risotto. But I've never made it. My regular white rice hasn't turned out wonderfully lately for some reason, so the idea of stranding over a pan and stirring for an hour or more is simply not appealing.

So how excited was I to find this recipe? While I have to admit I was skeptical, I had faith in my fave Food & Wine...so I tried it over Hurricane Ike weekend. It was incredible. I don't know that I will ever fix risotto the traditional way.

Slow Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto
From Food & Wine magazine.
Serves six.

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
3 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups arborio rice (14 ounces)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon kosher salt (Note: I cut this back to 1 teaspoon with wonderful results. The Parmesan adds plenty of salt.)
5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly ground pepper

Turn a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker to high.

In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer.

In a skillet, cook the sausage with the water over moderately high heat, breaking it up with a spoon until the water has evaporated and the sausage is browned, 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the slow cooker.

In the same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent, 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits until the wine is reduced by half, 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until all of the wine has been absorbed.

Scrape the rice into the slow cooker. Add the hot broth, zucchini and salt and cover. Cook for 1 hour, stirring once halfway through. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the slow cooker.

Stir the spinach into the risotto until just wilted. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated cheese, season with pepper and serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table.

Food/Wine Pairing: You can go white OR red here. Maybe a fruity Italian white like Masi Masianco. Or a simple European red from Italy or France. This dish will stand up to almost everything.

Summer Squash Casserole

OK...so summer is over. But even though we can't get fresh yellow crookneck squash at the farmers market (or out of your own garden, you overachiever), that's no reason to stop eating veggies. In this day and time, you can get fresh (even organic) vegetables year-round. So hit the grocery and make this casserole anytime you want. Thumb your nose at Mother Nature. We're having squash...even in January.


With the stuffing mix angle, you could even stir things up and serve this as a part of your Thanksgiving feast!


(Note: Use fat-free, low-sodium soup and fat-free sour cream and this casserole is pretty healthy...except for that pesky stick of butter.)


Summer Squash Casserole
From Southern Living magazine.
Serves 8-12.


1 1/2 pounds yellow squash
1 pound zucchini
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 cup grated carrots
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 (8-oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (8-oz.) package herb-seasoned stuffing
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut squash and zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place in a Dutch oven. Add chopped onion, 2 tsp. salt, and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook 5 minutes; drain well.

Stir together 1 cup grated carrots, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl; fold in squash mixture. Stir together stuffing and 1/2 cup melted butter, and spoon half of stuffing mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon squash mixture over stuffing mixture, and top with remaining stuffing mixture.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown, shielding with aluminum foil after 20 to 25 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cooking with Books: Cafe Pasqual's Pupusas

I continue to try and recreate my recent and wonderful Santa Fe food experience here in North Texas. I have blogged before on my chile roasting/peeling/chopping adventures. And posted two delicious chile sauce recipes...both red AND green. But I knew it would take work to manage making the pupusas (a Salvadoran specialty) which I had at Cafe Pasqual's as a light dinner late one August evening. Luckily, chef Katharine Kagel has two cookbooks out that I used as mentor. This recipe comes from the second cookbook, titled simply Cooking with Cafe Pasqual's. I need a little more practice with the dough...my cakes were a little on the chewy side...but it's still a wonderful dish to try.

(A hint: The veggie filling is delicious in and of itself. With some leftover filling that I had, I stuffed a couple of bell peppers and baked for about 20 minutes with a little grated Monterey Jack cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top.)

Napo's Pupusas
Makes 6 servings.

2 cups dry masa harina
11 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups water
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 large white onion, grated
1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about two ears of corn)
1 cup green chile sauce
2 tomatoes, cored and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Place the masa into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, mixing it with your hands.

When the ingredients are mixed enough to yield small meal, slowly add the water, incorporating into the masa mixture by rocking the heel and palm of your hand. (The dough will be sticky.) When all the water has been incorporated, refrigerate the dough, covering it with plastic wrap.

Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the zucchini, onion, corn, green chile sauce and tomatoes. Sauté the mixture for 5 minutes, then add the salt and pepper to taste. Remove the mixture to a strainer and drain the juices, pressing gently with the back of a wooden spoon to remove excess moisture.

To make the pupusas, cut 6 pieces of parchment paper into 16 inch by 6 inch pieces. Remove the masa from the refrigerator and form 12 balls of equal size. Place a piece of parchment paper on the work surface and use a brush to oil it lightly with olive oil. Place 2 of the balls near either and of the paper, then place plastic wrap over each ball. Find a flat round object measuring 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Press firmly over each masa ball to create a thin flat circle of masa, about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the plastic and place 2 tablespoons each of the vegetable mixture and the cheese in the center of one of the masa disks and spread over the surface. Using the parchment paper, fold the other disk over onto the first. Seal them by gently pressing down all around the edges. Repeat to form 6 pupusas. Keep the pupusas covered until ready to sauté.

On a hot griddle or nonstick saute pan, place 1 tablespoon of oil and brown each pupusa on both side, about 4 minutes per side.

Serve garnished with salsa and escabeche.