Veggiepalooza

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

2008 Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

30 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings, serving size 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound total)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (3/4-ounce)
• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula. Serve immediately.

Tomato Salad

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

--

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

5 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

--

Directions

Cut 1 1/2 pounds mixed tomatoes into wedges; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons brown sugar in a small skillet over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes; remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Drizzle over the tomatoes; top with snipped chives and basil. **I like to toss in a few chunks of fresh mozzerella cheese too!** Delicous!

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium red bell peppers
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper
• 1 medium orange bell pepper
• Hot water, as needed

Sauce:

• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)

Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.

Summer Squash Casserole

This rich, creamy side with its crunchy topping would make a wonderful dish to take to summer potlucks and picnics or to pair up with a wide variety of entrees. Our taste testers loved the buttery flavor and dubbed it “comfort veggies”! Jennifer Wallace — Canal Winchester, Ohio

10 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow summer squash, diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 25 crackers)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute the summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms and
• onion in oil until tender; drain.
• In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture, cheese, soup, sour
• cream and salt. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish.
• Combine cracker crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over vegetable mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
• Yield: 10 servings.

Zucchini Garden Chowder

Years ago, when my husband and I put in our first garden, a neighbor suggested zucchini since it's easy to grow. Our kids were reluctant to try new things, so I used our squash in this cheesy chowder—it met with solid approval from all of us! —Nanette Jordan, Flint, Michigan

8-10 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/3 cup butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups water
• 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• Pinch sugar, optional
• Additional minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, saute the zucchini, onion, parsley and basil in
• butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour, salt and
• pepper. Gradually stir in water. Add the bouillon and lemon juice.
• Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Add the tomatoes, milk and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover

© Taste of Home 2011 

2 of 2

Zucchini Garden Chowder (continued)

Directions (continued)

• and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is tender.
• Just before serving, add cheeses; stir until melted. Stir in sugar.
• Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings (about 2-1/2
• quarts).

Pottery Barn Pictures

Family Room - View 1


Entry Way - View 1 (see what I mean about the slanted stairway ceiling), the pack-n-play will be removed

Entry way 2 - Metro console table - too big for this space but does fit under the stairs or put it in living room?

Family Room View 2

Family Room - View 3 complete with guard dogs

Graham Rug I'd like to use but don't need to - need rug that hides stains

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

I've been looking for lots of grilling recipes- this was easy to make and great on top of salad for a healthy meal

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

This is a recipe I found on CooksIllustrated.com. We've made it twice now and it has been fantastic each time! There are some fabulous recipes on the site. I highly recommend it - you can do a free trial for 14 days. As for this recipe, I think the secret is in the salt bath to make it tender, and the goopy flour/egg dip that acts like glue to keep the bread crumbs from falling off.


Supposedly you can freeze the unbaked, breaded pork chops and bake 35 - 40 minutes from frozen. I've not tried that yet. Leave a comment if you do!



INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup salt plus 1/4 tsp
4 center-cut boneless pork chops , 6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small minced shallot (about 2 tablespoons) (I used dry minced onion - 1 tbsp)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (I used 1/4 tsp dry)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (I used 1 tbsp dry)
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 6 tablespoons
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1 . Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag.
Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1 - second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry , about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
*** Alternately, I used 3 1/2 cups of Panko bread crumbs and mixed with the parm, thyme and parsley and skipped the oven step. This tasted great! ***
3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing
gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

Strawberry Country Cake

Have I really not shared this yet? It's our favorite version of shortcake (with exception to Ivanhoe's!)

Strawberry Country Cake (with my adjustments)

* Sometimes I make as muffins and everyone has individual strawberry shortcake – just adjust cooking time as necessary.

 Ingredients

•                12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

•                2 cups sugar (I do rounded cups to give it a touch extra sugar)

•                4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

•                3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature (I sometimes use light sour cream with fine results)

•                1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest (optional)

•                1/2 teaspoon grated fresh orange zest (optional)

•                1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•                2 cups all-purpose flour

•                1/4 cup cornstarch

•                1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

•                1 teaspoon baking soda

•                extra sugar to sprinkle on top after baking (optional)

**I sometimes use canned whipped cream or cool whip instead of the following

For the filling for each cake:

•                1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream, chilled

•                3 tablespoons sugar

•                1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•                1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper and butter and flour the lined pans. Important to flour them well.

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, zests, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine just until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle just a bit of sugar on top (optional). Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature. If using 1 cake, wrap the second well and freeze.

To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until firm. Slice one of the cakes in half with a long, sharp knife. Place the bottom slice of the cake on a serving platter, spread with 1/2 the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with strawberries.

Fresh Basil Pesto

One of my favorite things about my garden is the abundance of basil it has produced.  We have been making tons of pesto, using a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Our Best Bites.  Due to the OUTRAGEOUS cost of pine nuts from the grocery store ($43/lb), we ended up buying some pine nuts in bulk from Amazon ($16/lb) and are storing them in the freezer. 


INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 – 3 C basil leaves, gently packed
3/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 C pinenuts, toasted
1/2-3/4C extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
a few cracks pepper


DIRECTIONS
Place everything but olive oil in a food processor. (For the salt, start with 1/4 t and add the rest at the end. The final amount really depends on the saltiness of your cheese, so give it a taste first.) Give it a few pulses until things are chopped up.

Slowly pour in olive oil while processor is running until you reach the consistency you want. It’s gorgeous and green and perfectly wonderful! Eat it right away or store in the fridge or freezer.

I also highly recommend their Cheesy Garlic-Herb bread recipe.  I made two loaves of my artisan bread - one for eating with fresh pesto right away and the other to store and make the herb bread the following night. YUMMY!

Peach Salsa

We had some fabulous peaches this year. I had the bright idea to use some jalapenos and cilantro from our garden and make peach salsa. This recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod was just the ticket.


INGREDIENTS
4 large peaches diced, pitted and skinned removed
1/2 of 1 red onion, diced (* I used a sweet onion)
1-2 jalapenos, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 large lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, add the peaches, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This is my favorite recipe for chicken enchiladas.  I found it on allrecipes, one of many variations they have listed. It's a no-fail, comfort food that we've enjoyed for years.



Ingredients
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a small bowl mix the soup and sour cream; set aside.
• Melt margarine in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and chili powder, and saute until tender. Stir in the chicken, chile peppers, and 2 tablespoons of the soup mixture. Cook and stir until heated through.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the soup mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam-side-down, in the baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture on top, and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Serves: 8

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Not for the dieter but you can try to use yogurt and/or lite mayo/sour cream to bring the calorie count down:

3/4 c. sour cream (or try with yogurt)

1 1/3 c. mayo

1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

4 ounces blue cheese, crumled

Mix all together, chill then serve.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

We've taken to watching Cook's Country on PBS. I love Netflix, but it is not real big on the cooking shows! This recipe looked SO yummy that we had to try it. I will be hard-pressed to make tacos any other way now. They are THAT good.  Here is what we did:

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves , minced
2 teaspoons minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce *
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire, and ½ cup cilantro and bring to boil. (At this point, the original recipe calls for poaching the chicken  for about 15 minutes, but I have NEVER had any luck with this method. ) Instead, I put the chicken into my crock pot, poured the skillet contents on top and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Pour sauce from crock pot into skillet and heat to medium-high. Cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in mustard. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet. Add remaining cilantro to skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with tortillas.


Serves: 6

* Note: This recipe only calls for a small portion of the can of chipotle peppers. I portioned the rest onto wax paper covered cookie sheet, flash froze and then put them into a plastic bags for future use. This recipe is so good I know that they won't be in there too long!

Mushroom Sage Pasta

For Mother's Day this year, I really wanted some good Italian food. Playing it frugal, Doug made me a five-star meal and we enjoyed a fabulous dinner with wine and artisan bread for a fraction of the cost of a restaurant. Sometimes, if I'm craving a restaurant meal, I'll look up the menu and then try to find a similar recipe online.  This one was found on TastyKitchen. It's not an inexpensive dish, but if you were to calculate out how much Maggiano's would charge, it's a steal!
Ingredients

• 1-½ cup Dried Mushrooms (shiitake Or Porcini)
• 1-¼ cup Warm Water
• ½ pounds Bacon, Fried And Diced (optional)
• 1 whole Large Yellow Onion
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 12 ounces, weight Farfalle Pasta (dry)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Sage Leaves, Chopped, Plus Extra Whole Or Chopped Leaves For Garnish
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 16 ounces, weight Sliced White Mushrooms
• Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Dry White Wine
• 8 ounces, weight Mascarpone
• 5 ounces, weight Gorgonzola
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Water

Preparation Instructions

1. Soak dried mushrooms for 20-30 minutes in the warm water. While they are soaking, dice and fry the bacon, if you’re using it. When it’s crispy, remove it from the pan onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Chop the onion, garlic, and sage.
3. Remove the soaking mushrooms from the liquid and squeeze them out–but save the soaking liquid! Chop the soaked mushrooms up nice and fine.
4. Put the pasta water on to boil, and salt it liberally. When it’s boiling, add your pasta and cook according to package directions.
5. Heat the oil and butter together over medium-high until the butter is melted. Add the onion and diced (previously dried) mushrooms, and cook for about 8 minutes.
6. Add the garlic, fresh mushrooms, and sage. Salt generously, and sprinkle in black pepper as well. It’s important to season well at this stage so that the button mushrooms absorb some flavor and release their liquid. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Then add the wine and the soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Your pasta should be cooking away by now. Check in on it every now and then.
8. Turn the heat on the mushrooms to low, and stir in both the mascarpone and the gorgonzola. Taste and re-season. My sauce is usually a little thin at this point, so mix the cornstarch and water together into a slurry and add this into the pot to thicken it.
9. Drain the pasta when it’s done, and add it directly into the mushroom sauce. If you’re using bacon, this is the time to add it in. Stir until it’s incorporated, and serve! Garnish with whole sage leaves or some more chopped sage.

Serves: 6