One-Pan Harvest Pasta

Now that all the vegetables are coming in, I was excited to find this recipe in Midwest Living magazine. It makes use of a lot of what is ripe in our garden...eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, basil... It's one of those dishes where you cook everything in one, including the pasta.

Prep 20 mins. cook time14 mins.

Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
2 tomatoes or 4 roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1to1&1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped red onion (I would use 2/3 to 3/4 cups)
2 cloves of garlic, minced ( I would use 3)
1 19-oz. can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained
1& 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked whole wheat pasta (regular pasta is fine)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (I used about 1/2 Tbs. diced jalapeno pepper because we have some in our garden)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used plenty)

Directions 

1. In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion and garlic (and jalapeno if you're not using red pepper). Cook, uncovered 7 to 10 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally.

 

2. Add beans, broth, pasta and crushed red pepper (if not using jalapeno). Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and  simmer 7 to 10 minutes more or until vegetables and pasta are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, serve topped with basil and Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional facts per serving:

357 cal, 10 g fat, 4 mg chol, 52 g carbo, 14 g fiber 16 g pro.

Summer Squash Soup With Lemon and Basil

When the hordes of summer squash start coming in, I love to use some to make this soup and freeze it to use in the winter months. If you freeze your soup, wait to add the whipping cream until you heat it up after pulling it out of the freezer. This is a recipe I have adapted from Curtis Aikens, and it's delicious! You can go healthy with it or add whipping cream as I like to do.

Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil (I sometimes use garlic olive oil)
1 1/2 pounds crookneck, zucchini, or pattypan squash, roughly chopped (I prefer yellow squash)
1 large onion, chopped (I sometimes also add a shallot)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon)
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil (firmly packed)
1 1/2 Tbs. butter, softened      I like my soup thicker, especially when adding cream. I use 3 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 Tbs. flour                        and 4 to 5 Tbs. flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1 whole lemon 
I add a half to a whole cup of whipping cream
I also like to add some fresh corn when I have it on hand, (Adding steamed asparagus pieces is awesome!) I also like to sprinkle fresh Parmesan on top.

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot, add squash and onion. Saute on medium heat for 5 mins. or until onions are translucent and squash is tender, then add garlic and cook an additional minute. 

 Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 25 mins. Add basil in the last 5 mins. Mix butter and flour into a paste. Remove 1 cup of simmering broth and whisk in butter mixture until smooth.  Add back to soup and heat and stir until thickened. Remove soup from heat to a blender and puree till smooth. I use a hand blender because it's so much easier.

 Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Add whipping cream, and cooked fresh corn if you have some on hand. Steamed pieces of asparagus added is my favorite to date! I'm going to add some chicken breast next time.Top with Parmesan cheese.

Asian Style Quinoa and Veggies

I've seen many recipes that used quinoa, but none with an Asian flare. I decided to come up with a recipe that can be eaten as a main dish, and adapted to be either vegetarian or vegan.


Ingredients
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 
1/2 cup quinoa
3 Tbs. oil
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 small onion cut into eighth
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 (6 to 7 inch) zucchinis julienned
1 (8 oz.) package sliced mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas)
1 cup baby carrots sliced
1 cup edamame
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 eggs
Soy sauce (light)

Start by making your quinoa. Put the 2 cups of broth in a pot and add the quinoa. Let the quinoa sit in the broth for 15 min. before cooking. Turn on high and bring the broth to a boil, lower heat to simmer, and allow to cook uncovered for about 25 min. on low.

quinoa should look like this when cooked

It's a good idea to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready when stir frying. Cut up your veggies as directed above, and remove the edamame from it's pods.

I buy my edamame (frozen) from Sam's Club. They sell a large bag with smaller individual pouches inside that are ready to microwave in 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sea salt that comes along with the pouches. I love this as a snack!

Heat your wok on medium high for about 1 or 2 min. and then add your oil. Put your carrots in first and stir fry for about 2 min., then add your onion and garlic, and stir fry for another 2 min.

 Next add your zucchini and mushrooms, and fry for an additional 2 min. Toss in the edamame,

 2 eggs, and continue to cook until egg is cooked through.

 









Add soy sauce to taste. Add your sliced almonds and stir for a minute. Add the cooked quinoa and stir for a minute until it is all heated through.

To make this a strictly vegan meal, you can just eliminate the eggs, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Between the quinoa, edamame, and almonds, this dish is packed with protein, and there is no need to add the eggs.

Tomato Basil Soup

We are blessed with a wonderful crop of tomatoes...which spurs me on to make and preserve some of my favorite tomato recipes.

Though I love salsa, I don't like to can things, and refrigerator salsa only lasts so long... I decided to make a favorite tomato soup recipe and freeze it to use when the temps in Wisconsin are below freezing instead of our current balmy August temps. I can think of few lunches I love more in the winter than a toasted cheese sandwich with a warm bowl of cream of tomato soup! 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced (garlic lover that I am, I used 4)
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced (I am often too lazy to seed all of the tomatoes. Though seeding the tomatoes reduces the acidity, it's up to you as to whether you think it's worth the work.)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves (firmly packed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream (optional)
Fresh grated Parmesan for garnish

Depending on the batch I sometimes add some tomato paste and a little honey, to taste. I also at times add more fresh basil to taste.

Directions

 To peel and seed the tomatoes, fill a large pot or saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil.

Using a sharp knife, score an X in the bottom of your tomatoes and immerse the tomatoes in the boiling water, in batches and leave for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, let cool slightly, then peel away the skins. Cut the tomato in quarters and squeeze out the seeds.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil, add onion and saute, stirring frequently until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and stock, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat

and using a handheld blender, blend until the desired consistency. Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently. Add the chopped basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is the point where you either freeze for use in the winter and add the cream after thawing and heating, or continue to the next step.

Add the cream to soup and gently heat to desired temp., pour into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread or any version of cheesy bread you prefer.

Zucchini & Avocado Salad w/ Lemon-Thyme Dressing

No you're not seeing double...

Because my husband appears to have a  zucchini fetish, I find it impossible to use or even give away the amount he grows. I challenge myself to find new recipes each year.

I was so excited to come across this recipe that I adapted from Inspired Eating! It makes use of two of the herbs I grow, and I had all the ingredients in my home.(How often does that happen?) It was delicious!

I'm sure I'll be posting many more zucchini recipes this summer!

...this is the amount my husband plants each year.

Ingredients:

1 pound zucchini (about 4 small zucchinis)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tbs. minced thyme or lemon-thyme leaves

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1 ripe avocado

Romano or Parmesan cheese (I used Parmesan)

black olives

grape tomatoes

sea salt to taste

fresh pepper to taste

(I find it best to mix the dressing ahead so it can meld 

together.)

1. Whisk oil, lemon juice and thyme together in a small bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. (Let sit for a bit while you prepare the rest of the salad) 

 2. Trim and discard stems from zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, and holding zucchini as if you were going to peel it, slice thin ribbons from the zucchini into a large bowl, including skin and white flesh. When you get to the center seed portion of, stop peeling. (I also peeled down the one end of the zucchini that has the fleshy part.) Discard center and seeds.

3.Stack basil leaves and thinly slice crosswise into very thin strips. Add to bowl with zucchini. Pour dressing over the zucchini and basil and put in the frig.

4. Heat a small skillet over low heat, and toast pine nuts for about 2 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant and just starting to turn golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

5. Right before serving cut up avocado, grape tomatoes, and black olives and add to the zucchini along with the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately

Served with whole grain bread covered in pesto

Asian Wonton Salad

I'm not sure why, but in the summer I LOVE Asian salads, I find them so refreshing! I'm serving this salad at a Reception/Reunion up in Sparta, WI. I've served it to groups from our church and they have loved it!

Sweet Sesame Dressing

2/3 cup rice vinegar

1 cup canola oil (I used grape seed oil)

2 Tbs. sesame oil (store in frig after opened)

4 gloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tbs. sesame seeds (store in freezer after opened)

Place all ingredients into a quart jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. If desired, make ahead of time and store in the fridge. (dressing recipe from ourbestbites.com) Sesame seeds and sesame oil go rancid quite quickly, be sure to refrigerate the oil, and put the seeds in the freezer for future use.

For the salad:

1 large head of Napa Cabbage cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
1 large bag of Romaine lettuce
5 or 6 green onions cut up
slivered almonds
 Wonton strips (store bought, or you can bake a healthy version-recipe below)
(you can also add a little chopped cilantro to the salad like Panera does in their Asian Sesame Chicken salad)

I like to toss just the cabbage and lettuce with the dressing first (you won't use all of the dressing) to coat the lettuce, and then add the other ingredients so they stick. You can make a meal out of the salad by adding slices of chicken breast.

Wonton Strips

Stack wonton wrappers on a cutting board and cut them into 1/2 inch-wide strips. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Separate the strips, lay them on the baking sheet, and mist them lightly with the cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Scrunch each strip to give it a wavy shape, if you like. Bake at 375 until golden, 7 to 9 minutes.

Guacamole/Pica de Gallo/Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

Appetizers for the grad. party. There is just nothing like some good guacamole! Combined with pica de gallo, it's a match made in heaven!

guacamole

Ingredients                               

2 ripe avocados

1 clove of garlic minced

Juice from 1/2 of lemon

About 1/3 to 1/2 cup salsa

About 1/4 cup chopped onion

A dab of sour cream

Salt to taste

Peel and mash avocados and add the rest of the ingredients. To store before serving place plastic wrap on bowl so that it is actually touching the dip to keep the air from turning the dip brown.

Ingredients

Pica de Gallo

5 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped                                      

2 cloves of minced garlic

Juice from 1/2 lemon or lime

Chopped cilantro to taste (about 1/4 cup)

About 1/2 cup chopped onion

Sprinkle on a little "Fiesta Party Dip Mix" by Tastefully Simple

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together, chill and serve

Also served a quinoa "salad" that I got tons of compliments on, but used it as a chip dip.  Recipe revised from  thediva-dish.com

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 C. dry quinoa

2 C. vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half

2 avocados diced

5 oz. pkg. of baby spinach

1 bunch cilantro

1/4 C. onion

2 small cloves garlic

For the dressing:

Juice of 2 lemons

zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. to 1 1/2 tbsp. agave nectar

1/2 tsp. cumin

dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Make your quinoa first. Soak the quinoa in a pot in the veggie broth for about 15 minutes. After that, turn on the heat to medium high and let the quinoa come to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium/low and let quinoa simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa for about 20-25 minutes just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and make the rest of the salad.

 2. In a food processor, add your spinach and cilantro. Make sure to wash you greens.

 3. Process the greens until they are finely diced. You can do this by hand as well if you don’t have a food processor.

4. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next take your onion and garlic and finely dice those (I do this in the food processor to), and add to the greens mixture. Next add your chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. If the quinoa is cooled, you can add it to the chickpea mixture next.

5. Make your dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.

The honored graduate, congratulations Chantelle!!!