Balsamic Vinegar Zucchini

 This is my favorite way to eat zucchini.  I've been eating 2-3 zucchini a week lately, all from our one plant.  This even works when you miss one of those zucchini and it turns into a baseball bat.

• 1 medium zucchini
• 2 Tbsp. onion/garlic infused olive oil 
• Alternatively used 1-2 cloves chopped garlic and sauté in olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

None of the measurements are particularly important and all can be adjusted for taste.

Chop the zucchini into 2-3 mm thick slices, saute in olive oil until they are starting to brown.  Add vinegar and allow it to boil off until it has been absorbed or thickened into a syrup ( depending on how much you have added).  Salt and pepper to taste.

This is great on its own, really good cold as a topping on a sandwich, and fantastic as a toping on a pizza.

Vegetarian Thai Coconut Curry

This is not the prettiest picture, but it was yummy food! I saw a recipe for a sweet potato lentil curry that looked OK, but I thought I could make it better. Here's my version.

2 sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt

curry powder

chili powder

1 C dry lentils

2 C water or broth (I used chicken broth)

1 yellow or red onion

2 cloves garlic

1-2 inch knob of ginger

2 bell peppers

1 can coconut milk

1 1/2 TBSP Thai red curry paste

fresh basil or cilantro

2 1/2 C uncooked rice

1. Preheat the oven to 400.* Get your rice cooking.

2. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes and spread on two half-sheet pans. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, curry powder, and chili powder (about half as much as the amount of curry powder). Toss till they're fully coated and spread them out evenly on the pan.

3. Bake for 20 min, turn them over, and bake for 10 more min. 

4. While the potatoes are roasting, pour the lentils in a small pot. Cover with the two cups of liquid and bring to a boil. Then turn it to low and let it simmer. 

5. Meanwhile, dice the onion and saute in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat till soft, about five minutes. While it's cooking, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and cut your bell peppers into 1/2" squares.

6. Toss the garlic and ginger in with the onions and stir for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and cook for 2 more minutes or until slightly softened.

7. Pour the lentils and any remaining liquid into the onion/pepper mixture and stir to combine.

8. Open the can of coconut milk and add it to the sauce pan. Stir in red curry paste. Let it simmer until the sweet potatoes are done cooking.

9. Once the sweet potatoes are out of the oven, check the lentils for tenderness. They may need up to 5 more minutes to soften to your desired texture. Mince your fresh herbs.

10. Once the lentils are done cooking, add the sweet potatoes and herbs to the pan and heat through for 1-2 more min. 

11. Serve over rice, with a side of garlic naan to entice any skeptical children to the table.

 

No-Knead Focaccia Bread

 

1 (¼-oz.) envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.)

2 tsp. honey

5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour

5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt

6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands

Flaky sea salt

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan

2-4 garlic cloves

Step 1

Whisk yeast, honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes. Add flour and salt; mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.

Step 2

Pour 4 Tbsp. oil into the biggest bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Step 3

Generously butter a 13x9" baking pan (for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches) or an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1 Tbsp. oil into center of pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball. (Using a fork in each hand makes this process even easier and less messy!)

Step 4

Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over the dough and coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours. To see if it’s ready, poke the dough with your finger. The dough should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it up to 1 hour.)

Step 5

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°F. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you may not need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, as if you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating very deep depressions in the dough. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

Step 6

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and grate in garlic (use 2 cloves if you’re garlic-shy or up to 4 if you love it). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until garlic is just lightly toasted, about 45 seconds. Brush garlic butter all over focaccia. If you don’t want to serve the focaccia immediately, hold off on brushing so it remains crisp.

From: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia

Flour Tortillas

 

This is the recipe taught to me by my friend Marcela Gonzalez.

2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 T shortening (or lard or butter or bacon grease or some combination of those)

1 C (plus extra if needed) hot- but not scalding- water

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. 

Add the fat and pinch it into the flour with your hands until it's evenly combined and sandy-textured.

Add nearly the full cup of hot water and knead it into the flour until you have a soft, but not sticky ball. If you add too much water, you can add a little flour. 

Let the dough rest, covered with a lightly damp dish cloth, for a half hour. 

Divide the dough into 6,8, or 10 balls, depending on how big you want your tortillas. Let the dough rest for at least another half hour, and up to a couple hours. 

Roll out the a ball from the center to the edges, and then stretch the dough very thin from the center outwards with your fingers. I sometimes lay it over my fist and gently tug as I spin it in a circle.

Ideally, heat a cast-iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat until it's nice and hot. Otherwise, you can use an electric skillet at about 350-375, or a heavy frying pan.

Place the rolled tortilla on the hot pan until it looks drier and begins to puff. Turn it over and cook through, until there's light brown spots, using a spatula to pat down the tortilla. Careful of the steam!

A Week of Salad

 

My brother in law made the salad in the picture for Thanksgiving a couple years ago. It was delicious and I made it once myself. It just takes too long. So I've streamlined it into something I can cook for once and then eat for lunch all week long. Here's the result:

1 bag of greens- spinach or spring mix

1 butternut squash or a couple sweet potatoes

1/2 cup dry quinoa cooked in chicken broth 

Cheese- goat, feta, parmesan

Nuts or seeds- cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, pistachios

Dressing for 1:
2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp vinegar- rice, red wine, apple cider, or balsamic

1/4-1/2 tsp mustard

1/4-1/2 tsp honey

• Peel your squash or sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a generous amount of dried sage. Roast at 400* for 30-40 min tossing once.
  
  
•  Cook  1/2 C of dry quinoa in chicken broth, or in water with some chicken bouillon according to the package directions. You could also used wild or brown rice, or even buy those microwavable grain pouches.

Every day when you want to eat your salad

1) Mix together the dressing ingredients in a little bowl with a fork

2) Toss the dressing with a big handful of greens

3) Scoop out 1/5 of the quinoa and 1/5 of the squash/sweet potatoes and heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put them on top of the greens

4) Add some cheese and nuts/seeds

5) Lightly salt and pepper the salad

Repeat for the rest of the week.

Taco Soup

Brown

1 lb ground beef or turkey or plant-based "ground beef"

with 1 diced onion

add 1 packet taco seasoning. 

Drain and add:

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can carrots

1 can corn

Add

1 can beef broth (14 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

Simmer for 10-15 min. OR put in crockpot on low until warmed through, up to 6 hours.

Top with sour cream, cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, etc.

One Pot Cheesy Mexican Lentils, Black Beans, and Rice

Rachel found this recipe at https://reciperunner.com/one-pot-cheesy-mexican-lentils-black-beans-and-rice/ It's delicious. I could eat the whole pot by myself, it goes down so smooth, but it's enough food to feed a family of eight if six of them are kids or teenagers.

ONE POT CHEESY MEXICAN LENTILS, BLACK BEANS AND RICE
yield: 5 SERVINGS
prep time: 20 MINUTES
cook time: 50 MINUTES
total time: 1 HOUR (if you overlap some of the prep time with the cook time)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, grated or minced
1/2 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
1/2 cup uncooked French green lentils, rinsed (red or brown lentils may also be used)
2-3 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (optional)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
15 ounces black beans (canned), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fire roasted tomatoes, drained
4 ounces diced green chiles (canned)
1 small zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 cup red enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar and part skim mozzarella
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large pot or saucepan over medium high heat.
2. When the pot is heated spray with cooking oil and add in the onion and garlic.
3. Sauté for a couple minutes then add in the brown rice and lentils.
4. Add in the vegetable stock, stir and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.
6. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender.
7. If there is any excess liquid drain it.
8. Season the rice and lentils with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and chipotle powder.
9. Add in all of the remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup of the cheese and stir together.
10. Heat the mixture until the cheese is melted.
11. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with a lid.
12. Heat on low until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbly.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: YIELD: 5 SERVING SIZE: 1
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 498 TOTAL FAT: 14g SATURATED FAT: 8g TRANS FAT: 0g UNSATURATED FAT: 5g CHOLESTEROL: 39mg SODIUM: 1274mg CARBOHYDRATES: 65g FIBER: 18g SUGAR: 11g PROTEIN: 30g

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

mine looked kind of like this, but with corn tortillas

2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into half-inch cubes

2 zucchinis diced into half-inch cubes

1 green or red bell pepper diced into half inch pieces

2-4 cloves garlic, whole

1 onion diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red enchilada sauce

corn tortillas

Jack or Pepper Jack or Jack/Cheddar shredded

cilantro, avocado, and sour cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400*

2. Toss sweet potatoes and garlic cloves with enough olive oil to make them glisten. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 15-20 min until soft enough to poke with a fork, but not mashable. Dice garlic finely,

3. Toss zucchini, peppers, and onions with enough olive oil to make them glisten. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 min until soft enough to poke with a fork.

4. Turn oven down to 350*

5. Mix all the vegetables, beans, 1/4-ish C of red sauce, and a couple handfuls of cheese together.

6. Fill tortillas with scant 1/4 C of mix and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll them up and lay them seam side down in a pan.

7. When your pan is full, pour some enchilada sauce over the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake for 25-35 min until everything is bubbly. Immediately top with chopped cilantro. Serve with avocados and sour cream. 

Makes about 2 9x13 in pans of enchiladas. I think total there were 26 enchiladas. My kids ate 1-2 and we ate 2-3. 

I made one pan and froze the rest of the mix and kept the second half of the enchilada sauce in my fridge. The next week I thawed the veggie mix, added some left over rice that had no other destiny than the trash can, and filled some more tortillas. I've made similar enchiladas with a cup of frozen corn I tossed on with the roasting veggies. You could also roast a jalapeno or anaheim if you want more heat. You could add some spinach.

Creamed Polenta with White Beans and Spinach

Recipe and Image from http://www.makeandtakes.com/creamed-polenta-with-white-beans-and-spinach

Creamed Polenta with White Beans and Spinach

adapted from delightful delicacies
makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For polenta:
4 cups water, plus more if necessary (can use 2 cups milk for part of the water)
1 cup instant polenta* (just use corn meal)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. butter, or olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
2-4 Tbsp.  heavy cream

For white beans:
2 cups cooked (or canned) white beans, drained
1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp. chopped black olives (about 8 large)
1 Tbsp. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp. each: dried rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (kale, chard, or collards)
Water

Heather's note: THIS NEEDS BACON! Crumble some on top and you'll be happy you did.

Instructions:

For polenta:
Bring the water (and any milk, if using) to a simmer in a 3 quart saucepan or pot. Add the salt and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened and starts coming away from the side. (If you like a thinner, soupier polenta, add more water or extra milk.)

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the butter, nutritional yeast or cheese, coconut or heavy cream, and taste. Add more salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm until ready to serve.

For beans:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fennel seeds, and dried herbs. Continue cooking for a few minutes until onions are completely cooked and the flavors have melded. Add the beans and bring to a simmer. If the skillet is too dry, add a little water. Right before serving, remove the skillet from the heat and add the spinach. (You don’t want to overcook the spinach, just wilt it. If you’re using another heartier green, then cook for a few minutes until the greens are tender.)

To serve:
Spoon some of the polenta into a shallow bowl. Top with the beans and spinach. Serve hot.

Rice and mushroom casserole

Image and recipe from http://www.everyday-reading.com/2011/11/vegetarian-recipe-9-rice-and-mushroom.html

Rice and Mushroom Casserole

(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Serves 6

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

1 TB olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms (brown or white) cleaned and roughly chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 bunch spinach or chard, roughly chopped (if using chard, separate the stems from the leaves and chop the stems like onions)

2 eggs

1 cup crumbled queso fresco (you could use another semi-soft cheese like feta or even fresh mozzarella or goat cheese)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt (if you're using feta, you may want to skip the salt entirely)

1/2 tsp pepper  

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Put both rices in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook about 45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a baking dish (somewhere in the 9x9 range is a good size. I use an oval pan that's about 6 x 12).

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and stir every few minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are slightly brown. Add onions (and chard stems if using them) and cook for another 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 more minute and remove pan from heat.Add spinach or chard leaves and cook 2-4 minutes until wilted. 

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, queso fresco, sour cream, salt (if you're using it) and pepper.

Add the cooked rice and the mushroom/onion mix and stir until well combined. Spread half of this mixture into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese over the rice mixture and then pour the rest of the rice mixture on top of that. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and finish it off with the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes more.

Serve hot. 

Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

I found this on pinterest, but it (along with the picture) comes from Cookin' Canuck. This was a nice new flavor. Don't skip the olives. You could make this vegetarian by using veggie broth and subbing white beans for the chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Quinoa with Black Beans and Corn

photo from whatsonmymenu.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups broth*
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*I like the flavor of chicken broth, but if you want to make this meal vegetarian, use vegetable broth or water.

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.
4. Use this the way you would use any taco filling: in taco shells, tortillas, or on salad topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

Shahi

Another from Manjula.

Shahi Paneer is a very festive main dish that is creamy and rich in flavor. It is usually a special occasion dish. Shahi paneer can be served with any Indian bread, such as naan or with rice.

Recipe will serve 4.*

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb paneer (approx. 1-1/2 cups cubed)**
• 12 cashew nuts
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 green chili chopped
• 1/4 inch of ginger
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing) [I couldn't find this and left it out]
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, adjust to taste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (hara Dhania)

Method

1. Slice paneer into 3/4 inch cubes. Keep aside.
2. Grind cashews into powder-like consistency. Keep aside.
3. Puree tomatoes, green chili and ginger. Keep aside.
4. Add oil in a pan, over medium heat. Shallow fry paneer cubes till they turn slightly brown. Remove from pan and place over paper towels to absorb excess oil.
5. Increase heat to medium-high and test the oil by adding one cumin seed. If it cracks immediately, the oil is ready.
6. Add cumin seeds to the oil and as they crack, add asafetida and bay leaves. Stir for a few seconds.
7. Add tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, and paprika. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. It will reduce to half its volume and start separating from the oil.
8. Add sugar, cashew powder and yogurt. Cook for another minute then add 1 cup of water*** and salt and bring to boil.
9. Add paneer and cover the pan. Simmer for a few minutes over medium-low heat, till gravy is slightly thick in consistency.
10. Remove from heat, add garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix gently, cover the pan and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
11. Shahi paneer tastes best if it is served hot.

*It fed me, Sam, and Anna, not quite 4 adults.
** We used chicken instead of paneer.
***I'd suggest substituting chicken or veggie broth for the water. We liked the final dish, but it tasted watered down.