Zucchini Hash

I sadly gaze out my window at what was once a thriving garden filled with the Summer's finest producing  zucchini plants this backyard has ever seen.  After a rambunctious wind storm this past weekend that hammered our yard, downed tree branches and stripped them of their ever changing Fall colors, I can, at least, reminisce about a staple side dish of zucchini hash!  I will surely miss my sweet fresh zucchini..

I think of the word hash and remember my mom combining potatoes, cubes of meat, onions and whatever else she could think of and calling it dinner.  Somehow it worked quite nicely and is the inspiration for this meatless dish.

Zucchini Hash

2 cups chopped zucchini (bite size pieces)

5-6 small Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried or fresh rosemary

1-2 Tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter

1/3 cup broth

Optional herbs:  lemon balm, parsley, Thai basil (all fresh and chopped)

In a pan of water parboil the potatoes first leaving the skins on.  Cool slightly and cut into bite size pieces.

In a large frying pan add the oil and butter, melt on medium heat.  Add the zucchini, potatoes, onion,  and garlic powder.  Cook until zucchini starts to soften, stirring as you go.  Add the rosemary and other herbs and broth.  Keep stirring occasionally until done.

Pesto Edamame Tortellini Salad

Looking for a Summer salad that's a little bit of Asian Italian fusion?  This hits the target!  A few weeks ago hubby and I went salad tasting at the local store.  We were actually trying to find a cold salad that could supplement a wedding brunch menu for the already planned wedding that's happening in , count them........33 days!  I'm not sure, yet, whether I'll be making from scratch or ordering it, but I wanted to make some crucial changes.  The original had peas in it.

You see, this girl does not eat her peas...they don't go down very well, never have.  As a matter of fact, my sister and I used to feed the peas to our dog, Laddie, under the table.   Laddie loved peas or anything else we'd sneak to her.  At the time, we thought we were "home free"....no peas for us.  We thought we were sooo smart!    My parents were VERY aware of what was being done under the table.  Our punishment......eat more peas and couldn't leave the table until they were gone.  Those peas packed a powerful punch (and memory).

Needless to say, I substituted edamame for peas.  Wise choice on my part.  I'll definitely prepare this salad again with a few more additions, but this was the first "draft".

Edamame Pesto Tortellini

1/2 cup precooked and shelled edamame beans, cooled

1 package of 4 cheese store bought tortellini, (you've seen that green packaging)

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp mayo or plain yogurt

1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp prepared pesto

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

1 Tbsp olive oil + some at the end

Cook the pasta according to directions and drain.  Put all the remaining ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix well and salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until well chilled.  Then serve.  Delicious!!

NOTE: For more crunch you can wait to add the walnuts until right before serving.

Pinto Bean Hummus

During the last couple of weeks I've made a commitment to eat other sources of protein instead of meat.  That means...beans, beans and more beans!  Fortunately I have an arsenal of recipes that I've drawn from over the years and a few I've made up along the way.

I made a large batch of pinto beans one day, ate some plain, sprinkled  a few on salads, yet found myself  still yearning for more spice and zing.  After a bit of experimentation I slathered this pinto bean hummus onto a toasted bagel thin, topped it with a layer of spinach arugula combo and melted reduced fat mozzarella.  I know it sounds a bit strange, but don't knock it unless you've tried it.

Pinto beans are a complete source of protein and loaded with fiber.  Their origin dates back to the ancient Andes people.  The way I look at this is that if the beans have been around that long, my body knows how to digest them, right?  Re-fried pinto beans defeat the purpose and don't qualify as "healthy".

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pinto beans, precooked or canned

1 tsp sriracha hot sauce

2 Tbsp non-fat plain yogurt

1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

dash of garlic powder

2 Tbsp chopped onions

salt, if needed

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor pulsing until well blended.  Use on sandwiches or as a dip for chips or veggies.

Farmer's Market Pasta of the Month

For most of the gardener's out there, you probably have some of these ingredients at your fingertips.  My first crop of beets didn't do very well, so I planted more.  We'll see how they do.  As for my arugula, wow, quite the crop!   With the recent heat, it's on its way out (going to seed), but I was able to scrounge enough for this pasta.  The rest came from the local (actually from Oroville, California) farmer's market.  You can use spinach or chard instead of arugula, however, the peppery flavor of the arugula  was a nice addition. 

I've found that some of my best pastas are the "rustic" ones.  Don't be afraid to try different combinations of veggies.  And if you're a gardener, now is the time to start experimenting!

Ingredients:

2 cups bow tie pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups chopped fresh arugula

2 cups beet tops, chopped and stems or ribs removed if not extremely fresh

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

2 ladles of reserved pasta water

1 Tbsp butter (optional)

Start to bring some pasta water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt after it starts to boil.  Cook pasta according to directions.  Meanwhile, add oil, arugula and beet tops to a large skillet.  Saute until they start to wilt.  Add the garlic, tomatoes and salt and pepper and cook for a little while longer (5 minutes).  

Drain the pasta reserving some liquid.  Put the bow ties into the skillet and stir.  If it's on the dry side, add some of the pasta water, butter and/or a drizzle of olive oil, stirring to mix.  Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan, if you wish, and serve.  Mangia!  So good!   

Eggplant Parmesan on the Grill!

What's on the grill, now?  I  think most people are intimidated by eggplant or they don't know what to do with it, but it's one of my favorite vegetables.  Growing up, my family never prepared it...not sure why.  Maybe, because at family gatherings one of the Italian inlaws would bring over the best eggplant parmesan casserole which was pretty hard to compete with.  Years would go by without another eggplant "exposure".

Then, I married an Italian and eggplant seemed to be part of the package.  Lucky me!  I learned several different ways to prepare the purple football shaped veggie.  And, a few I made up myself along the way.  Just recently, though, a lot of grilling has been going on over here.  Why not grill an eggplant?  And make it appear like a casserole?  We did, and it turned out wonderful.

1 eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil measuring aprrox 18 " in length

sprinkle of salt and pepper

1 cup diced Muir Glen organic tomatoes with basil & garlic (my choice)

drizzle of olive oil

about 4 oz. sliced mozzarella

First, spray the bottom of one piece of foil with pan spray.  Begin to layer the eggplant, making about 4 rows or so.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the tomatoes (scatter) and drizzle olive oil on top.  Seal all the ends by rolling and crimping.  Place on the grill for about 30 minutes.  Carefully open the edges and layer the cheese on top of the eggplant.  Loosely close (no need to crimp edges).  The heat and steam will melt the cheese.  Remove and serve immediately.   This was a meal in itself....very good!

 

Artichoke Baked Rotini - April Pasta of the Month

Because I'm ALWAYS trying to eat right and better, I opted to make a pasta dish with whole wheat pasta.  I've tried several brands over the years and most brands  never "turned me on".  So, either my tastes are changing or the food companies are improving their alternative pastas.    Instead of it tasting healthy (dry and unappealing) this pasta had a nice nutty flavor to it.  Of course, it helps when you add cheese!  Everything tastes better with cheese!

My artichoke baked rotini is also meatless, so I'm already headed on the right track to better health, right?  You can prepare it ahead of time and bake at a later date....for company.  But, it doesn't take long to throw it together for your family during the week!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pasta (dry)

boiling pasta water

salt and pepper

1/2 chopped or sliced onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 handful of basil, chopped

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

1 12 oz bag of artichoke hearts (frozen Trader Joes are excellent)

1/3 cup bread crumbs, seasoned

4 oz mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Boil water for pasta and cook rotini until al dente.  Drain, reserving some pasta water for later, and set aside in the large pan.

In a large skillet, saute onion in a little olive oil and then add the garlic, red peppers, basil, artichokes  and cook together for about 5-6 minutes.  Add the skillet contents to the pasta along with breadcrumbs, mascarpone and most of the Parmesan.   Mix well,  salt and pepper to taste.  You may need to add some of the pasta water to get a creamier consistency.   Pour into a 9x13 baking pan.  Sprinkle with more Parmesan.   Cook uncovered in the oven for about 20 minutes.  You can add more mascarpone for a creamy pasta, but it was nice the way it was.  Enjoy!

Do a Meatless Monday and Giveaway Winner

First things, first.  The winner of the giveaway is a wonderful gal from South Carolina, Ann Minard.   She has her own Italian food based blog, La Buona Cucina.   She is true to her heritage, cooking classic and authentic Italian food.  Check it out!  Thanks to those who participated.  Ann came up with the title,  Poco Questo, Poco Che which means "a little this, a little that" which seems appropriate for the way alot of my meals come together.

Today, I'm doing a "picture post" of some of the meatless meals I've had from time to time.  I usually try to reduce the meat we eat, and with prices climbing higher and higher, meatless will be a good thing!  So, sit back and enjoy or be inspired, hopefully to "delete the meat".

Meatless chili

Spring bean penne pasta

Pasta fagioli

Healthy frittata

Veggie couscous

Roasted eggplant chip and dip

Sundried tomato farfalle

Lentils and vegetable