Succotash Success!

This recipe comes from the August 2011 edition of PARENTS Magazine.  I named it "Succotash Success" because my 4-year old loved it...she ate it right out of the skillet (like every good Mom, I blew on it to cool it off before she put it in her mouth). :-)  My only complaint is how little it made.  I chose to serve it over pasta to stretch the meal.  I will double the recipe the next time I make it.

Edamame and Sweet Corn Succotash
2 tsp olive oil
3 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 cup corn kernels (2 ears corn)
1 cup shelled frozen edamame (or fresh soybeans, cooked and shelled)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used a green one, because my red ones weren't ripe yet)
2 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
Ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp unsalted butter

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add white part of green onion and cook until fragrant and starting to brown slightly, about 1 minute.  Stir in corn, edamame, bell pepper, oregano, and ground pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes.

Stir together broth and cornstarch; add to corn mixture along with remaining green onions.  Cook and stir until thickened, bubbly, and liquid almost evaporates, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and mix in the butter until melted.

Enjoy!

We served ours over a mix of penne and rotini pasta.  Yum!

Nacho Bake & Fresh Salsa

This Nacho Bake recipe was inspired by a recipe found in the August/September 2011 edition of Taste of Home  magazine.  The original recipe calls for canned ingredients and a jar of pimento-stuffed olives.  I chose to use fresh vegetables from my garden and omit the olives from the recipe.  I also substituted ground chicken for the ground beef in the recipe.  The resulting meal was delicious.  I will definitely be making it again.

Nacho Cheese (Beef) Bake
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb ground chicken)
2 cups Tomatoes, diced
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted
1/2 cup chili peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used pepper jack)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
Optional condiments: shredded lettuce, sour cream and/or salsa (recipe below)

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef (chicken) over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in tomatoes, soup and chilies.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Stir in noodles.

Transfer to a greased 11" x 7" baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.  Top with tortilla chips.  Serve with your choice of condiments.

We enjoyed ours with some homemade salsa:

Fresh Salsa

• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup corn kernels (Cut from a cooked corn cob or frozen)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 spicy pepper, seeded and minced (I have used cowhorn pepper and chili pepper from my garden, but you can use a jalapeno pepper)
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Stir together first 7 ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Veggie Scrambles

Disclaimer: This was originally a Frittata recipe.  However, I am not good at making frittata's on the stove (I prefer baking them), so this ended up being a veggie scramble.  Here is the original recipe:

Calico Pepper Frittata
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 spicy pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
(my addition) 1 medium tomato, seeded & chopped
(my addition) 3 okras, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 Tbsp grated Romano cheese (I substituted monterrey jack)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, saute veggies and garlic in oil until crisp-tender.  In large bowl, whisk eggs & egg substitute.  Pour into the skillet.  Sprinkle with cheese, salt & pepper.

As the eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath (or in my case, just scramble the whole thing as it cooks).  Cook until eggs are completely set, about 8-10 minutes.  Cut into wedges (or serve as you would scrambled eggs).

This is a picture of another veggie scramble I made.  I simply stirred some eggs together with some of our garden vegetables and cooked it like I would scrambled eggs.  I served it with bacon and some leftover Italian bread I had from the Panzanella recipe. 

The frittata recipe is from Birds & Bloom Grow It Cook It (A to Z veggie guide plus 350+ tips for your BEST garden ever!!).  You have probably noticed by now that I love this magazine.  Every recipe I have made from it has been delicious (even when I have to adjust for my lack in cooking skills). 

Panzanella

I was the only one in my family that liked this dish.  If I make it again, I will have to adjust the ingredient measurements to make one serving.

Panzanella (serves 8)

2 cups bread (I used a loaf of Italian bread), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup olive oil
1/2 lb bacon
1 large shallot, chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 lbs tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, peeled and chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over the bread.  Bake 10-15 minutes, until dry.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp.  Your choice: 1. skillet on stove top, 2. baking sheet in oven for 15 minutes, or 3. between napkins on a plate for 5 minutes in the microwave.  I chose the microwave method.

Combine the shallot with the vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Combine the tomatoes, avocados, and cucumber in a large bowl.  Crumble the bacon into the bowl.  Add the bread cubes and toss to combine.  Add remaining olive oil (about 2/3 cup) to the vinegar and shallot mixture and whisk to emulsify.  Pour over the salad, using as much dressing as you like (Save leftovers for a future salad).  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Gently toss all the ingredients to coat.

I served this as a side to baked chicken.

This recipe came from The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time.  This was the third recipe we tried from the cookbook and the third one that we were not overjoyed about eating.  I am planning to try a couple more because I am hopeful that we'll find one we like.  I am completely on board with the "Real Foods" philosophy that the book supports, but have been disappointed by the recipes I have tried.

Fried Okra

This was our first attempt at cooking okra from our garden.  I am not a big okra fan unless it's pickled (I like most everything pickled), but this was a good recipe that we will try again.

Fried Okra

1 1/2 cups sliced okra
3 Tbsp buttermilk
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
Oil for frying (we used canola)

Pat okra dry with paper towels.  Place buttermilk in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Dip okra in buttermilk, then roll in cornmeal mixture.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a pan.  Fry okra, a few pieces at a time (1-3 minutes each side) until golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

We served it with some homemade pepper jelly, but it would be good dipped in sweet & sour sauce, too.

This recipe was taken from Birds & Bloom Grow It Cook It (A to Z veggie guide plus 350+ tips for your BEST garden ever!!)

Zucchini Fritters

We were visiting my husband's mother last weekend and she made these delicious fritters with zucchini from her garden.  I can't wait to try it myself!

Zucchini Fritters

1 lb (or 1 medium) zucchini squash, grated
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp herbs (she used dill & oregano)
1/2 hot pepper, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup cheese
1 egg
canola oil, for frying

Spread the grated zucchini on a dish towel and put salt on top.  Let it sit for about 15 minutes and squeeze all the moisture out of it.  It will fall off the towel when it is dry enough.  Put the grated zucchini in a bowl.  Squeeze the onion and hot pepper in the same way.

Mix the zucchini, onion, hot pepper, herbs, bread crumbs, cheese and egg in the bowl.  Form into small patties and place on a plate.  Refrigerate for an hour.

Heat 1/4" canola oil in frying pan.  Cook fritters until golden on both sides.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. 

Optional:  Top each fritter with a little pepper jelly or sweet & sour sauce

Roasted Ratatouille

This roasted dish is definitely prettier than the other Ratatouille recipe, but we did not like it as much as the stove-top version.  My husband liked the red pepper flakes in this one, though.

Roasted Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant, diced and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, quartered
1/2 lb zucchini, diced into 1/2" cubes
1/2 lb yellow squash, diced into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and set aside in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse, drain, and pat dry.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Saute the onion and garlic about 5 minutes (do not brown).  Add the bell pepper and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. 

4. Add the tomatoes and smash a bit with a spoon.  Stir in the diced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes, if desired.  Transfer the mixture to a baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, until the vegetables are browned just a bit on the edges.  Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is from "The Cleaner Plate Club" cookbook: The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time.  I am encouraged by the concept of the book...cooking whole foods that the whole family can enjoy.  This was my second attempt at making a meal from the cookbook (first was a moderately good cucumber salad recipe), and I am hopeful that we will enjoy more of the recipes.

Egg & Veggie Scramble

This is another great way to use up vegetables and give your breakfast a healthy boost.

For each scramble:

2 eggs
2-3 Tbsp chopped veggies (I like tomatoes, bell peppers, & onions in mine)
1-2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Whisk the eggs, veggies & cheese in a small bowl.  Pour into greased pan and cook on medium heat until eggs are almost set.  Stir until eggs are to desired consistency.  Enjoy with your favorite breakfast sides...we like turkey bacon, cinnamon rolls, and fruit salad (below).

At Season's Peak:
Right now our local grocer has Golden-dew melon and Ranier cherries advertised as being at the peak flavor for the season.  I cut up the melon, halved and pitted the cherries, and combined them in a bowl along with some sliced strawberries and red grapes.  Yum!

Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry

This is one of my go-to recipes when I need to use up vegetables.  It is super simple and very quick to make.  You can use whatever vegetables that you like in your stir-fry.  The stir-fry I made for the picture included green beans, bell peppers, onions, and celery.

Sesame Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry (2-3 servings)

6-9 oz cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb vegetables of your choice, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp low-sodium teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
Dash pepper
2-3 servings of cooked rice

I usually prepare the rice and allow it to cook while I am chopping the vegetables and cooking the stir-fry.

Preheat oil in a 12" saute pan or wok.  Saute the chicken and vegetables for 5 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook 1-2 more minutes.

The recipe can be doubled or tripled (or as much as your saute pan or wok will allow).

Serve over rice.