Sweet Corn with Zucchini and Basil

Once again I found myself with a few ears of corn and no idea what to make. Thankfully Nichole had just posted this recope for Fried Sweet Corn with Basil Butter. I also had half a huge zucchini to use up, so I decided to add it to the corn to bump up the veggies.

Sweet Corn with Zucchini and Basil
Slightly modified from The Cookaholic Wife

1/2 large zucchini (or 1 small zucchini), shredded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
Salt and pepper

Place shredded zucchini in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Transfer zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the moisture.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the corn, zucchini, garlic and basil and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the corn is lightly browned and making popping noises.

Transfer to a dish, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Vegetarian Part 2

Nicole isn't usually a fan of eggplant, but this Spicy Eggplant hit the spot after a long day:


I was skeptical of the blue cheese in tomato sauce but my Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce ended up being delicious:


Heather enjoyed how the flavors blended together in her Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Gratin:


Dawn's Summer Vegetable Pie was the essence of summer in a pie:


Elisha isn't normally a fan of quinoa but she ended up really liking her Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, and Spinach:


Christine loves spinach and artichoke dip but felt her Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabellas was missing a little something, though nothing a little tweaking can't fix:


Nichole loved her Sauceless Garden Lasagna despite the fact that her husband won't eat zucchini or tomatoes:


Lindsay was excited when she saw Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream in her Inbox. They turned out to be delicious:


Kate was worried that making Homemade Manicotti would be too difficult but it was surprisingly easy and tasty:


Stefanie really enjoyed her Chili Lime Tofu despite being nervous about cooking tofu:


Ali made Jaida's Black Bean and Avocado Quesadillas. She doesn't have a blog so here is her review: I enjoyed this quesadilla. I cooked it on my panini press rather than in the pan. I find that it just cooks faster and crispier. Overall a great recipe that I'll make again but I will add something else for texture. I didn't add anything this time as I didn't want to change the recipe but perhaps some grilled chicken or crisp peppers. It needed some texture on the inside as the combination of avocado, black beans and cheese is pretty uniform. Delicious none the less and a fun first swap!


Mary Ellen was happy to find a healthier recipe for Lightened-up Eggplant Parm


Jenni also made Eggplant Parmesan, although this version isn't breaded:


Jenna used her Black Bean and Corn Dip to make tacos with sweet potatoes:


Jaida's Warm Chickpea Salad was a great light lunch:


Jey loves burgers and her Black Bean and Corn Burgers were a hit:


Nicole had to turn her enchiladas into a Veggie Enchilada Bake, but the flavors were still great:


Kristina wasn't able to use round pasta for her aptly named dish, Round Pasta, but she still enjoyed it:


Ashley enjoyed her Black Bean Salsa as a light summery salsa:

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Since Memorial Day weekend was also Baby Girl's baptism, we decided to keep things very, very low-key on Monday so we could rest and relax after a weekend of go, go, go. I knew I wanted to make my all-time favorite potato salad but I was also in the mood for something new. Jaida made this recipe for Tomato & Cucumber Salad for the recent BBQ swap so I decided to give it a shot.


I cut the recipe in half because SP isn't really a fan of cucumbers and because I had a feeling it wouldn't keep well. I should have scaled it back even further because I was the only one who ate it and there was just too much of it. I really liked the flavor and acidity from the vinegar so I'd make it again to bring to a cookout with more people.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Sweet Beginnings

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
1/6 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 container of plum or cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, onion, and oil to cucumbers and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

You all know how much I love pasta and cream sauces. But those two things don't always fit into my plan to eat healthier and lose weight. Thankfully Jessica's recipe for Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce combines healthy vegetables with a cream sauce made with milk instead of heavy cream. And it's delicious to boot.


I roasted the chicken and garlic in the morning and the house smelled fantastic. I couldn't wait for dinner. If you're able to prep all the vegetables in advance, as well as roast the chicken and garlic, this takes next to no time to cook. I made the sauce while the pasta cooked and then tossed it all together when SP got home. Baby Girl did eat one piece of chicken but the kid is such a carbaholic that the pasta was her main focus.

Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
Very Slightly Modified from Sunny Side Up in San Diego

1 head of garlic - roasted with salt, pepper, and olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small-medium zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 button mushrooms, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for topping
1-2 chicken breasts (depending on how much chicken per serving you want), roasted and sliced
12 oz. penne pasta
Fresh chopped basil for garnishing

Preheat oven to 375. Cut the top off of a head of garlic to expose the tops of cloves. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Loosely wrap the aluminum foil around the garlic, pinching the seams to seal. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the cloves are tender and start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves and mash with a fork.

While the garlic is roasting, drizzle the chicken breast with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and add to the oven with the garlic. Roast for about 30 minutes until cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest, covered with aluminum foil, until you're ready to serve, then cut into slices.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook penne until al dente then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the milk and corn starch in a glass measuring cup, set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, or until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the roasted garlic to the skillet and mix into the vegetables.

Create a well in the skillet by pushing the vegetables to the edges, slowly stream in the milk/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Work the vegetables into the sauce with the whisk then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, then cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken and coat the back of the spoon. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved cooking liquid a tablespoon at time until you get the desired consistency.

Top each portion with the sliced chicken, extra Parmesan, and fresh chopped basil.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Cream

One of the perks of blogging is receiving freebies. Recently I was contacted by Ocean Mist Farms out in CA with an offer of free Brussels sprouts. Even though SP and I are not exactly fans of the little sprouts, I couldn't pass up a chance to try some fresh from the farm. Imagine my shock and delight when a huge box arrived at my house one afternoon and inside was all this:


This amounted to approximately 5 pounds of Brussels sprouts. Yikes! Thank goodness I was able to Google freezing techniques and process most of these for future use. I wouldn't want all this to go to waste. See below for freezing directions.


I used about 1 1/2 pounds of sprouts to make a dish I've had printed out since Thanksgiving - Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Cream. Since we weren't fans of the sprouts roasted by themselves, I figured the addition of mushrooms and heavy cream would only make them more palatable.


I can't say this dish changed our minds about Brussels sprouts but it was certainly good. Will I find myself craving sprouts anytime soon, probably not. But this is still a tasty dish. Unfortunately I couldn't find chanterelles at my supermarket, but I hear they would make this dish even better. Regular button mushrooms were fine in a pinch.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Chanterelles and Cream
Oishii

1-1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
5 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 lb. wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles or hedgehogs, halved if small or cut into 1-inch wedges
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

Put the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts in an even layer and season generously with salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown and tender and the mushroom liquid (if any) has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a plate.

Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallot, season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the Brussels sprouts and cream. Stir in a few grinds of pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens and coats the vegetables nicely, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

How to Freeze Brussels Sprouts

1. Select green, firm and compact heads. Examine heads carefully to make sure they are free from insects. Trim, removing coarse outer leaves.

2. Wash thoroughly in cool water, then sort into small, medium and large sizes.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a brisk boil. Blanch small heads 3 minutes, medium heads 4 minutes and large heads 5 minutes. Cool promptly in ice water.

4. Drain and package in Ziploc or vacuum bags, excluding as much air as possible. Seal and freeze.

Disclaimer: The Brussels sprouts featured in this post were provided to me free of charge by Ocean Mist Farms. I was not compensated for writing this post and all views expressed are my own.

Ravioli Primavera

I'm starting to gear up for spring and summer dishes and nothing says warm weather like primavera, which means "in the style of spring" in Italian. I saw this recipe for Tortellini Primavera on Jenna's blog and immediately put it on the weekly menu. It has everything I love about a pasta dish with minimal effort. But then plans changed and I didn't get around to making it. I still had the ingredients on hand so when I needed a fast dinner for one (SP wasn't that hungry) over the weekend I whipped it up in no time flat.


I subbed the tortellini for cheese ravioli since we have three bags in the freezer (Baby Girl loves her ravioli). This was so simple and delicious I relished every bite.

Ravioli Primavera
Adapted from Annie's Eats, as seen on Jenna's Cooking Journey

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
Family-size cheese ravioli, cooked and drained

Heat butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and saute. Add all remaining ingredients except ravioli. Heat until all have melted together and are well blended. Cook until the mixture just begins to boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in ravioli.

Thanksgiving Recipes: Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

I made these Whiskey-Glazed Carrots last year for Thanksgiving but for some reason I didn't blog about them beyond the standard Thanksgiving recap. Big mistake. These carrots need their own post so I can rave about them. UPDATE - I made them again for Thanksgiving 2011 and took a much better photo.


These are AMAZING. The whiskey, brown sugar and butter make the most delicious glaze I've ever tasted. I serve these with roasted chicken and love dipping pieces of chicken into the extra glaze. I cut down on the amount of butter and sugar from the original recipe, but that doesn't make these healthy by any means. SP always jokes that I've managed to make carrots bad for you.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots
Slightly Modified from Pioneer Woman

4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
1/2 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
3/4 cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped chives, optional garnish

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots and cook about 2 minutes until they start to brown in spot.

Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter. When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Stir together to coat the carrots.

Cook about 15-20 minutes more, stirring often, so the sauce thickens into a glaze and the carrots cook through. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

Recipe Swap: Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Want to see what other Thanksgiving Side Dish recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Soup/Stew Recipe Swap Roundup

The theme for this week's recipe swap was Thanksgiving Side Dishes. I know some people like to try new dishes each year and I foresee the roundup as a good starting point for people looking for new recipes to try.

I have to admit, I wasn't excited when I saw that my recipe would be Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, even if it was submitted by my friend Jaida. Like most people, I'm not a fan of the little cabbages, but I will admit I've never tried pan roasting them before so I was willing to give it a shot.


I halved the recipe since my store sells brussels sprouts loose, but kept the amount of shallots and garlic the same to add flavor. I also skipped the browned butter part because I was too busy making the rest of the dinner. These weren't bad and they are definitely better with plenty of salt and pepper so don't skimp. Even so, I don't think we'll be making these again; not because the recipe isn't good but because we just aren't fans. But if you are a brussels sprouts fan this is a great, simple recipe.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter
Slightly Adapted from Sweet Beginnings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound raw brussels sprouts, stems cut off then cut in half
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add shallots and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add in brussels spouts cut side down, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing every so often, until browned.

Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Whisk fairly continuously until butter begins to get golden in color and brown flecks appear. Remove from heat immediately. (I didn't do this step. I combined the oil and butter initially and just cooked everything together to save time)

Remove brussels sprouts from heat and drizzle browned butter over top, then serve.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Summer Vegetables

Can you believe it's August already? Where did summer go? When trying to pick a theme for this week's recipe swap I decided I needed to highlight one of my favorite parts of summer - vegetables. There is nothing better than going to a farmers market in the summer and seeing the bounty of produce for sale.

Heather enjoyed a light recipe for Corn Chowder with Summer Vegetables:


Mary Ellen enjoyed her Summer Squash and White Bean Saute:


Ellie made her first bread recipe with Zucchini-Cranberry Bread:


The Cookaholic Wife was thrilled to get her recipe for Tomato Sauce since she had a bounty of tomatoes from her coworkers to use up:


Krystal isn't a big veggie lover but even she fell in love with her recipe for Sesame Green Beans:


Jaida made my recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes:


Melissa really enjoyed her Chilled Cucumber Soup:


Christine was able to use ingredients from her CSA share for her Baked Squash recipe:


I made Big Grandma's Stuffed Artichokes:


Melissa made Grilled Zucchini with Couscous, Spinach, and Cheese:


Jey made Grilled Garlic Vegetable Salad:


Moviegirl03 made a hearty Grilled Veggie Sandwich:

Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce

My basil plant went crazy a few weeks ago so I decided to make pesto and freeze it. When I was trying to come up with a meal plan for the week I saw this recipe for Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce and remembered the pesto. Done and done.


Even though the recipe calls for large zucchini and summer squash, I felt there was too much of each and not enough tomato. Next time I'll use smaller squash and up the tomatoes. Also, I hate when tomato skin loosens from the flesh so I tossed the tomatoes in at the end, along with the pesto.

All in all this was a delicious and easy meal. Even SP, a spaghetti hater (I don't know what's wrong with him), cleaned his plate.

Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce
Very slightly modified from Cooks Country, August/September 2011

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 small summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
1 pound spaghetti
6 tablespoons basil pesto
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
Grated cheese

Bring water and some salt to in a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain pasta. Return to the pot.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in squash and zucchini and stir until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until liquid is reduced, about 2 minutes.

Toss vegetables, tomatoes and pesto with pasta, adding reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as needed Serve with grated cheese.

BBQ Chicken Salad

I love arranged salads, but they can be an awful lot of work. When I saw this recipe for BBQ Chicken Salad, though, I knew I needed to make it ASAP simply because it combines so many of my favorite foods into one salad.


Thankfully all of the prep work can be done ahead of time, which for me means in the morning before work after Baby Girl and SP have left for the day. When it was time to eat all I had to do was reheat the chicken and potatoes and arrange the salads.

BBQ Chicken Salad
Two Peas and Their Pod

For the Avocado Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 medium shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons peach jam
1 medium ripe avocado
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 medium shallot, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, dry pan roasted and chopped
2 tablespoons peach jam
1 cup sour cream
1 cup blue cheese or Gorgonzola
Salt and pepper to taste

For the potatoes:
2-3 pounds red potatoes, washed
1 stick butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped

For the chicken:
Chicken breasts
BBQ sauce - use your favorite brand

For the salad:
Mixed greens
Tomatoes, chopped
Corn
French fried onions

To make the avocado vinaigrette-put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth.

To make the blue cheese vinaigrette-put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a drizzle of extra olive oil and mix again.

To make the potatoes - boil a large pot of water and salt well. Boil potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain the water and return potatoes to the pot. Stir in butter, shallot, and parsley. Stir well. Set aside and keep warm until serving.

Grill the chicken and brush each piece liberally with BBQ sauce. Cut into strips and set aside.

To plate the salads - place mixed greens on a plate. Lay the sliced chicken on top of the greens. Top with tomatoes, corn, and fried onions. Place a few warm potatoes on the side. Drizzle entire salad with avocado vinaigrette and blue cheese vinaigrette.

Recipe Swap - Stuffed Zucchini

Want to see what other side dishes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Side Dish Recipe Swap Roundup.

I sound like a broken record, but I'm really enjoying these recipe swaps, both as a participant and as the organizer for the one on the cooking board. It's been so much fun trying new things, like Stuffed Zucchini courtesy of Kate over at Kate's Recipe Box.


SP and I love zucchini. In the summer we usually grill it, so it was nice to do something a little different. I served the zucchini with grilled steak and mashed potatoes and it was absolutely delicious. Kate also recommended serving it with balsamic-glazed chicken or chicken Parmesan.

Stuffed Zucchini
Modified from Kate's Recipe Box

2 zucchini, if large (4 zucchini, if small)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Pinch salt and pepper
Bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a shell. Finely chop the pulp and reserve.

In a medium frying pan over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in oil for one minute. Add the zucchini pulp, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.

Grease a 9 x 13" dish and place zucchini shells inside. Spoon the filling into the zucchini shells and sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the zucchini are tender and the top is brown.

Nutty Chicken Stir-Fry and Egg Drop Soup

I really wanted to like this recipe for Nutty Chickn Stir-Fry. It looked delicious and smelled even better, but the flavors just weren't there. I've yet to find a recipe for noodles or stir-fry involving peanut butter that really wows me. It never has enough peanut flavor for me.


It didn't help that the recipe failed to specify what type of stir-fry vegetables to use. The bag of Asian stir-fry veggies in my freezer didn't match the picture, so my guess is there's another mix that might be better suited for this dish. In the magazine where I first saw this recipe they pair it with Egg Drop Soup, so I did, too.


I'm pretty sure my chicken broth wasn't low-sodium but it might as well have been for the absolute absence of flavor. Even adding salt at the table did little to save this soup from flavor boredom. Maybe this is a sign that I need to just give up trying to cook Chinese food at home and stick with our favorite local take-out.

Fried Chicken and Herbed Veggie Mix-Up

This was not one of my best meals.

I wanted something to make with my Recipe Swap recipe other then the typical roast chicken. In retrospect, I should have gone traditional because those potatoes probably work best with that meal. I asked SP for his thoughts and he said fried chicken. Since all I had were boneless, skinless chicken breasts I went to Google for inspiration. I found this recipe on epicurious.com and gave it a whirl, along with a recipe for Herbed Veggie Mix-Up I've been wanting to try.


All the different components of the meal were good on their own, but put together into one meal and they failed to meld into a cohesive dinner. SP wasn't a fan of the veggies at all, but he liked the fried chicken quite a bit. I'll make that recipe again, just not with these sides.