Produce Pick - Zucchini

Matt's mom gave me this nice large zucchini and after Aidan dug his nails in the one side, I had to find a use for it. We spent the weekend busy...as always. I had a 5K and Matt was in Baltimore for Cross races.  Not so much cooking, and sadly we missed our weekly Sunday grocery trip (and I vow never to go during the week) so before Matt ate all my eggs - were talking 2 dozen a week my friends, I used the last -oops - of the eggs for my 'green bread' as Aidan calls it...I neglect to tell him it's good for him :)

Zucchini Bread

 Makes 2 loaves!

 Recipe from a great clean eating blog....http://sarabconsulting.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

2 (up to 2 .5) cups zucchini, grated, juices NOT removed (1 large zucchini or 2 small)

1 C. oil (1/2  extra-virgin olive oil and for the remaining 1/2 use a light canola oil)

3 eggs, beaten

2 t  vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (for a sweeter bread, use 1 3/4 cups) sugar or agave syrup

3 C   flour : 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

3/4 t salt

1 T cinnamon

1 t Nutmeg

1 t Cloves 

Instructions:Combine zucchini, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir in sugar. Stir in flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon cloves, and nutmeg until combined. This is easier when done in batches. If the batter looks thick, don’t panic! Place batter into two loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Enjoy!

Mini Burgers On A Stick

I made these for the housewarming party and despite the fact that they were veggie burgers, the 2 cookie sheets I made of them ( like 75) were gone! They even came with a fancy dipping sauce that tastes like it is soooo much more work than it really is, 2 ingredients. So if you are invited to a party and have NO idea what to bring, I am telling you - when people hear 'meat on a stick' even if it's fake, they come running.

Cheese"burgers" On A Stick
Courtesy of Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:

4   whole-wheat English muffin halves, quartered

4   vegetarian burgers, Grillers Prime by Morningstar

16   red onion wedges (1/2 medium onion)

16   cherry tomatoes

8 ounces  reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, cut into 16 cubes

12 mini pickles, cut into thirds

Ketchup Dip

1/2 cup  plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup  ketchup

Instructions:

1. Thread English muffin wedge, veggie burger wedge, onion wedge, and cherry tomato onto skewer. Sandwich Cheddar cube between 2 pickle slices, if desired, and slide onto skewer. Continue adding ingredients until each of 4 skewers holds 4 English muffin quarters, 4 burger quarters, 4 onion wedges, 4 cherry tomatoes, and 4 pickle-cheese sandwiches.

2.  You can make these on the grill or throw them in an oven at 325. Be careful and watch them, only 3 minutes a side on the grill OR 5-6 minutes in the oven - the cheese will melt if you leave it any longer!

3. Whisk together yogurt and ketchup in bowl and serve as a dipping sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 466, Total Fat 18.5 g, Saturated Fat 7.5 g, Cholesterol 32 mg, Sodium 764 mg, Carbohydrate 48 g, Fiber 9 g, Protein 36 g, Sugars 23 g.

Grown up Grilled Cheese

Fall has arrived and so have chilly nights, chilly mornings and an excuse to wear a sweatshirt and eat warm cheesy goodness. When I was a kid nothing more did I love than the standard Campbell's Tomato Soup and a gooey grilled cheese...now I like to think I have matured, but sadly I think only my taste buds have. To satisfy the canned soup and processed cheese void that fills my stomach, I have come up with what I call "The Grown Up Grilled Cheese".

It encompasses hearty off the block cheddar - be gone single serve crap-ness wrapped in cellophane - and warm tomato jam -  you too be gone can shaped condensed red blob. We get the best of both worlds AND I get to use my PRODUCE PICK : Tomatoes AND Sourdough Bread.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese
Tomato Jam
4 slices sourdough bread
butter
2-3 slices of 'good' cheddar cheese - I use Kerrygold Dubliner Irish cheese - yuuuuumy

Tomato Jam
Courtosey of herbivoracious.com (you must visit this veggie blog)

• 24 ounces (by weight) tomatoes, cored and peeled (see above), roughly diced
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar (you could also try a little less)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of chili flakes
• pinch of saffron, crumbled
• a few grind of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. How about this for easy? Bring all ingredients to a simmer (the liquid will all come out of the tomatoes, you don't need to add any). Cook for about an hour uncovered, until thick and syrupy. Taste and adjust seasonings. Makes about 1 cup.

Slice your sourdough in slices, about 1/2 inch in thickness, spread butter on all sides, add as much cheese as you like, add about 2 -3 T of the jam (more or less depending on what you like). Cook in a pan just until both sides are golden. I usually slice my bread thick so even when the outside is golden, the inside is not melted - so I throw it in the oven on some tin foil at 350 for 5-7 minutes, or the cheese has melted.

 

Until next time...eat,love,live...and eat some more.

Housewarming Party

We had a wonderful turn out - and most important TONS of yummmmmmmy food. I was so busy entertaining/ leaving half drank coronas around the house that I - sadly- did not take many pictures. Good times, good food and good booze were had by all - except Aidan, he mostly stuck to juice boxes.

I will list a few of the recipes here (mostly because I am throughly enjoying my brand new MacBook pro - lots of pictures and blogging in the future - and it beats the hell out of using mine which basically said "Kate, I quit - we're over. Yes, my pink Dell broke up with me then had a breakdown of it's own.)

Menu
- Ravioli Bruschetta Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- BBQ "CHICKEN"Corn Salad
-Deviled Eggs
-Spinach Dip
- Pulled Pork Sliders
- Loaded (w/veggies) Potato Salad
-Nacho Cheese Dip
-Fruit &Veggie Tray
-Mini Burgers On a Stick - the favorite
- Penne Pasta Salad
- Too many desserts to list...chocolate chip cookies, apple pie a la mode, scones, brownies
- JELL-O CAKE

Per request from one of my devoted and faithful blog followers, Patti -who also made the yummy Nacho Dip - we'll start here....

BBQ "CHICKEN" Corn Salad
 Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Vinaigrette:
1 C cilantro leaves
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C lime juice
1/4 orange juice
1 T agave nectar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste

Salad:
1 package Quorn fake chicken - you can use real chicken too, cut into chunks

1/2 C BBQ sauce

1 C frozen corn
1/2 diced red pepper
1 C garbonzo beans
1/3 C diced red onion
1 package of mixed (organic!)greens, I use a mix of spinach and arugula

To make vinaigrette place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside. Take entire bag of fake chicken (I believe 1 12 oz bag is about a 1lb real chicken) put in small frying pan, add BBQ and cook  on med/high heat just till heated through, set aside. Toss chicken, corn, pepper, beans and onion together with the vinaigrette. Toss salad mix in with other ingredients just before serving - best served cold.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

*This serves around 20 people*
Ingredients
6 lbs Pork Shoulder (tell your butcher your making pulled pork - they are a great help in selecting the cut of meat!)
24 oz (2 cans) Root Beer
1 Jar of bbq sauce

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker, set on high until it simmers, then reduce to med/low heat. Should take around 7 hours to cook. Serve on mini slider buns.

Jell-O Cake
This is the PERFECT go to summer dessert. Everyone will love it - guarantee - and be asking, how the hell DID you make that??
Ingredients:
2 boxes of sugar free jello (I use strawberry, you can pick 2 different kinds)
1 box of yellow cake (and whatever you'll need to bake it - eggs, oil, ect)
1 container cool whip

Bake cake according to package instructions and let cool. Pierce the cake all over with a fork, think like 20 or so stabs - be generous! Empty both packages of mix into a bowl along with 1 1/2 C water, mix with a fork until it is all liquid. Now comes the scary part, pour the liquid mixture over the cake. You will think it will turn to mush and that there is too much liquid - there isn't - keep the faith! I let mine settle for around 20 minutes. Cover with cool whip, add sprinkles if you wish.


Mini burgers and Grown up grilled cheese to come!

Until next time...eat,love,live and eat some more.

Produce Pick: Mini Peppers

So I JUST returned from my first day (really night) of grad class. It was a long 6 hours, in the same building, same classroom and same seat (yikes). But I survived and decided since you are "my peoples", well the 5 that actually read this, I owed you another blog before things get REALLY crazy and by that I mean...Job, grad school for Matt and I, Aidan, Housewarming Party, Go Green Month, Cross races, 5k's oh...and my first Triathlon.  And add yummy cooking and blogging to the list.

So here is a quick recipe that is the best of all food worlds : QUICK and EASY

Matt's Mom had these wonderful little green peppers - you could use whatever you have.

Greek Stuffed Mini Peppers



Ingredients:

6 mini peppers
4 oz fresh spinach
1 C feta cheese
1/4 ricotta cheese
6 kalamata olives chopped
2 T roasted tomatoes (get them in a jar at TJ's)
1/2 t minced fresh garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to  Slice tops off peppers and discard seeds. Spray bread pan (jellyroll pan) with nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Fill peppers ad arrange peppers standing up, if they fall or can't stand(or won't) that's fine. Sprinkle tops with bread crumbs. Bake 15-18 minutes or until peppers start to visible soften around the edges.

Until next time...eat,love,live....and eat some more.