Weeknight Pasta

I recently have found a new love for frozen pasta.  They are so easy and quick to make, come in a huge variety of flavors, and are perfect when you can't muster up a thought for dinner.  Bonus, kids totally dim them! You can bulk up the pasta with healthy veggies and other flavorings to fit your families tastes.  In this particular dish the addition of toasted breadcrumbs on top catapulted it from good to awesome, so I would recommend not skipping that step.  Otherwise, mix it up and enjoy!

Ingredients:
family size frozen tortellini - (I used spinach pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese)
olive oil
salt/pepper
1 onion, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 bunch of rainbow chard
1/2c. seasoned bread crumbs

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onions and squash in 1-2T of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until veggies are tender and slightly caramelized (turn once halfway through baking).  Boil frozen pasta according to package.   Meanwhile chop the chard leaves (discard stems or save for veggie stock) and sauté in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, cook until leaves are wilted and tender and set aside in a bowl.  Wipe the chard pan clean with a paper towel and put back on heat.  Add 2t. of olive oil to pan and add bread crumbs and a touch of salt, toss and toast the crumbs for 3-5 minutes on med heat and set aside.  Add the chard, pasta and roasted veggies together and toss to combine ( add a ladle full of pasta water to the dish make a light sauce).  Top each potion with bread crumbs. Yum, yum, yum!

And. I'm back.

 It has been a rough and hectic couple of months for me as some of you may know. While I am writing none of this to gather sympathy, I feel the need to put it out there in the world, as part of letting go and moving on.  My dog, Zoe, whom has been with me through college, single life, marriage, and motherhood passed away in September, heart wrenching.  Shortly after we discovered I was pregnant, only to find out a month later that it ended in a miscarriage. Words just can't describe how hard a miscarriage is, both physically and mentally.   In light of recent events, I know my problems are hardly much to talk about and I have SO much to be thankful for. I lead a beautiful and blessed life.  And so it's time to get back to being me, talking food, finding joy and happiness in the little things, and enjoying life.  

                                  Panzanella with Mediterranean Flair

To kickstart my return to blogging I made an easy and versatile salad.  It would make a wonderful side dish with your holiday meal or light lunch/dinner.  I hope you enjoy!

For the *Vinaigrette:

2t. dijon

zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, grated

4T. olive oil

2T. lemon juice

salt/pepper

2t. honey

*make sure to taste for seasoning!

For the Salad:

1/2-3/4 of day old baguette cut into 1" cubes

2T. olive oil

salt/pepper

1 avacado, sliced

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 english cucumber, diced

8oz arugula

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 soft boiled eggs, halved or diced (add eggs into cold water, heat to boil, turn off stove and cover for 7 minutes, cool eggs to stop the cooking)

 

Add all the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with tight fitting lid, shake vigorously until combined.  In a large sauté pan add olive oil and bread cubes, season with salt and pepper.  Coat bread with oil and cook until it becomes crunchy and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  In a large salad bowl combine all of the salad ingredients, including the bread, and toss with as much vinaigrette as you like.     

Not Your Typical Salad

Monday nights are officially salad night in our home.  After I whipped up a few seriously good salads, it was my husbands idea (shock, awe) that we should be having these suckers weekly.  What to put in a salad is really as endless as pasta, tacos, and stir fry.  Start with some greens (or not) and just add whatever floats your boat.  This particular salad was pretty rockstar, if I do say so myself, so feel free make this your next meal. Something tells me your family will love it!  

Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Salmon Salad

*for the vinaigrette/marinade:

4 T. olive oil

2T. red wine vinegar

2T. honey

2t. dijon mustard

salt/pepper

*Honestly, I never measure out my vinaigrettes but usually a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil works well. Just taste and refine as you go.

for the salad:

salmon

arugula

toasted walnuts

goat cheese

cooked green beans, cut into 1" pieces

roasted beets (peel, and cut. toss with olive oil slap and pepper.  roast in a foil pack at 400 degrees for about an hour, serve warm or room temp.)

Mix the vinaigrette directly into the bowl that you will be making your salad.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and drizzle a small amount of vinaigrette over the top of each filet.  With a non stick skillet on med high heat add a tablespoon of olive oil, add the salmon flesh side down once the pan is nice and hot.  Let cook for about 4 minutes per side (I like to do a little longer on the flesh side and a few minutes shy on the skin side so the flesh side gets nice and browned).  Meanwhile add arugula, walnuts, goat cheese, green beans, and beets to the bowl with the vinaigrette, toss together and arrange on plates.  Top with cooked salmon and enjoy.  Easy peasy.

Beer Battered Green Bean Bundles

I am still not sure how this happened…while discussing our options for dinner last night, (veggie pizza, or soup) I was somehow coaxed into making fried green beans for an appetizer.  Now, appetizers are not coming place in our house (unless we are entertaining) and I rarely pour a quart of oil in a pan to cook our food, but what can I say?  I admit I was a bit intrigued how they'd turn out and had a ton of green beans in the fridge that needed to be eaten, like, yesterday. And so, Monday night appetizers were had.  They were, in a word, amazing, and a perfect addition to some Monday Night Football.  I saved the oil and plan on making beet chips later this week... the deep frying gods are calling my name!  Let's hope I don't make a habit out of this.  

Batter and Bundles

The Finished Product, Complete with Sriracha Mayo

1 quart oil ( I used canola, but any high heat oil will work)

1 lb green beans (steamed to crisp tender)

1 c. beer

1 c. flour

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

2 T. mayo

1/2 t. sriracha

toothpicks

Heat oil in a large pot to 375 degrees (a candy thermometer comes in very handy here).  Meanwhile string about 5 green beans on each toothpick until you have them all bundled.  Whisk the beer, flour, salt and pepper together in a large bowl (should be consistency of pancake batter, add more flour or beer if needed).  Once the oil has heated, dip the bundles in the batter, draining off any excess and set gently in oil.  Let cook until batter turns golden, about 5 minutes, turning at least once.  Take out of oil with a spider instrument and set on a paper towel lined plate.  Season with salt.  Mix the mayo and sriracha for a quick and tasty dip.  Yum!

Creamy Zucchini Bake

I am starting to dread when a new zucchini pops up in my garden.  Another followed by another, what the crap am I supposed to do with all of these?  Thank goodness for a random Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives I happened to watch that mentioned a killer zucchini bake some BBQ joint serves as a side.  "That's it!" A solution to all those squash and zucchini ominously staring at me every time I open my fridge.  While it's not the healthiest of vegetable sides, it is low carb and gluten free, (just don't top with the breadcrumbs).   So bake it up, serve it with a nice steak, a baked sweet potato and you'll have the perfect weekend dinner. 

8-10 med zucchini and/or squash

1 T. olive oil

1t. salt

1/2t. pepper

6 T. butter, divided

1/4 c. flour

2 c. milk

1 c. sharp cheddar cheese shredded

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

chives (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Dice all the zucchini and squash into 1/2" chunks.  Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over med heat, add zucchini, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until the zucchini is tender.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, in a sauce pan over med heat, melt 3T. butter, whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute (until the raw flour taste is cooked out).  Next, whisk in milk and cheese and bring to a bubble, season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a separate bowl melt the remaining 3T. of butter and mix with the breadcrumbs and parmesan, set aside.  Combine the cheese mixture with the cooked zucchini and pour into a oven proof baking dish.  Top with breadcrumb mixture and bake for about 20 minutes, until top is golden and bubbly.  Garnish with chives.  Enjoy!

Summer! Not over yet.

Oh September, such a wonderful month.  Football begins, there's a slight chill in the air, and summer vegetables are still going strong.  Now is the time to soak up all summer has to offer,  before you know it they will move over for cooler days.  So, go on, make a delicious meal chalk full of summer goodness, sit outside, enjoy the hot summer sun and reflect on everything that this wonderful season has to offer. 

Marinated Tomatoes, Basil and Ricotta Pasta

Ingredients:

1lb. Tomatoes (any variety or a mixture thereof)

1 T. Red Wine Vinegar

1 t. Sugar

1 t. of garlic, minced

1 t. Salt

1/2 t. Pepper

8 oz. Ricotta 

1 cup Basil roughly chopped 

3/4 lb Spaghetti

Chop the tomatoes (if they are cherry tomatoes, halve them)  and set in a bowl.  Add vinegar, garlic, sugar,  salt, and pepper to the tomatoes.  Mix and let sit for about 4-8 hours (the more time it sits the better it gets). When it's time for dinner cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and put the pasta in a large sauté pan over med heat, add the tomatoes, ricotta (reserve 2T.), chopped basil (reserve 2T.).  Toss until combined and warmed through.  Serve and top with remaining ricotta and basil. Enjoy!

Birthday Breakfast

My sweet, rambunctious, delightful daughter celebrated her 2nd birthday this past Sunday. Her grandparents came in town for the festivities and we had a jammed packed weekend planned.  Saturday was spent at our neighboring city Fort Collins for some good old fashion tailgating with friends and family followed by a high spirited college football game.  I wanted to have the birthday girls breakfast planned ahead of time since I knew we weren't going to be around much beforehand.  This baked french toast fit the bill perfectly.  I made it early Saturday morning set it in the fridge to soak up all that wonderful custard and baked it off the next day.  I made a quick strawberry "syrup" that was nice and tart, a perfect balance to the sweet french toast.  On the side a simple fruit salad with a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of honey. The result was mm mmm tasty, fit for a birthday princess.  

 This recipe is adapted from the Pioneer Woman Cooks website, to access her recipe go here

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

• Topping

• 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces   

Grease a 9x13" pan with butter.  Cut or tear bread into 1" cubes and add to pan. In a separate bowl mix together eggs, half and half, sugars, and vanilla.  Add egg mixture to bread in pan, cover and chill in fridge overnight.  For the topping mix the sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter together with a fork or your fingers until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.

When your ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Uncover the pan, add the topping and bake for 35-45 minutes.  Or until the top is browned and crunchy and the bottom is still moist.

Serve with warmed syrup.  

Strawberry "jam" is easy to make.  Just add 1/2 cup of strawberry jam into a sauce pan, 1 T. of lime or lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water, (if you want it a little sweeter add 1T. of sugar).  Heat up and simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with french toast.

Ta da!  The finished product, with a fruit salad side.  A decadent and oh so delicious breakfast feast.

Spiced Cookies

 I use the term "cookies" loosely in this recipe as my family unanimously decided they taste more like the tops of muffins. Either way these tasty baked goods are perfect for a snack, dessert, or even breakfast.  Using pumpkin puree instead of butter cuts the fat almost entirely and with ingredients like oats and almond butter in the mix, this is a much healthier alternative to your run of the mill cookie.  So eat up and enjoy!

1 1/2c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 can pumpkin puree

1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. almond butter

1 egg

1c. old fashion oats

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a med bowl combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt.  In a larger bowl combine pumpkin puree and sugars and whisk until creamy, next add almond butter and egg and mix until smooth.  Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, stir in the oats.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool and store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Well stocked

 Chicken stock holds up beautifully in your freezer for months and months.  I know you can easily buy chicken stock at your grocery store, but this one batch made 20 cups of stock (that's 5 store bought boxes) and takes very little hands on time.  Not to mention the flavor is unbeatable!  I also included my preferable freezing method for squash and zucchini, a perfect way to enjoy garden veggies year round! A well stocked freezer makes mealtime quick, easy and homemade!

Chicken Stock

I made a roast chicken the night before and saved the cooked carcass along with the innards (heart, gizzard, liver).  Throw all of these in a large soup pot with 2 carrots cut in half, 1 onion cut in quarters, 2 celery cut in half, 2 bay leaves, 5 peppercorns, 1T salt, parsley stems (save the leaves for something else), garlic bulb (split horizontally). No need to peel anything.  Fill with water to the top and gently simmer mixture for 4 hours.  Strain all of the vegetables out of the stock and pour in freezable containers. Allow to cool to room temperature, freeze for up to 6 months.

Zucchini and Squash Freezer Prep

 I shredded about 10 zucchini and squash, put them in a colander and set it in boiling water for 2 minutes. Next remove and set the squash in ice cold water to stop the cooking.  Put in freezer bags and make sure as much air as possible is removed.  Store in your freezer for up to 3 months.  Use in marinara, meatballs/meatloaf, baking breads. 

Winner winner chicken dinner

 I love the anticipation of creating a meal, especially on Sundays.   There is ample time to figure out exactly what to make, go to the store, (usually toddler free, yes!), gather ingredients and take a little more time than usual in the kitchen to create something memorable and hearty.  My main reason for making a roast chicken this particular night was that I was out of my homemade supply of chicken stock, something I can't live without anymore (p.s. chicken stock recipe coming soon!).  The rest of the meal was supplied by my garden and my husbands love for green bean casserole, one of his favorite Thanksgiving sides.  I had a ton of beans from the garden and was looking for some unique way to prepare them.  I had a can of cream of mushroom soup (probably from last Thanksgiving), and thought why not give it a go?  It was decidedly our favorite side dish of the evening.

Roast Chicken, 

with garden tomatoes, sugar glazed turnips and fresh green bean casserole

Green bean casserole:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Steam about 1/2lb of fresh green beans until tender. Mix with one can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/4 c. milk, 2t. soy sauce, pepper, and 1/2t. dry mustard.  Pour into a small gratin dish.  A mix of 3/4 c. panko breadcrumbs and 3T. melted butter goes on top.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until top is browned.

Roasted chicken:  

This beautiful roast chicken, was actually made in our handy dandy rotisserie oven.  To prep the bird made a quick herb butter mixing 3 T. of butter with chopped parsley, sage, and thyme.  Rub the butter underneath the skin of the bird. Next liberally salt and pepper  the inside and outside of the bird. You can also stuff the bird witt lemon, garlic and more herbs if you wish.  Place in a 350 degree oven or rotisserie for around 1 1/2 hours (about 20 minutes/pound), until an instant thermometer reads 160 degrees.  Lest rest for 20 minutes before carving.  Enjoy!

Sugar glazed turnips: 

Peel and cut 4 med-lg turnips into 1" chunks.  Toss with 1t. salt 1/2t. pepper, 1T. sugar and 1T. olive oil.  Put in a large sauté pan with 1c. of water and turn on med high heat with the lid on. Let steam until tender 10-12 minutes.  Remove lid and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until water evaporates and turnips begin to brown. Enjoy!

Tomatoes:

These tomatoes really need no recipe, but they were to beautiful to leave out.  Basil, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of really good olive oil and these puppies are ready to enjoy!

Reminiscing through Food

My Grandma was an amazing cook.  Being born and raised in Lebanon, she set the bar high on mediterranean food.  Whenever we came to visit, there was always so much delicious food. Stuffed zucchini, cabbage rolls and grape leaves simmering on the stove, kibbeh, fatyers, olives and Syrian bread... I could go on and on.  In keeping up with my Lebanese heritage, (and my garden surplus) stuffed peppers and zucchini was the meal to make.  If you really want to feel Mediterranean tonight, serve with a bowl of kalamata olives and sop up all those juices with some yummy flat bread. Enjoy!

Hollowed out zucchini and peppers

Stuffed and ready to eat! 

Ingredients:

2 t. olive oil

1 onion diced

2 garlic cloves minced

2 carrots

1 celery stalk

1lb ground lamb or beef

1 c. of rice cooked, but only about half way( they will finish cooking later)

1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes

2t. salt, 1t. pepper

1 T. cumin

2 t. corriander

 2T. chopped fresh parsley

5-7 hollowed out peppers or zucchini (or a mixture thereof)

Sautee onion, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil until onions are translucent,  about 5 minutes.  Put cooked veggies into a large bowl to cool.  Add the ground meat, rice, half of tomatoes and spices to the bowl of cooled veggies, mix until well incorporated.  Spoon mixture into hollowed out zucchini and/or peppers. pour the other half of tomatoes in dutch oven or large pot along with 1c. of water.  Add the stuffed veggies into the pot, making sure that they are snug. Cover, bring to a boil and and continue to let simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Enjoy!

What's for DInner?

This delightful summer pasta, came about when I was still pondering the age old question "what's for dinner" about 4pm yesterday.  I took a look in my garden and pantry and what did I see?  TONS of basil and a variety of pastas.  A quick google search, a few ingredients at the store, and I was ready to roll on my shrimp pesto pasta.  It might have been a little last minute, but this pasta did not disappoint.  

Shrimp with pesto cream sauce

Pesto

• Pesto:
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago

Pasta:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined and slice in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, plus more if needed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 lb spaghetti, cooked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 chopped tomatoes

For the pesto: In a food processor, puree the nuts, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth. Next, add the basil and mint and pulse until the leaves are minced. Add the cheese and pulse 4 to 5 times. Finally, drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to finish. This recipe will make more than what you need for the pasta, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For the pasta: In saute pan over high heat, add the oil and allow to heat up. Next, add the shrimp, sprinkle with a touch of salt and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the shrimp until medium doneness, about 2 minutes, stirring throughout the time. After the shrimp are medium, add the onions and allow to cook until translucent, another 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup pesto, stir, and then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream and allow to reduce by half the volume, 2 to 3 minutes. Finally, add the pasta and stir. Finish seasoning with salt, pepper and additional wine if necessary. Top with the parsley and tomatoes.

This was adapted from a recipe from Food Networks, Robert Irvine, to visit the site go here

All American Meal

For our Sunday night dinner I decided to go for a traditional summer BBQ.  Although I was just feeding my husband, daughter and I, this meal can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.  The peach crumble made for a perfect sweet treat to cap off this yummy slow cooked Sunday meal.

Spice Rubbed Ribs with Oven Fries and Caprese Salad

For the ribs:

1 rack of St. Louis style ribs

1/2c. brown sugar

2T. salt/ 2t.pepper

1/8c. cajun seasoning

1/8c paprika

1T. cayenne

Pull off the silver skin from the ribs if present (the whitish layer on the backside of the ribs).  Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, taste for additional spices (do you want it saltier, sweeter, spicier etc.). Rub spice mixture all over ribs.  Put ribs in parchment lined foil and place on grill on indirect heat (you want the grill to be around 300 degrees). Grill for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove ribs from foil and grill on direct heat a 5 minutes per side to char the surface.

For the potatoes:

2 russets

salt/pepper

2T. olive oil

parmesan

1 garlic clove

Set oven to 425 degrees, and place a baking sheet in the oven while it heats up. Cut each potato into 8 wedges.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet  in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, turning once.  The potatoes should be golden brown.  Grate cheese and garlic on top of the potatoes when the come out of the oven.

For the caprese:

Halve  a few cherry tomatoes and dice some mozzarella, add a handful of chopped basil.  Stir in a drizzle of good olive oil and red wine vinegar  add salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Peach Crumble 

 (recipe from  Ina Garten.  I omitted the blueberries)

Ingredients

For the fruit:

• 2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the crumble:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.

Soup's On!

It is hard to believe that Fall is just around the corner.  Here in Denver we had a little glimpse of fall weather this past week; overcast, cool and breezy.  It gave me just the inspiration I needed to cozy up with a nice bowl of soup and crisp bread.   All of the flavors of summer, and my garden, show up in this soup, making it a perfect end of season meal.  

Vegetable and White Bean Soup

Soups are so versatile, I encourage you to add/subtract whatever you desire into this soup. 

Working with a large stock pot or dutch oven, I sautéed onion, carrot, celery, yellow squash, diced tomatoes and garlic with olive oil salt and pepper until the onions became soft and translucent. Add around 6 cups of chicken stock t o the veggies and bring to a simmer.  I added a bundle of herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage tied up with kitchen string) to the pot.  Once the soup comes to a simmer add fresh cut green beans (cut into 1" pieces).  Allow the soup to simmer away until the carrots and green beans are tender, add a 15oz can of white beans (I used navy beans) and heat through. Serve with baked country bread and parmesan. Enjoy!

My Zucchini Runneth Over

Are you sick of zucchini?  I'm proud to say I'm not... yet.  If you have ever grown your own zucchini you know that they just keep on coming until it freezes.  It can be a tough job to keep up.  Of course you give some to your friends, family, babysitter, and neighbors but somehow you still have a drawer full in your crisper.   These fritters are a great use of your zucchini overflow and a perfect side to my stuffed chicken.  Bring it on zucchini, I am loving your versatility!

Stuffed Roasted Chicken Breast with Zucchini Fritters

For the Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts about 1 lb (boneless, skinless)

1/4 c. Roasted tomatoes (recipe below) or you can substitute sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

3 oz Goat cheese

1/4 lb sauteed chard (you can use any dark leafy green)

salt, pepper

olive oil

Set oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, cut a 1-inch-long slit in thick side of each breast. Insert knife, and without enlarging opening, carefully work around inside to form a pocket (make sure you do not go through the other side). In a small bowl combine tomatoes, goat cheese and chard, mix together with a fork until combined.  Stuff each chicken with goat cheese mixture. Place on baking tray (I lined mine with parchment paper for easy cleanup.) Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until juices run clear (internal temperature of 160 degrees with an instant read thermometer).  Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, serve with remaining tomatoes and fresh herbs.

For the Fritters

• 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
• 1 t. salt/1/2t. pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 lemon) 
• 2T chopped basil
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 
  
• With a box grater, grate zucchini into a bowl. Add the salt, lemon zest, basil, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan. You may need to do this in multiple batches and add more oil as you go.  Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Top with a dollop of plain greek yogurt and basil.

Roasted Tomatoes

tomatoes- any kind will work (I used cherry)

garlic

basil

thyme

salt pepper 

olive oil

Slice tomatoes in half and seed, unless they are small then no need.  Toss tomatoes with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking sheet cut side up and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours.  You want the tomatoes to still be slightly moist, and not burnt.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge, enjoy!

Roasted Veggie Quesadillas

Roasting vegetables brings out a beautiful sweet and savory flavor that is hard to come by with any other cooking method.   This is one of those meals with no recipe required.  Literally put your favorite veggies, beans, cheese in between a couple tortillas top with your favorite toppings and call it a day. If you roast off the veggies earlier in the day (you could even do it the day before) you can have dinner ready in 10 minutes. So easy, so tasty.

For my quesadilla I roasted summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and onion (3T. olive oil, salt, pepper)  in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.  I used 2 taco sized whole wheat tortillas, on one side I spread refried beans, topped with roasted veggies then shredded cheddar cheese.  I place the other tortilla on top and put it in a heated skillet with some canola oil.  It cooks for about 4 minutes/side or until the tortilla is crunchy and browned.  I topped mine with  plain greek yogurt, my favorite salsa and green onions.  Yum!

Pork Belly

Let's face it, pork belly is simply amazing. It is gracing the plates of most note worthy restaurants these days, and is an inexpensive, delicious, little bite of goodness.  This was the first time I personally made pork belly at home, and I can assure you it won't be the last.  I saw this meal on The Today Show. I mostly followed the recipe for this particular meal.  A few switch ups included using green jalepeno, instead of red, thick brown rice noodles and I added a thinly sliced red pepper to the mix.  The meal was divine!!   

I have supplied the recipe below but if you prefer to watch a step by step video go here . Enjoy!

• For the pork belly:
• 1 1/4 pounds fresh pork belly, skin and fat scored (if your pork belly does not have the skin, just score the fat)
• For the noodles:
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 6 ounces rice vermicelli (maifun)
• 2 medium carrots (8 ounces total), peeled, julienned
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, cut into thin slices
• 1 red jalapeno chili, very thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1/3 cup toasted shelled peanuts
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Preparation

To roast the pork belly:1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a rack on a baking sheet. Season the pork belly all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and press the seasonings into the scored surface of the pork.

2. Set the pork belly on the rack on the baking sheet and roast until the skin begins to puff or until golden brown all over, about 35 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cover the pork with foil. Continue roasting until the pork is very tender and brown all over, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

3. Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the pork into 4 equal slices then cut the slices into 1/2-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, to prepare the noodles:1. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk the lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil until the sugar has dissolved.

2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

3. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with enough of the sauce to coat and moisten. Refrigerate while finishing the pork belly.

Serving

1. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy sauté pan over high heat until very hot. Add the pork belly pieces and sauté until they are crisp on all sides, about 2 minutes.

2. Toss the carrots, mango, chilies, half of the green onions and the remaining sauce with the noodles. Divide the noodle mixture among four bowls and top with the pork belly pieces. Sprinkle the peanuts, mint and remaining green onions over and serve.   

Serving Size

Serves 4.

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Eggplant Parmesan

I try to have a well stocked pantry and fridge, so I can make a handful of go to meals when I'm less than inspired to think of one.  Eggplant parmesan is one of those I can make mostly from what I have stocked (with the exception of the eggplant of course).  

I tend to make mine a little differently from your standard recipe.  I choose not to top the eggplant with cheese or marinara (I like to keep it crispy!) instead leaving that for the baked pasta.  I also like to bake the eggplant after pan frying to ensure the inside is nice and creamy while the outside stays crunchy and delectable. This time around I served it up with some arugula and a squeeze of lemon,  which adds a  nice peppery flavor to cut the richness. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.  Cheers!

Eggplant Parmesan

1 lrg or 2 med eggplant
3/4c. flour
2 eggs beaten
2c. panko or breadcrumbs
salt/pepper
parmesan (1/2 c. divided)
1/4c. olive oil
1/2 lb spaghetti
1 jar of marinara
1T. brown sugar
6-8 oz mozzarella
basil

For the eggplant:

Heat oven to 400.  Slice the eggplant into 1/2" discs.  Set sliced eggplants on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet.  Liberally salt each side of the eggplant and allow to sit for 30 min. (this draws out excess moisture).  Meanwhile set up a 3 plates. Add flour to the 1st, eggs to the 2nd, and *panko to the 3rd, add a pinch of salt to all three dishes and 1/4c. parmesan to the panko. Heat up a sauté pan with 1/4c. of olive oil on med-high heat.  Rinse off each eggplant slice and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the eggplant slices in the flour, egg, and panko, in that order.  Place coated eggplant in pan cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp, work in batches until complete, add more olive oil as needed. Place cooked eggplant on the cooling rack that is still sitting on the cookie sheet and put in oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.

For the pasta:

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook spaghetti until short of al dente (it will cook in the oven too). Meanwhile heat up the marinara, add 1T. of sugar if you'd like (it really amps the flavor).  Combine pasta and marinara in an oven proof dish and top with Mozzarella, put in oven until cheese melts and browns a bit. 

The eggplant and pasta should come out around the same time, top with parmesan and basil, enjoy!!!

*cooking note: I used panko on half and breadcrumbs on half, both were delicious, but Panko was our clear favorite.