Corn Chowder with Pablanos and Zucchini

Are you tired of corn yet? I know I am. Oy vey! This is the last corny recipe for a while. I promise!

Well, at least until the salsas and pickled corn get prepped for our winter stash.

adapted from Vodka and Biscuits

serves 4

The Ingredients:
3 slices of bacon
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely diced
2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1 Tbsp butter
3 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed
2 cups milk
3-4 green onions, sliced, divided
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Heat a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon crisp. Remove and reserve the bacon for garnish.

Add the onion, pablano and garlic to saucepan with the bacon fat. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

Add the butter and squash and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium and cover saucepan with a lid. Cook the vegetables an additional 5 minutes or until the squash is tender.

While the vegetables cook, combine the milk with half of the corn kernels in a blender. Blend on high until very smooth.


Transfer the corn purée into the saucepan along with the remaining corn and half of the green onions. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the corn is heated through and the soup has reduced slightly.


Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot, garnished with reserved bacon and remaining green onion.

Zucchini Muffins with Feta

I have a slightly hard time calling these muffins. Zucchini muffins should be sweet and spiced, right? Like carrot cake and pumpkin bread and other vegetables parading around in baked good form. Yes, they are shaped like muffins. And certainly they fit the baked goods mold. But the savory factor throws me. Apparently cornmeal muffins are acceptable, but these? My brain is trying to tell me, no, these are biscuits. But they are far to moist and tender to be biscuits.

And I will make them again.

adapted from Chilly Frosting

yields 12 muffins

The Ingredients
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 large or 2 small zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly oil a miffin tin, or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.

In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.

Fold the zucchini and feta into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash and Cauliflower Gratin

The zucchini are beginning to overwhelm us! Thankfully this recipe makes quick use of the summertime abundance. In a pinch, this gratin can sub for the more common potato variety. It's not quite the same...it lacks that smooth velvety texture of its starchy cousin. But I trust this dish will be just as welcome.

The leftovers were equally welcome at breakfast, topped with a poached egg.

adapted from Relishing It

serves 6

The Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds zucchini or summer squash (2-3 medium), coarsely grated
1 medium head cauliflower
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

The Process:
Sprinkle the grated squash with a generous pinch of salt. Transfer to a cheesecloth lined colander to drain. Set aside for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Working in batches, add to a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower resembles coarse pebbles. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat. Add the onions and sautee until fragrant and tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sautee and additional 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped cauliflower. Gather up the zucchini in the cheesecloth, forming a bundle. Wring out as much liquid as possible. Add the zucchini to the skillet. Cook the vegetables for 7-8 minutes, or until slightly tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, making a thick paste. Allow to cook 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and cream, whisking until no lumps remain. Stir in half of the Parmesan, the rosemary and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Layer the vegetable mixture into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour the cream mixture over the top. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top with remaining Parmesan and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown.

Serve hot.

Gluten Free Zucchini Crust Pizza

I'm not truly on board with the whole gluten-free movement. I have a co-worker who actually has Celiac's and we accommodate her to the best of our ability when planning snacks and treats for work. But recently I've been running into SO many people who've hopped on the band wagon without the faintest idea about what gluten actually is.

Many such folk rave about their health and weight loss a few weeks into the diet. But inevitably, they slide. Oh, they stay gluten free. But where in those first few weeks bread, pasta, pretzels and the like were either ignored or replaced with low carb and less-processed foods (hummus is gluten-free! And salsa! Who knew! Give me a break...) the weeks that follow see a slow influx of the pre-packaged over processed products that replace the gluten for what? Hopefully nut or alternative grain based flours, but more likely than not an onslaught of chemicals, fat and sugar. Processed food is processed food. Everything moderation...

I digress...

So why this gluten free pizza crust? Quite frankly, I have far too much zucchini on my hands at the moment and it seemed like a good idea at the time. Plus this glorified zucchini pancake comes together much more quickly than waiting for pizza dough to rise.

What do you put on these lovely little crusts? Whatever strikes your fancy! I pressed out three crusts, which was a hearty meal for two people, but could easily sate three with a salad or side. Our pizzas included a cheese, a cheese and pepperoni, and a spinach, kalamata olive and cheese version. All with red sauce.

Keep the toppings light. The crusts sadly do not crisp up the way flour based crust does. The zucchini pizza, while incredibly tasty, is more of a knife and fork sort of meal. You can blame the gluten for the durability of your traditional pizza.

adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

yields three 7-8 inch pizzas

The Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup finely shredded Mozzarella
1/3 cup almond flour/meal
2 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten

pizza toppings, as desired

The Process
Pulse the shredded zucchini in a food processor until a coarse mixture forms. Do not over process...the mixture should be crumbly, not a purée. Transfer the zucchini to a cheesecloth lined sieve and allow to drain for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450

Generously oil a baking stone.

After 30 minutes, gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as you can. You should have a scant 2 cups.

In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, mozzarella, almond flour, Paremesan, garlic, oregano and egg. Divide the mixture into 3 balls. On the baking stone, gently press each ball into a disc of uniform thickness, about 7 inches across.

Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes. The crusts should be beginning to brown on top and crisp around the edges.

Top with toppings of your choice and bake an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Allow to cool slightly before serving

Single Serving Veggie Lasagna *Gluten Free*

This is not your typical veggie lasagna.  For one, there are no anemic vegetables  swimming in a gluey cream-based sauce.  And?  No noodles.  No kidding!  Slice zucchini thin enough and it will fool even the most devout pasta-holic.  I promise.  Well, maybe maybe it won't fool them.  But I doubt they'll complain much.

The individual loaf pans make these a breeze to serve as well.  No fighting over utensils.  No runny mess of cheese and sauce oozing in to replace the missing slices.  And who needs a plate when you can enjoy it right out of your own personal pans!

When I first started assembling these there was much grumbling and groaning.  All of the slicing, blanching, sauteing, mixing, baking...sheesh!  For the amount of time I was looking into spending on these I was hoping for something stellar.  It took a while before it dawned on me that this in no more time consuming than traditional noodle and meat lasagna...possibly even less so given that the zucchini noodle blanch quicker than the noodle boil and the onions cook down faster than the meat usually browns.  If the time is a deterrent, make huge batch and freeze them for later...either pre or post baking (it doesn't really matter). 

yields four single serving lasagna

The Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups ricotta
1 egg
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp fresh grated Parmesan
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Fontina, Romano and Asiago)
1 large bunch fresh spinach
3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

equipment:
4 mini loaf pans

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350.

 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil over medium high heat.  Cut off stem end of the zucchini.  Using a mandolin, vegetable peeler or a sharp knife cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8 - inch thick slices.  Quickly blanch the zucchini in the salted water, about 1-2 minutes.  Drain the zucchini ribbons and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 cloves of garlic, onions and mushrooms.  Saute until the mushrooms and onions are tender, 8-10 minutes.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, remaining garlic, egg, oregano, parsley and basil until well combined.  


Gather all of the ingredients to assemble the lasagna.

Lightly oil the each of the four loaf pans.  In the bottom of each mini loaf pan, layer 2-3 ribbons of zucchini, completely covering the bottom.  Top with a layer of 6-8 spinach leaves, and 3-4 slices of tomato.  Spread about 3 Tbsp of the ricotta mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle with about 3 Tbsp of shredded cheese.  

Spoon a thin layer of the mushroom and onion mixture on top of the cheeses.  Top with a layer of tomato sauce.  Repeat all of the layers.  Finish with a layer of 2-3 zucchini ribbons, 3-4 slices of tomato and a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese.

Cover each of the mini lasagna loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.  Allow the lasagnas to cool for 5 to 10 minute prior to serving.


The Review:
Was this recipe worth all chopping, slicing, dicing and cursing.  The meat loving pasta-holic in my household claimed not to miss the meat or the noodles (though he would have preferred I nixed the mushrooms).  A huge plus for those wonderful vegetables.  Come summer when our CSA boxes start to arrive, I suspect many a veggie will endure a similarly tasty fate.

Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups

I am horrible when it comes to eating breakfast.  I know I should.  But most mornings that extra few minutes of sleep usually out ranks the need to properly fuel up for the day ahead.  Often I pour a cup of coffee and bolt out of the door. 

One trick that seems to work well for me is to make a large batch of something ahead that can be quickly reheated in the microwave, stove top or toaster oven.  Quiche cups, frittata, and turkey/fennel sausage patties were key players when I planned ahead.  But it is possible to overload on quiche, believe it or not.  Quinoa thrown into the mix adds excitement (and a fun texture) back to my breakfast routine.

In a bit of poor planning I discovered I did not have enough quinoa to make Kristin's full recipe from Iowa Girl Eats.  But it halved easily enough.  I omitted the additional egg whites and stuck with whole eggs.  And I used a standard muffin tin instead of the Kristin's mini tins.  As a result, I needed to extend the baking time a bit.

But I was set for a few days of breakfast, with surprising little hands-on time.

adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

yields 6 Quinoa Cups

The Ingredients:
1 cups cooked quinoa (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
2 eggs
1 small zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz diced ham
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 green onions,thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and whisk together until well combined.   Lightly butter or oil a standard-size muffin tin.  Spoon mixture into the tin, bringing the mixture level to the tin's lip.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the tin.

The Review:
These truly were heaven sent for a non-morning person such as myself,  The day after making them, I had something to look forward to that I knew would fill me up without needing much time.  Granted, the quinoa cups were much, much better fresh out of the oven.  After a night in the fridge they lost that beautiful crispness to their browned edges.  But I'll take a warm, albeit slightly soggy breakfast over toast or cold cereal any day.

The filling combination here is classic.  Ham and Cheddar.  But the recipe is in no way limiting.  Spinach, mushroom and Gruyere may be my next batch.  Turkey sausage and Swiss?   Tomato, olive and feta?  So many wonderful flavor combinations.  The quinoa and eggs provide a near perfect canvas for these flavors, with the quinoa added a welcome pop of texture.

enjoy!

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta and Dill

Zucchini is everywhere right now. Only so many of these slender green squash can be turned into stir fry, zucchini bread, or oven roasted side dishes. These fritters in Bon Appetit caught my eye a while back. We'll see if this turns into a new go-to recipe for summer's excess bounty.

adapted from "Easter goes Greek" in Bon Appetit, April 2011

12 servings

The Ingredients:
1 1/3 lbs medium zucchini, trimmed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon peel, finely grated
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup panko
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup feta, coarsely crumbled
canola oil (for frying)

The Process:
Grate zucchini onto a clean kitchen towel or several layers of fine cheesecloth. Sprinkle with coarse salt and let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Gather up the towel or cheesecloth around the zucchini and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Place shredded zucchini in a medium bowl. Mix in green onion, dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel and black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg. Fold in feta. Using approximately 2 Tbsp of the zucchini mixture for each fritter, shape a 1 3/4 - 2 inch patty. Place on a baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour.

Pour enough canola oil in a large, heavy skillet to reach a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to the skillet. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove patties with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

Serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

The Review:
I'm not sure what went wrong during the process, but as soon as my keftedes hit the oil most of them disintegrated. Perhaps my mixture needed more binder, more panko and egg than the recipe called for. Or perhaps I hadn't drained the zucchini well enough before combining all of the ingredients.

Those that remained intact were lovely. Nothing special really in my book...but tasty. The flavor was incredibly reminiscent of something else I had tried. It took me awhile to place the flavor as the quinoa, dill and feta salad I had transformed into patties in an earlier recipe. Given the amount of time and flavor of the finished product...I much preferred the quinoa, zucchini and dill patties.

Leek, Potato and Zucchini Cakes

A huge thank you to Marc and Elysabeth of Saucy and Bossy for posting this recipe from All Things Simple. I absolutely adore leeks and am always on the prowl to find new ways to prepare this subtly onion-flavored stalk. While the recipe may be time consuming for those in a week night bind, I found this to be an easy recipe to intersperse with a vain attempt to regain control of my kitchen.

The cakes were done long before the kitchen was re-ordered.

adapted from Marc's post at Saucy and Bossy

makes 6-8 cakes

The Ingredients:
1 medium russet potato
3 leeks
1 cup zucchini, washed and grated
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
pinch cayenne pepper
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

The Process:
Clean and pierce potato with a fork a few times, and cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, bake an oven set to 350 for 25-30 minutes or until soft but still firm. Set aside to cool.

Remove the outer leaves, and cut off the dark green portion and roots of the leeks. Slice lengthwise and rinse under cold running water or submerge in a basin of water to remove any dirt or grit. Slice thinly, crosswise to the stalk. Blanch leeks in a large pot of boiling salty water for 4-5 minutes then drain in colander and immediately rinse in cold water. Add zucchini and add salt to extract moisture for 10-15 minutes.

While greens are draining, peel potato and grate on a box grater. Combine with egg, flour, cayenne, Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.

Squeeze remaining moisture from the zucchini leek mixture and add the greens to the large bowl. Mix well.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until almost shimmering. Fry cakes, 4-5 minutes a side, until golden brown. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, and hot sauce as desired.

The Review:
These are an amazing twist on the classic potato pancake. The pre-cooked potato combined with egg and flour provides an wonderfully creamy base for the texture and mild onion flavor of the leeks. Just enough seasoning is added to enhance the flavors without overpowering them. And the cayenne or dash of Sriracha on the side provides just enough interest and heat for those that may otherwise find these hearty veggie patties a bit bland.

I found two cakes to be a perfect accompaniment or side dish to a hearty protein, however they are filling enough to stand on their own as a vegetarian entree. Made smaller and served at room temperature these may be a hit as an appetizer as well. I will be adding these to our regular rotation.

Quinoa with Currents, Dill and Zucchini

I have have been noticing quinoa more and more frequently as of late. First quinoa 'sliders' were appearing in a restaurant here and there as a veggie version of the appetizer-sized burgers. Then our grocer started stocking it in their bulk section in addition to offering packaged parcels from Bob's Red Mill. And now an onslaught of summer salad recipes has bombarded me while on the prowl for new dishes.

I'll take this all as a sign that it is time explore this ancient grain.

adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, by Maria Speck

serves 6

The Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1/4 cup dried currants
1 lemon
2 sm-med zucchini, grated on box grater
4 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
4 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

feta cheese, crumbled - as much or as little as you like (omitted for a vegan version)

The Process:
To make the quinoa, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add most of the green onions, a pinch of the salt, and cook until the onions soften, just a couple minutes. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains dry out and toast a bit, roughly another 3 minutes. Add the water, the currants, the remaining salt; bring to a boil. Dial back the heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is just cooked through- 15 minutes or so. Be mindful here, you don't want to overcook the quinoa, and have it go to mush.

While the quinoa is cooking zest the lemon, and squeeze 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into a small bowl.

When the quinoa is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the zucchini, lemon juice and zest, most of the sesame seeds, and most of the dill. Taste and adjust for salt.

Serve, turned out onto a platter, topped with crumbled feta, and the remaining green onions, sesame seeds, and dill.

The Review:
The zested lemon and chopped dill tickled my senses as I awaited the quinoa to finish cooking. This pairing has frequently accompanied fish dishes in the past. This recipe marks the first time dill and lemon would be mixed with grains.

And I felt a little let down. The lemon provided all tart and sour without the refreshing citrus notes. I did not find the flavors to meld well with the nutty quinoa. The sweetness of the currants was sporadic from one bite to the next, not allowing it to compliment the tartness of the lemon. The zucchini quickly wilted from the steam, which was a blessing...those first initial forkfuls unfortunately yielded a chalky flavor from the raw squash. The feta added some much needed salt.

The textures however were amazing...the creaminess of the quinoa, paired with the crunch of the sesame seeds. And the dished looked like a beautiful experiment in pointillism.

On the blog where I originally located the recipe, the writer suggested forming patties out of any leftovers...adding an egg and bread crumb to help bind the mixture. I did try this, adding a touch of salt as well. The quinoa patties, once formed and fried had a much more balanced flavor...but crumbled very easily.

I won't give up on quinoa. I just do not believe this was a recipe for me.