Zucchini enchiladas

Zucchini Enchiladas

I’m still working on using up our zucchini and was so happy to find this recipe while I was browsing Pinterest.  I’m so impressed that Gina from skinnytaste even thought to put zucchini into a dish like this, because I’m sure I never would have.  It was wickedly good and I know I’ll make it again.  In fact, I’m going to shred up the remainder of the zucchini and freeze it to use later, so these enchiladas could make an appearance at our table long after the season has ended.

The only change I made to the original recipe was in the sauce.  I didn’t make the enchilada sauce from scratch, but instead combined canned enchilada sauce with some plain Greek yogurt until it had the consistency and flavor I was looking for.  Yum!  Topped off with fresh chives from my garden (though green onions would be great too), and in a short time we were enjoying green zucchini from our friend and yellow squash from our garden all rolled up in one (literally!).

Recipe:  Zucchini Enchiladas

(adapted from skinnytaste.com)

1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small scallions, chopped
2 medium zucchinis, grated
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 c. grated Mexican blend cheese
whole wheat tortillas
chopped green onions or chives, for garnish
chopped cilantro, for garnish

Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  In a medium nonstick skillet, saute garlic and scallions in olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes: add zucchini, salt and pepper to taste and cook about 5 more minutes.  Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup cheese; mix well.  Divide zucchini between in each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.  Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese and lightly cover with foil.  Bake until hot, about 20 minutes.  Garnish with green onions or chives.

Enchilada Sauce:

10 oz. can of enchilada sauce
plain Greek yogurt  (Sorry, I didn’t measure it – just a few big spoonfuls.)

Stir together until smooth and top rolled enchiladas.

Crustless zucchini quiche

Crustless Zucchini Quiche

I was the very happy recipient of a lot of wonderful tomatoes and zucchini a couple days ago.  (Thanks, Michelle!!)  I plan to make chocolate zucchini bread, but wanted to try something else too.  I’m so glad I found this recipe, because I will definitely be making it as often as my zucchini stash will allow.

Easy, delicious, and healthy.  There was just no downside, except that my kiddos didn’t like it, and frankly that seemed like more of a plus as Jim and I kept chowing down.  We enjoyed it with a nice big slice of ripe tomato the first time, but the second time we used some tomatoes I’ve been roasting.  That was stellar.  I’ll share more about the tomatoes soon, but in the meantime, I highly suggest that you start shredding some zucchini and enjoy this lovely quiche as soon as you can.

Recipe:  Crustless Zucchini Quiche

(slightly adapted from skinnytaste.com)

10 oz. shredded zucchini, all liquid squeezed out   (Wrap shredded zucchini in a tea towel and squeeze!)
1 small onion, shredded   (I just shredded the onion in the food processor with the same blade I used on the zucchini.)
1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
1/2 c. part skim mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. skim milk
1 tsp. olive oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray a pie plate with cooking spray.  Combine shredded zucchini, shredded onion, chives, and mozzarella cheese in a bowl.  Spoon into pie plate.

Whisk flour and baking powder in the same bowl (the fewer dirty dishes, the better!).  Add remaining ingredients and blend well.  Pour over zucchini and gently stir a little to combine.  Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Glazed blueberry muffins

Some days I really have no ambition to walk into the kitchen and cook or bake anything.  On those days, I wonder why these darn kids want to eat every. single. day.  What’s wrong with an all-cereal-diet anyway?  But then there are other days when I feel like a superwoman in the kitchen.  Able to sear meat for the crockpot, make muffins, and brew an iced coffee in a single bound!  Shazam!  I love those days!

These are the muffins that greeted the kids when they finally crawled out of bed this morning because, lucky for them, it’s been a superwoman kind of day.  Light and airy blueberry muffins with a little sweet glaze on top.  Definitely my new go-to recipe, and a delightful and relatively healthy way to start the morning.  Plus, they look good on my superwoman resume.

Recipe:  Glazed Blueberry Muffins

(adapted from Skinny Mom’s Kitchen)

2 c. King Arthur white whole wheat flour  (or substitute 1 c. whole wheat flour and 1 c. all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. nonfat milk
1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries
glaze:
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.  In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.  Make a well in the center and set aside.  In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Mix in canola oil, vanilla, sugar, Greek yogurt, and milk.  Pour wet mixture into the well of the dry mixture and stir just until combined.  Gently fold in blueberries.  Divide batter between 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until light brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the muffin.  Cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove to wire rack.

To make glaze:
Stir powdered sugar and milk until a glaze forms.  Drizzle over warm muffins before serving.

 

S’mores pancakes

Jim makes pancakes for the kids all the time, but they are really stuck in a rut and only ever ask for chocolate chip – peanut butter ones.  It’s always a big treat for me when he decides he wants to try out a new recipe.  He’s the pancake guy around here and I don’t go near them.  To hear my kiddos tell it, I’m not any good at it so I don’t even bother trying.  (Though, in their defense, the times I have tried they do not got pretty pancakes like Dad makes… more like a pile of pancake pieces.  All tastes the same though, right?)

Anyway, the kids got their freezer full of pancakes last weekend and today Jim asked me if I wanted pancakes.  Yahoo!  S’mores for breakfast?  You betcha!  I actually think the pancakes were really good all on their own.  Very light with a nice subtle graham cracker flavor.  Of course, the fun comes when you drizzle marshmallow and chocolate on top, but I would enjoy them just as much with a little butter and syrup.

If you’re curious about the kid vote, Claudia said if she could, she’d give them 100 thumbs up.  So definitely a keeper.

Recipe:  S’mores Pancakes

(slightly adapted from Cafe Zupas)

for the graham cracker pancakes:
1 1/4 cups white-whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
3/4 cup very fine graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

for my favorite chocolate syrup:
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

for the marshmallow sauce:
1 cup marshmallow creme
a couple tablespoons of hot water

Make the pancakes:
In a bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Add in the egg yolks, milk and oil; stir just until combined.

In another bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the pancake batter.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter on the hot griddle and cook until both sides are browned.

While the pancakes are cooking, make the chocolate syrup:
Whisk cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a pot until combined.  Add water and whisk or stir until well blended.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove syrup from heat and allow to cool.  When cooled, stir in vanilla extract until well combined.  (Syrup can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.  Makes approx. 1 3/4 cups of syrup that will keep nicely in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.  We use it for chocolate milk, hot chocolate, desserts, and coffees.)

Make the marshmallow sauce:
In a small bowl, stir hot water into the marshmallow creme, 1 teaspoon at a time until a desired consistency is reached.

Lentil and roasted carrot salad

Lentil and Roasted Carrot Salad

Since starting this blog, I’ve happily discovered that there are a lot of foods I’d never tried before that I really love.  Reading other food blogs and cooking a variety of foods in my own kitchen have introduced me to a larger, more delicious world.  One of my favorite finds is lentils.  They’re loaded with protein, vitamins, fiber, and are just a generally healthy food to add to your diet.  They’re also versatile enough that you can work them into your meal plans in many ways.  I use them primarily in soups and stews, but I also make a “refried bean” substitute that can replace meat in taco dishes.  Adding a side salad to the list of great lentil dishes was a no-brainer.

I served this as a side when we cooked out on the grill, so I didn’t even turn the oven on.  Instead of roasting my carrots and onions, I grilled them, and got the same great flavors without heating up the kitchen.  This was a nice addition to our meal and one I’ll definitely make again.

Recipe:  Lentil and Roasted Carrot Salad

(slightly adapted from Daily Bites)

3/4 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained*
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the lentils in a medium pot and cover by several inches with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender to bite but not falling apart. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

While the lentils cook, roast the carrots and onions: toss the chopped carrots and onions with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil on the lined-baking sheet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and shriveled.

Add the vegetables to the cooked lentils. Gently stir in the parsley, sunflower seeds, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Ingredient note: Pick over your lentils before rinsing to remove any small stones or other grains that may have found their way into the mix.

 

Lemon meringue pie milkshake

Lemon Meringue Pie Milkshake

Yesterday was National Ice Cream Day, and I’m sad to say I missed the boat on that one.  We had a belated treat to celebrate the occasion instead.  Lemon meringue pie milkshakes!  Really, really good milkshakes!  These have all the tart sweetness that you get from a big slice of pie, but they’re nice and cold and frosty.  Just perfect for ending a hot summer day.

Recipe:  Lemon Meringue Pie Milkshake

(from Just a Pinch)

1/2 c. milk
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish
fresh juice from 1/2 of a lemon
3 heaping Tbsp. lemon curd, homemade or store bought
approximately 1 3/4 c. vanilla ice cream
whipped cream
pizzelle cookie for garnish, optional

In blender, combine milk, lemon zest, juice, and curd.  Blend for several seconds to thoroughly combine.  Add ice cream and blend until smooth.  Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream.  Garnish with grated lemon zest and pizzelle cookie.

Pistachio salad

Pistachio Salad

This is a recipe I got from my Aunt Diane years ago and I don’t make it often enough.  It’s so easy to stir together for a cookout and makes it completely socially acceptable to have a dessert-like treat on the same plate as the rest of your meal.  Just the fact that we call it pistachio salad means you can put a big scoop down right next to your chicken and baked beans and still hit the dessert table later.

This salad is soft shade of green, and would be even prettier with a sprinkling of actual pistachios on top.  But seriously, pistachios are kind of pricey and they just didn’t make the cut.  We enjoyed this at a friend’s Fourth of July get-together and were happy to have a little leftover to enjoy later in the day.  Now that it’s made a reappearance in my kitchen, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing it more often.

Recipe:  Pistachio Salad

(recipe from my Aunt Diane ♥)

1 large can of crushed pineapple, do not drain
1 box of instant pistachio pudding
1 tub of Cool Whip
1 c. mini marshmallows

Empty the pineapple and juice into a bowl and stir in the pudding mix until combined.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Add marshmallows and stir gently.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.