Garlicky Zucchini Squash

This was one of my twelve new recipes for 2013 when I received two very large zucchinis from the garden of my mother's girlfriend, Paulette. This is a modification of the recipe Garlicky Pattypan Squash from Quick Fix Indian by Ruta Kahate as it appeared in the August 2013 Yoga Journal.

This is a very spicy recipe which I add chickpeas to just prior to serving to reduce the heat and make a more hearty dish.

Garlicky Zucchini Squash – serves 4

1 pound zucchini squash

2 large cloves garlic or 1 rounded teaspoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon dry mustard or ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large tomato cut in eighths (optional)

1. Wash, dry, and dice zucchini.
2. If using garlic cloves, peel the garlic, then smash it with side of your knife to release its flavor.
3. Heat oil in wok or large saucepan until it just begins to smoke. Working quickly, add the mustard, turmeric, cayenne and tomato. Stir until tomato breaks up a little.
4. Add squash. Toss lightly.
5. Turn down the heat to medium, toss in garlic, over and cook until the squash is crisp but tender.
6. Serve.

White Bean and Sausage Salad

With summer finally here in New England, I thought I would share one of my favorite summer recipes, white bean and sausage salad.

This was one of the twelve new recipes I tried in 2012 and comes from the revised 13^th edition of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook. I love this as it's one which can be made in advance, is a great left over, pairs well with a green salad or served with sour pickles, mustard and a hearty rustic bread.

White Bean and Sausage Salad (serves four)

2 – 2 ½ cups white beans, cooked (Great Northern or Cannellini/White Kidney recommended)

1 small onion, chopped fine

½ cup olive oil

3 sweet or mild Italian sausages, grilled or pan-fried

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (optional, for garnish)

In a large bowl, combine the beans, onion, and olive oil. Cut the sausage into 1/4-inch slice and add to the bean mixture. Add salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate in airtight container until ready to serve. When ready to serve, garnish with parsley or basil if desired

Zucchini Bread or thoughts of this year's summer farmer's markets

I realize my last post was in January just before winter arrived full force and then some here in New England. Between the extreme amounts of snow, the extreme cold and having to dress for Anartica expedition each time I ventured out of the house I a have not had the opportunity to bake, cook and blog about my cooking adventures as much as I would like.

With the mountains of snow now gone and the local summer farmer's markets starting my thoughts move to all the great produce which will arrive in the coming weeks. One of my favorite recipes is Zucchini Bread as it can be easily doubled, unused portions frozen and is a great way to cook up those extremely large zucchinis.

While there are many zucchini bread recipes out there, I have found this one, which I received from my girlfriend, Sally, many years ago to be the recipe I've used time and again without fail. This includes the time I accidently added all the ingredients. Zucchini for this recipe can be shredded in advance and stored overnight in an airtight container in the back of the refrigerator prior to use. Zucchini shredded should be used within 24 hours for best results.

Zucchini Bread (makes one 9” loaf , four mini-loaves, 12 to 18 muffins)

2 eggs

½ cup canola oil

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ginger

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Place oven rack on middle rung. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Grease loaf pan(s) or line muffin tins with bake cups.

If not already done wash, dry, and slice off ends of zucchini. Shred zucchini using either a food processor or box grater.

In a medium to large bowl, beat eggs, oil and sugar. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, grated lemon peel, cinnamon, ginger and zucchini. Combine until blended. Add walnuts. Mix. Pour into loaf pan(s) or bake cups.

For 9” loaf bake 30 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn bread halfway through baking time for even bake. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.

For mini-loaves, bake 25 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn bread halfway through baking time for even bake. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

For muffins, bake 25 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn muffins halfway through baking time for even bake. Cool and then remove from tins.

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Yum Yums or Super Yummy No-Bake Peanut Butter Crisp Rice Cereal Treats

If you love sweets, peanut butter or rice krispie treats, I suggest you move on to something else immediately as this is an addictive recipe.  I stumbled across this recipe on the box of Crisp Rice Cereal at my local Trader Joe's and chose to try it as one of my twelve new recipes for 2012.  On my first attempt to make this, only half of the recipe made it to step 8 (refrigerate or freeze to set).  This was not due to any disaster with the recipe.  It's just that good. 

As this is a sticky treat, I found the extra step of lining the baking pan with aluminum foil whose edges hang over the side of the baking pan help in removing these from the pan to a flat surface to cut into bars.

Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Yum Yums 


Non-stick cooking spray, for pan
Aluminum foil, for pan

1 cup Trader Joe's Brown Sugar
1 cup Trader Joe's Blue Agave Syrup
1 cup Trader Joe's Peanut Butter (creamy salted stye suggested)
7 cups Trader Joe's Crisp Rice Cereal

1.  Line 13" X 9" plan baking pan with aluminum foil, letting edges of foil hang over side of pan.  Spray aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2.  Measure Crisp Rice Cereal.  Set aside.
3.  Measure Peanut Butter.  Set aside.

4. In a 3 quart saucepan combine brown sugar and agave syrup.  Bring to near boil, stirring often.  Continue stirring until brown sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat.
5. Add peanut butter to mixture.  Mix well.
6. Add Crisp Rice Cereal to mixture.  Mix well. 

7.  Pour mixture into greased baking pan and top with a piece of waxed paper.  Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan.

8. Remove wax paper and refrigerate for several hours to cool and harden.  To harden more quickly, place in freezer for about an hour.

Makes about 16-2" squares.

Chickpea Ragout or a fast versatile dish

According to Merriam-Webster's on-line dictionary, a ragout is a stew of meat, vegetables and spices.

This dish is a variation on a recipe which appeared in the Feburary 15, 2009 Parade Magazine. It's a fast dish to prepare which can be served as a soup, a side dish or as main entree. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and you have a meat-free dish.

I've found this to be great cold day dish and my preference is to make this on the first chilly days of October when onions and the last of the season's tomatoes are available at the local farmer's market. I usually serve this as a soup with a small salad and bread on the side.

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small to medium onion, diced

2 tbsp minced garlic or 2 tbsp crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp ground cumin

1 can (19 oz.) drained and rinsed or 2 cups chickpeas

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 medium to large tomato, diced or 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

2 tsp agave nectar or 2 tsp honey

2 tsp lemon juice

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Black Pepper to taste

1. Using a 3 quart pot, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until onion begins to brown, approx. 2-5 minutes. Sprinkle with cumin and stir to mellow.
2. Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, thyme, agave nectar or honey, lemon juice, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, season with black pepper, and simmer for 4 minutes.
3. Taste the chickpeas and adjust the seasonings as needed.
4. Serve as is in soup bowl, with bread or over prepared couscous or rice.
5. Stored any unused portion in air-tight and spill-proof container in refrigerator.

Pecan Cranberry Granola

My first new recipe of 2014 was granola.  This was inspired by the homemade granola my girlfriend, Sally, served me when I visited her in early December.  

I deviated completely from her recipe as I wanted to try the Tasty Olive Oil Granola recipe which appeared in the December 2012 issue of Yoga Journal.  As I read this recipe, I made modifications and substitutions, resulting in the below Pecan Cranberry Granola recipe. 

Pecan Cranberry Granola  (makes 3 cups)

1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats or Trader Joe's quick cook steel cut oats

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup shredded coconut

5/8 cup raw pecans

3/8 cup pure maple syrup, preferably grade B or organic agave nectar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup dried cranberries

1.     Preheat oven to 300 degrees farenheit.

2.     Place the oats, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, pecans, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Mix until well combined.

3.     Add the brown sugar, olive oil, maple syrup or agave nectar.  Mix until dry ingredients are coated.

4.     Add dried cranberries.  Mix.

5.     Spread mixture in an even layer on a medium- to large-size cookie sheet.

6.     Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is golden and toasty-about 45 minutes.

7.     Remove granola from oven and let cool. 

8.     Store in an airtight container.

Kale Krisps

In previous years, fall was the time of year when kale would be in abundance at local farmer's markets.  But not this year.  I've noticed many varieties of kale this spring and summer.

Irregardless, with cooler weather on it's way here in New England, it's a good time to fire up the oven and make Kale Krisps. According to my 1995 edition of The Nutrition Bible, kale is a member of the cabbage family. It grows well in cool, moist climates in poor soil and tends to peak in winter. It's also a good source of vitamins A , C and K.

While I've seen many recipes for Kale Krisps, this one is adapted from a version which appeared in the March 2011 issue of Yoga Journal whose source is noted as an adaptation from Ripe from Around Here: A Vegan Guide to Local and Sustainable Eating by Jae Steele.  I like this recipe as the ingredients are basic,--kale, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and with a low oven setting, the risk of over baking is reduced. 

Where kale is a member of the cabbage family, the aroma produced when making kale krisps may not be the most aromatic. I was not aware of this until after the first time I made this recipe.  This answered my question as to why when making this my house smelled like my grandmother's after she had been cooking cabbage to make stuffed cabbage. Therefore, be forewarned.

Despite the odor, these do not last long in my house. Half are usually consumed as they come out of the oven. The remainder are gone within two days, generally in one sitting.

dinosaur, lacinato or tuscan kale

Kale Krisps

1 bunch dinosaur, lacinato or tuscan kale, washed and stemmed

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

1. Put oven rack on middle setting. Preheat oven to 250 degrees farenheit.
2. Chop kale into 3 inch pieces.
3. In a large bowl, mix oil and vinegar. Add kale and toss until the leaves are evenly coated.
4. Line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil and coat the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the leaves in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
5. Place in oven until dry and crisp, approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour. 
   
   lacinato kale krisps ready for serving