Food and Recipes Archives - Page 7 of 8

Bzzzz July 3rd, 2007

Way back in February I happened on a cookbook entitled The Classic Zucchini Cookbook: 225 Recipes for All Kinds of Squash, by Nancy C. Ralston et al.

Thinking of my past summers with an over-abundance of zucchini (or zookanook, as my dad calls it), I quickly snatched it up. Then recently, I also noticed that there were NO copies of this handy cookbook at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders. (Local, in my case, being one hour away.) Obviously, I’m not the only one trying to figure out how to deal with all this zucchini!

And then just a couple of days ago, Carol at May Dreams Gardens was pondering what to do with her adorable cue ball zucchini. I posted a not-so-helpful, sketchy version of a recipe I now make all the time here at home. While I look for the version of the recipe that I have adapted and make from instinct and memory, I offer one of my FAVORITE recipes from the aforementioned book that you can use for all that abundance of zucchini!

Double Squash Cornbread Supper

Notes: Our little family TOTALLY LOVES this dish. The zucchini cornbread topping is so delicious, you can serve it all by itself.

Ingredients:

Cornbread Topping 2 cups grated zucchini 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 large eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 plain yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil

Chili Filling 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 onion, diced 1 red or green bell pepper, diced 2 fresh green chiles, such as poblano or jalapeno 1 medium-sized yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced 1 1/2 cups seeded and diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, red kidney beans or pinto beans (home cooked or canned) 2 tablespoons cilantro salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: 1. Start the cornbread topping by combining the grated zucchini and salt in a colander. Toss to mix well and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 3. To prepare the chili filling, combine oil, cumin and chili powder in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and chiles. Saute until the onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the summer squash and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the chili simmer while you finish the sopping. 4. To finish the cornbread topping, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well. Combine the eggs, yogurt and oil in a small bowl and mix well. Squeeze the zucchini to remove any excess moisture and add the flour mixture. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until well combined. The batter will be lumpy. 5. To assemble the dish, remove the skillet from the heat. Evenly spread the cornbread batter over the chili, spreading it to the edges of the pan. 6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and firm. A tester inserted near the center should come out clean. 7. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving with a pie server or large spoon.

Bon appetit!

–Robin (Bumblebee)

P.S.

The love triangle was back this morning. I am worried that the female bird isn’t eating.

Posted In: Food and Recipes

Tags: cornbread, Recipes, squash

4 Comments

Bzzzz June 29th, 2007

Do you sprout?It’s not just for hippies anymore.

I have been sprouting for years. Radish sprouts. Broccoli sprouts. Onion sprouts. These are mung bean sprouts.

There are many beauties to sprouting:

– No weeds.

– You can sprout any time of the year, even in a snowstorm.

– It takes up very little space.

– It’s WAY fast. You can get a harvest in as little as two days.

– The sprouts taste yummy and can be used in a wide variety of cooking.

– It’s very inexpensive.

– They are really good for you.

As you can see, I don’t have one of those fancy sprouters advertised in the magazines. This is just a mayonnaise jar that is fitted with a lid that I found about a hundred years ago at a health food store. You can accomplish the same thing with a bit of screen or even cheesecloth and a rubber band.

Here’s what you do.

1) Find the sprout seeds. This, I’m afraid, is the hard part. You can look in health food stores but even they, I’m afraid, are often deficient on this score. Surfing the web helps. I recently got two FIVE POUND BAGS of mung beans from the wife of the fellow who owns the wine shop (did you follow that) because they shop at an Indian grocery store near their home about an hour from here.

2) Measure out a modest portion of the seeds into your sprouter. They will expand like mad, so don’t fill it very much. For this mayo jar you see here, I only had about 1/2 cup of mung beans.

3) Soak the seeds in tepid water overnight in a dark location. I put them in the cabinet where we keep our glasses. This way, I always am reminded of it because that’s the cabinet I visit most frequently.

4) Each day, rinse the seeds in tepid water. I rinse in the morning and in the evening. Allow to drain upside down, giving the jar a little air space. I prop my jar sideways in the aforementioned cabinet, still allowing the drops of water to run out on a paper towel.

5) Eat when ready or save in the refrigerator. Sprouts will keep up to 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

Ben's-cooking.gif

Mung bean sprout, tomato, cucumber and goat cheese salad. Oh, and Ben’s grilled filets with lemon butter topping. (Ben says thanks for the book, Vennie!)

Each seed type has its own unique flavor. I particularly like mung beans for their earthy and nutty flavor. I use them in salads of all types. They can also be mixed with tuna, chicken or other meats.

Onion and radish sprouts have a zesty flavor that I adore. Broccoli sprouts taste a bit like broccoli. You can, of course, mix sprouts too for a mix of flavors.

So there you go! A very easy way to garden in your kitchen cabinet. No experience required!

Ciao!

Posted In: Food and Recipes

Tags: indoor gardening, sprouts