Stuffed Zucchini
I had a big ol' zucchini from our neighbor that was just calling to be stuffed. I thought something simple, bround beef and a bit of cheese, some fresh herbs, would be a nice filling. And maybe some rice on the side...
But there was that basket of tomatoes...
I didn't want to make a tomato sauce, per se, but I did want to use some of them.
A recipe was born!
Stuffed Zucchini
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 plum tomatoes, sliced
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
- asiago cheese (slices and grated)
- 1 egg
- fresh herbs (basil, oregano, parsley)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup rice
- 1 cup beef broth
- salt and pepper, to taste
- zucchini
Hollow out zucchini for stuffing, leaving 1/4" shell. Add 2 tbsp (approx) shredded asiago cheese to zucchini. Set aside.
Cook onion in a bit of olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, then ground beef. Cook. Remove half the beef/onion mixture and allow to cool, a bit. When cool, add 1 egg, salt, pepper, fresh herbs and mix well. Stuff into zucchini on top of cheese.
Meanwhile, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and herbs to pan with ground beef. Cook well. Add red wine and continue cooking. Stir in rice, herbs, beef broth, and salt and pepepr. Bring to boil.
Place zucchini atop rice mixture, cover, reduce heat, and let cook about 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked through.
Remove cover, place sliced cheese atop zucchini and recover for cheese to melt.
Uncover and serve.
It really was an easy meal and came out pretty good. I probably could have seasoned the stuffing beef a bit more - maybe added some tomato paste or chopped olives, or something. It was good, but not spectacular.
The rice, on the other hand, was stellar! It more than made up for the blander zucchini filling - and once they were cut up, things all mixed together, anyway.
I have some couscous from Sardinia that I almost used for this, but decided I needed something a bit more special than stuffed zucchini.
More ideas to come.
And peach pie.
Ribeye Steaks with Caramelized Onions
It's an art-form to bring a pan juuuuuust this close to destruction. And to properly caramelize onions, that's just about where you have to go with it. And ya know that if there's an opportunity to truly dirty a pan, I'm there.
The purpose of this particular skillet-crusting was a couple of ribeye steaks. When we decided to do the steaks tonight, Victor specifically requested the onions. It really is his favorite way to eat a steak.
I was happy to oblidge.
The pan shows the remains of four onions sauteed in 2 tbsp butter. When they were about 80% done, I splashed in some red wine and cooked it down.
The rice was cooked with some red pepper tapenade and then when finished, I stirred in some cheese.
Arugula sauteed in a pat of butter with salt and pepper finished off the plate. And me.
I like cooked arugula much better than cooked spinach - and I love cooked spinach! It's just a great way to enjoy it, and it's as versatile as can be. Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic... It will take anything.
The steaks were about half the size of the monsters we had in Omaha - which was just fine with me. As much as I like to eat, even I couldn't do one of those very often.
I think a little ice cream for dessert is in order, later...
Salads with a Mexican Bite
Tonight was one spicy meal. From the grilled London Broil to the fried peppers, from the corn salad to the dressing, there was chili to be had.
The corn salad was a wing-it recipe...
Corn and Pinto Bean Salad
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can chopped green chilies
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sofrito sauce
- splash Tabasco
- pinch cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cook corn, cool, and cut kernels from cob. Place in bowl with 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained, and 1 can chopped green chilies.
Add mayonnaise, sofrito sauce, tabasco, cumin, and salt and pepper.
Mix well and chill.
It was rather good. The flavors and textures played off one another well. It made a goodly amount, so we'll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
The beef was another spice-sensation. I did a dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and chipotle powder. Lots of chipotle powder. It was spicy! And good. The really thin slices really picked up the flavor.
And then the dressing...
It was pretty much the same dressing as on the corn salad with the addition of lime juice! I wanted something to jazz it up just a bit.
Creamy Sofrito Dressing
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sofrito sauce
- juice of 1 lime
- pinch cumin
- pinch cayenne pepper
- splash Tabasco
- salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients and chill.
The salad itself consisted of iceberg lettuce under spring mix, with some fried peppers, tomatoes, black grapes (love the sweet pop in a spicy dish!) the grilled beef, grilled zucchini, and the corn salad.
It was a lot of flavor for minimal effort.
Let's face it - salads have to be one of the easiest meals to create. They're really not much more than open the 'fridge, pull stuff out, put it atop some lettuce, and add a dressing.
Dressings seem to intimidate people. They really are nothing but three parts oil to one part vinegar - and then stuff added, if you want. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, olive oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil or safflower oil. They all have their own unique flavors and work with a variety of other things... mustards, honey, maple syrup, soy sauce, rice wine... Usually stuff you already have in the house. And the beauty of making your own dressings is you can make exactly the amount you need and not have a refrigerator-shelf full of partial bottles of molding science experiments (that you have no idea how long they have really been in there). Not to mention the chemicals, additives, and flat-out garbage that so many of those "national brands" seem to have in them.
I mean... you're putting fresh vegetables on a plate. Why would you want to cover them with crap?!?
And herbs! ANYthing fresh from the garden works. Anything. Chop it up and throw it in. But dried herbs work well, also, and herb blends like herbs d'Provence or Italian seasoning take all the guesswork out, completely.
No matter where you live, you should be approaching - if not already in - peak vegetable season.
Do your local economy a favor and make a salad with some locally grown ingredients. Or better yet, with some things you've grown yourself!
Risotto
Let's see... It's hotter 'n hell outside, humidity like you wouldn't believe. Perfect for baking bread and making risotto!
Reality is, the house is closed up, the air conditioning is running, it's nice, cool, and comfortable in here, and I have some veggies that have seen better days.
During the winter, I make clean-out-the-refrigerator soup once a week. But comfortable house or not, soup was not what I was looking for tonight.
Risotto started calling my name.
Into the skillet went half a diced onion, garlic, a chicken breast, broccoli rabe, broccoli, radicchio, a cup of arborio rice, white wine, and chicken broth.
I cooked it fairly traditionally, adding a ladle of broth, stirring it in - for about half of it. I then added the rest of the already hot broth, stirred it well, put on the lid, and baked it for 25 minutes at 350°.
When it came out, I stirred in the cheese, fresh herbs, and a bit of salt and pepper.
The fresh bread finished the meal.
As I've been saying, Mother Nature's Proofing Box has been perfect for bread-baking! All the heat and humidity has been helping to make some stellar breads and rolls.
I may not be able to do anything about the weather, but I can certainly utilize it to my advantage!
Not Your Normal Nachos
I had planned to do something with a couple of pork chops tonight. On the grill, whatever. I didn't give it a lot of thought when I pulled them out of the freezer this morning.
Everything changed, however, when I got home and found a present from our friend Luigi - a bottle of Gates Kansas City BBQ Sauce! No way could I grill chops tonight. I have Gates Kansas City BBQ Sauce! I need to plan using this. The chops went back into the 'fridge. I needed another plan tonight.
Pseudo-Mexican!
Mexican is my go-to style of cooking when I don't know what I'm going to cook. I was thinking tacos of some sort - I had the necessary stuff to pull it off. Victor came in and said something about Nachos. The mind started creating...
Our tastes are remarkably similar, but when it comes to tortillas, Victor is more of a flour tortilla kinda guy and I'm definitely of the corn persuasion. I like fried and crunchy, he's more soft.
So... how to combine two different tastes into one dish?!? Fry up some corn tortilla wedges and bake some flour tortilla wedges. Pile one type on half the plate, pile the other type on the other half of the plate.
Simple.
The filling (or is it topping?) was strictly clean-out-the-refrigerator. I fried up some ground beef with an onion and then added some sofrito sauce and a bit of chipotle powder. I heated up the leftover polenta from the other night. Tamales are made with corn meal. Polenta is corn meal. 'Nuff said.
Fresh corn. I cut the kernels off an ear. Pinto beans. And those fried peppers from the other day. Lots of them. And some of the cucumber salad from last night. Diced tomatoes. Cheese.
It was one of those dishes that just screamed YUM!
It was messy to eat and every bite was slightly different. Each chip had a slightly different combination of filling. It was a lot of fun. It would make a great communal party dish.
Fun food.
And speaking of fun food.....
I'm thinking a mixed grill of sorts tomorrow. I have pork chops and pork ribs. Maybe some steak tips, as well. Corn on the cob and a salad.
I can't wait!
Italian-Inspired Brochettes
Just received the latest issue of La Cucina Italiana. I really like the magazine. I rarely follow their recipes verbatim, but it really does inspire me to have some fun.
Tonight's dinner is a perfect example...
This month, the cover recipe - and several recipes inside - are about skewers of some sort. Chicken skewers, shrimp skewers, sardine skewers, tuna skewers, lamb skewers...
I haven't made kabobs/skewers/brochettes in a while and the magazine got me going. There was one recipe that sounded especially intriguing... It was a chicken skewer that was topped with chopped arugula, olives, cucumber, thyme, and crushed red peppers. The concept was sound. I top things with homemade salsas all the time. This was like a dry salsa. Sorta.
First thing I did was switch the meat from chicken to a cubed tri-tip. I marinaded it in Moore's Marinade, garlic, and a bit of sherry. Onto skewers with quartered onion, zucchini, and red bell pepper.
For the topping, I chopped a mango, radicchio, broccoli rabe, and fresh basil, parsley, thyme, and oregano.
Served over white rice.
That little bit of chopped stuff on top really took the plate from ordinary to extraordinary! The fresh herbs, fruit, and veggies really livened up the dish. Every bite exploded in freshness! And unlike the salsas I usually make, there was no underlying sweet/hot flavor. This was pure fresh.
I can see variations on a theme happening all summer.
a-MAIZE-ing
Tonight's dinner started with an ear of fresh corn.
Next thing I knew, the whole dinner was about corn. Corn spaghetti noodles came down from the cabinet. Posole came down from the cabinet. Children of the corn right here at our house.
The thought process became chicken and corn over corn noodles.
I sauteed a shallot in a pat of butter and added the fresh corn cut from the cob. Then some diced chicken breast. Into the pan went a teaspoon of cumin, some garlic, and a pinch of chipotle powder. (I just wanted a bit of smokiness, not a lot of heat.)
Next went a couple of tablespoons of flour and a cup and a half of milk. And a can of diced green chilies. And a mini can of sliced black olives.
Then I added some minced basil and oregano from the garden. Just because.
I thought about adding some cheese to the sauce and then decided I didn't need to, tonight. Weigh-in is tomorrow, ya know?!? (I'm eating homemade vanilla ice cream with melted chocolate on top as I type this... You can tell how serious I've taken this week's eating...)
I also made another batch of those sesame rolls from last night. And then I didn't even eat one! (Saving room for ice cream!)
That's okay, though. They'll make great sandwiches.
Or burger buns.
Open Sesame
Tonight's dinner is brought to you by the letter 'S'. For Sesame Seeds.
I took a couple of eye of the round steaks out of the freezer this morning, thinking I would just grill them when I got home. Simple. Basic. And eversoslightlyboring. Can't have that!
All the reminiscing about Singapore had me thinking satay which pointed me towards all of the Asian spices and condiments in the house - and the black sesame seeds that I seldom use. A recipe was born. I thin-sliced the steaks into strips and marinated them in soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, mirin, garlic. sambal oelek, ginger, and black pepper.
After an hour, they went onto the grill.
Still using charcoal. I came *thiiiiiiiiis* close to getting a gas grill this weekend, but practicality won out over convenience. For now, at least. It takes a bit more planning and the spontaneous hot dogs just don't happen, but I'm not in a hurry to change. That, and I'm just not ready to spend a couple hundred bucks on something I really don't need. I can be so cheap at the strangest times.
But back to dinner...
I also had a batch of no-kneaad dough in the 'fridge, so I made some sesame rolls to go along with the sesame beef.
I made six small rolls (about 3/4 the size of a tennis ball) and after forming them, rolled them in the sesame seeds. I let them proof outside - 80° with 85% humidity is Mother Nature's perfect proofing box - and then baked them for 25 minutes at 450°. They came out really crispy-crunchy with a really tender interior.
Japonica rice and asparagus and cherry tomatoes - with just a bit of garlic and rice wine - finished the plate.
I could have just eaten rolls with butter and the beef. As it was, I ate two of them. I could have kept going, but reality set in there, as well.
Besides, this way Victor has something for lunch tomorrow!
Just Like Lobster Rolls
I told Victor I was making Shrimp Rolls for dinner. He thought I was making Chinese Spring Rolls. SURPRISE!
Actually, the surprise was on me. I bought hot dog buns and somehow they didn't make it home with me. I mean... what's a shrimp roll without split-top hot dog buns?!? A Shrimp Bun, that's what!
I used to love lobster rolls when I lived up in Boston. And they were cheap, too! A couple of bucks from any number of old shacks along the water. Last one I had was a few years ago. Eight bucks - and I think they waved the lobster over it. (Okay... I just checked the menu of one of my more favorite places, Woodman's in Essex, MA, and their Lobster Roll is now $18.95. I'm definitely getting old...)
To be honest, we didn't have shrimp or lobster rolls - we had Langostino Rolls. Langostino are neither shrimp nor lobster, but, in the USA, at least, are usually a squat lobster - which is a relative of the crab. And herein ends your crustacean lesson for the day.
I made the basic salad - onion, celery, pickle, mayonnaise, a grating of lemon zest, and a pinch of tarragon. Perfect summer flavors.
Oven roasted teeny potatoes finished it off. They were just like french fries - I even dipped them in ketchup!
Substantial Scampi
Victor comes through, again.
I pulled a bag of shrimp out of the freezer this morning, thinking I'd do a bit of a pasta and vegetable dish with it. Substantial Scampi. Just a simple this-'n-that dish.
Victor had the same idea - what a surprise, there - and when I got home, said he would take care of dinner.
No need to ever say that to me twice. I love to cook, but when someone else is cooking, I'm eating. I know how to vacate a kitchen. Fast. Before second thoughts can take root.
I was outta there.
Dinner was brilliant in its simplicity... shrimp quickly sauteed in a bit of olive oil and lemon dill butter. He then added an orange bell pepper, garlic, peas, fresh herbs from the garden, sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes, some shredded parmesan cheese, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
He then added the cooked mini cheese ravioli, added a bit more cheese, and dinner was served!
He also baked off the last of the no-knead bread dough in the 'fridge.
Shrimp and pasta with warm homemade bread. Creamy, rich, flavorful, and just what I wanted.
I'm spoiled.
And I love it!
Raspberry Scrippelle
I've gone from never hearing about a crepelle or scrippelle in my life to getting several sweet and savory recipes in a matter of a couple of weeks.
The first came from La Cucina Italiana magazine - a Raspberry and Apple Crepe, and the second from Lidia Bastianich's latest book Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy.
I knew after making Lidia's Crepelle with Spinach that the crepes would be wonderful as a sweet as well as a savory.
Tonight was the night to put it to test.
This is definitely in the category of "Wing-It Recipes".
I made the crepes from Lidia's recipe, cutting it in half.
For the filling, I took about 3/4 cup of ricotta and mixed it with a teaspoon of sugar and about a tablespoon of marsala.
I spread a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each crepelle and sprinkled on fresh raspberries and then folded them into quarters.
For the topping, I mixed about a half-cup of sour cream with a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. I topped each plate with some, added more raspberries, and then sprinkled cocoa powder on top.
They are thicker than a French crepe which is good for holding up to the fillings and folding.
I see a lot more possibilities.....
Scrumptious Salads and Fear of Food
Friday weigh-in. Lost another pound.
I keep thinking that if I was reasonably serious about this, I could actually lose some serious weight. But, on the other hand, by not really trying to lose a lot of weight - and definitely not dieting - the pounds are actually dropping a bit. I really do know how easy it is to gain weight. I could very easily walk into a 12-step program and say "Hello, my name is Tim. I'm a foodaholic."
I love food. I love to eat. I love all types of food, all areas, regions, nationalities, and cuisines. The absolute perfect vacation for me would be to spend 2 weeks in a place - a villa in Sicily, a flat in Paris, or something in the south of France... Someplace with a reasonably-equipped kitchen, a view, and a marketplace within walking distance. I could cook and eat for two weeks and never feel the need to "go out and do something". Hello, my name is Tim. I'm a foodaholic.
And because I love food so much, I just don't understand how so many people can be afraid of it. And so ignorant of it. All day long I overhear conversations from people who "won't eat this because it has carbs in it" or zero in on the 6 grams of fat per serving and completely disregard the 20 grams of protein and other nutrients.
Or won't buy potato chips (1oz = 150 kcal, 10gr fat - 1gr sat, 180mg sodium, 15gr carbs, and 2 gr protein) but pick up bags and bags of "Veggie Chips" (1oz = 150 kcal, 9 gr fat - 2gr sat, 100mg sodium, 16gr carbs, and 1gr protein). I don't buy a lot of potato chips because I know that while they are really crunchy/salty/good, they're also high in calories. I can polish off a bag pretty easy. I don't buy them often. But I also don't try and fool myself that I can have my junk craving by buying "veggie chips".
Of course, my favorite is the evil of all evils - butter.
You know... butter. Ingredients: Sweet cream.
1 tbsp = 100 calories, 11gr fat - 6gr sat, 0gr sodium, 0gr carbs, 0gr protein.
Instead, it's some sort of oil-stuff made to semi-resemble butter. With all sorts of stuff in it. "Leading Brand" Ingredients: Natural Oil Blend (Palm Fruit, Soybean, Canola Seed, and Olive Oils) Water, contains Less than 2% of Salt, Whey, Vegetable Monoglycerides and Sorbitan Ester of Fatty Acids (Emulsifiers) Soybean Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid (to Protect Freshness) Natural and Artificial Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Vitamin E (DL-a-Tocopheryl Acetate) Beta-Carotene Color.
1 tbsp = 80 calories, 9gr fat - 3gr sat, 90mg sodium, 0gr carbs, 0gr protein.
Why would I want to eat something like that? What on earth is Sorbitan Ester of Fatty Acids? Oh. Here we go... Sorbitan esters of fatty acid is called sorbitan ester, which is produced by esterification of sorbitol and fatty acid. It is a mixture of sorbitol ester and sorbide ester, which are simultaneously produced as well as sorbitan ester.
In my phony butter spread stuff. Because Sorbitan Ester of Fatty Acids is better for my body that sweet cream?!?
I don't think so.
I'm not trying to fool myself here, either. I know what butter is and what it does. Too much of it - or of just about anything for that matter - is not going to be a good thing. It's just a matter of knowing what it is you're eating and knowing that too much of even a good thing is not always a good thing. But real, fresh ingredients will always be better than something that came out of a chemistry class. Our bodies were designed to eat and process food - not stuff that has been engineered and re-engineered to look like food. Do you find it a mere coincidence that as a nation, we have gotten fatter and fatter with the introduction of more and more "light", "lite", and "diet" foods?!?
I don't.
I did put some butter on our homemade whole wheat garlic, fresh herb, and cheese bread tonight. Not a lot. It didn't need a lot.
The bread dough was the no-knead to which I added some chopped fresh herbs and garlic, along with a tiny bit of grated cheese I had left over in the 'fridge.
The salads were mixed greens, heirloom cherry tomatoes, zucchini, diced plums, and a bit of cauliflower with a balsamic vinaigrette Victor whipped up. Topped with half of a thick-sliced grilled boneless pork chop.
Real food. Stuff my body recognizes as food and knows how to process.
And speaking of real food...
It's time for dessert.
A Raspberry Scrippelle.