BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

This recipe was posted on another private forum I'm on by a wonderful lady named Joyce...I'm so glad she ran across this recipe.  It's going in my "keepers" file for sure.  I used fresh broccoli and cauliflower instead of frozen....Bob deemed this a winner...so did I...it's SO GOOD!-- This is Carol's review

BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE 

(Source: McCormick.com)

"This creamy casserole can be made a day ahead, refrigerated and then baked just before dinner. Using frozen vegetables makes this dish a cinch."

1/2 c. fine dry bread crumbs

1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided

1 (16 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed (I used fresh)

1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen cauliflower florets, thawed (I used fresh)*

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Large onion, chopped (1 c.)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. garlic salt (I used garlic powder)

1/4 tsp. black pepper, coarse ground

1 1/4 c. milk

4 oz.  cream cheese, cut-up

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp.melted butter and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning in small bowl; set aside. Cut up any large broccoli florets or cauliflower into bite-size pieces.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, remaining 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Add milk; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cream cheese and remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add vegetables; toss gently to coat. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish (I sprayed the pan with cooking spray). Sprinkle top evenly with crumb mixture

Bake 40 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

Makes 10 servings.

This would be a great side dish for the holidays!

* since fresh veggies take longer to cook I place foil over the dish and baked for the 40 minutes. I removed foil after 40 and let the top brown.

Cafe Coffee Cookies

Cookie baking is one of my all time loves.  It seems like when I pick up an all-purpose cookbook, the first chapter I look for is cookies, followed close behind by breads. I'm always ready to test drive a new cookie recipe.

With the myriad of cookbooks I've collected sitting in different spots in the house, I have no reason whatsoever to be making the same cookie over and over again. These cookbooks and cooking magazines are sitting here just waiting to be opened, looked at and USED.

While flipping through a stack of cooking magazines, I happened across a photo of these cookies.....oh boy, it drew me in and hooked me right away. The list of ingredients was simple-everything was in my refrigerator or cupboard. No more excuses-time to bake!

These mix up in no time at all.  I stayed true to the recipe as written, choosing to use instant espresso over instant coffee because I wanted to make sure the flavor of coffee could be detected in the cookies and espresso powder is a little stronger than instant coffee. I also substituted dark chocolate chips for the semisweet chips. I love dark chocolate and have been using those chips more in cookie recipes in place of semisweet chocolate chips.

What a wonderful twist on a basic chocolate chip cookie these are. They're crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside-the perfect combination in my book. The coffee flavor is not overpowering. It's subtle, yet it adds a nice dimension of flavor.  I normally don't glaze cookies, but decided to give it a try this time, thinking it might add a nice finishing touch. Boy, it sure did-once again, the coffee doesn't overpower-it adds another layer of coffee flavor to an already wonderful cookie. They're a perfect sidekick to a cup of coffee and would be equally good with an ice cold glass of milk.

Am I ever glad I stumbled across this recipe. One taste and it quickly earned a spot on my favorites list.

If you're a coffee and chocolate lover-give these a try. I think they'll put a smile on your face-they sure did mine! :)


Carol 



CAFE COFFEE COOKIES
(Source: slightly adapted from Betty Crocker's Supermoist Cakes magazine-original recipe found HERE)

COOKIES:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. instant espresso OR instant coffee granules or crystals
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 (12 oz.) pkg. dark chocolate OR semisweet chocolate chips 


COFFEE DRIZZLE:
1/2 tsp. instant espresso OR instant coffee granules or crystals
1 Tbsp. hot water
1/2-3/4 c. confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy.  

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso (or coffee), baking soda and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture on low speed, beating just until combined. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (I always use a cookie scoop) 2" apart onto ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and the edges are set.  Cool on the pan for 2-4 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pans to wire racks and cool completely.

For the glaze, in a small bowl, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso (or instant coffee) in the hot water. Stir in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth. Add more confectioners' sugar a little at a time, if necessary, until the glaze reaches the desired drizzling consistency.


Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.  Allow the glaze to set before storing the cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper, plastic wrap or foil. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

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SHREDDED WHEAT MOLASSES BREAD

As you regular readers probably know, making bread is one of my favorite things to do in my kitchen.  It's relaxation for me.....I just love every part of it from the kneading by hand to the shaping of the loaves or rolls, right down to the baking.  Somehow that bread baking aroma beats any expensive perfume in my book. I wish someone could bottle that scent and sell it as room spray. Bread baking in the oven just makes the house smell like home to me. It brings me back to when my Nana would make homemade rolls.  My neighbor and  I couldn't WAIT to have one of those rolls warm from the oven with melted butter-they were SO good.

I don't buy bread when I grocery shop any more-I prefer to make it.  I set aside a day and make a few loaves, then package the finished bread up into 4 slice packets and tuck them in the freezer.  Homemade bread doesn't last like store bought bread without all those preservatives, so this method gives us just enough to use for what we need. I do like to vary the kinds of bread I make-I'm all about trying a new recipe for bread that would be perfect for sandwiches or a sweeter loaf that would be perfect toasted for breakfast.

I don't eat shredded wheat as cereal-my Dad used to...with boiling water.....no thank you. I've been wanting to try making Shredded Wheat Bread for a long time. I had it years ago and loved the stuff. I finally remembered to buy the cereal, so all I needed to do was to find a good sounding recipe. That gave me a good excuse to go rummaging through my collection of bread books. There it was....the perfect sounding recipe to try.

This bread goes together in no time at all. The first time I made it, I used butter flavored vegetable shortening in it, the second time I used butter....both gave me fantastic results.  I don't even use my mixer when I make this. I have a Danish Dough Whisk that does a slick job when mixing bread dough. I saw it on the King Arthur Video in the series of videos about bread making (one of the links is below in the recipe) and when I saw how slick it worked, I invested in one.  Best 10 bucks I've spent in a long time-the tool has already paid for itself. By all means, go ahead and use a stand mixer and dough hook to make this bread, if you prefer.

I usually bake this bread in two 9x5 inch bread pans. They yield nice size loaves. Years ago, I saw a set of loaf pans at, of ALL places, Publisher's Clearing House, that were sizes of which I'd not seen anywhere before, so I ordered them.  The largest one is an odd size....about 12x8x3.  I used it the last time I made this bread to make one big loaf...and when I say big I MEAN big! Naturally, it took longer to bake and produced a beautiful loaf of bread that was so big it wouldn't fit into my bread slicing guide-YIKES! I had to try getting even slices by hand with my electric knife. THAT was a trip...some didn't look too bad-others-not so much.  Needless to say I think I'll stick with the 9x5 inch pans. I  really do like using my slicing guide. :)

I can't say enough good things about this bread.  If you're looking for a heavy sort of traditional whole wheat bread, this one isn't for you. This bread is soft and light with a fine crumb. The molasses adds a subtle sweetness while the shredded wheat cereal gives you a slight "whole wheat" taste. I absolutely LOVE a slice toasted.  Bob likes taking a half sandwich with a cup of soup to work and said this bread actually fills him up where store bought bread usually doesn't-he would be taking a whole sandwich if he used that.

Shredded Wheat Molasses Bread is a favorite in this house. If you love making bread, I hope you'll give this a try-maybe it will become a keeper in your house too.


Carol



SHREDDED WHEAT MOLASSES BREAD
Source:slightly adapted from Judy Gorman's Breads of New England cookbook

3 shredded wheat biscuits
1 3/4 c. boiling water
1/3 c. molasses
3 Tbsp. butter OR vegetable shortening (regular or butter flavored)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. milk
1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water (100-110 degrees) with a pinch of granulated sugar added
5 1/4-6 c. bread flour
1/2-1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, for brushing over top crust of breads after baking (optional)

Crumble the shredded wheat biscuits into a large mixing bowl.  Pour the boiling water over the top of the cereal.  Stir in the molasses, butter, sugar and salt. Mix well.  Stir in the milk and let the mixture stand until it's barely warm to the touch.

Add the dissolved yeast and 2 cups of the bread flour. Stir with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until the batter is smooth.  Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour until a soft dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  I measure out the full amount of flour called for in the recipe and set it aside in a bowl.  That's what I use to stir into the dough, then knead and shape the rolls.  I usually have flour left over.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to make a soft, elastic dough that isn't sticky and springs back when lightly touched.  This takes me about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a linen kitchen towel and set it aside in a draft-free warm place to rise until the dough is doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Grease (2) 9x5-inch loaf pans.

Gently punch down the dough while it's in the bowl, turn it onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Pat one half of the dough into a rectangular shape. Fold one short end of the dough toward the center and gently press the seam with the side of your hand.  Repeat with the other short side of the dough, bringing the short side to the center and pressing.  Fold the dough in half and lightly press, then press each end of the dough and tuck them under. Place the dough, seam side down, into the prepared pan and gently press down the dough with your hand to make it even all the way across.  A great video from King Arthur Flour that takes you step by step through the process can be found HERE.

Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.

Cover the pans lightly with plastic wrap or a linen kitchen towel and let the dough rise until you see it start to rise a little above the rim of the pan-don't let it go more than 1" above the edge or it will collapse on you when it bakes.

When the dough has almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I usually start the oven when I see the dough almost to the top edge of the bread pan.

Uncover the pans and bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the bread is light golden brown and the bottom of each loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

If desired, brush a little melted butter over the top crust of the each loaf of bread until it's lightly coated-you might not need all of what you melted for this.  

Remove from the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.  Makes (2) 9x5-inch loaves, about 16 slices each.

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Tomato Ditalini Soup

My soup recipe collection has really grown as of late. We love homemade soup all year long, especially in the winter. The weather here has been a roller coaster this year...we go from spring-like temperatures to Arctic cold overnight.  As a rule, during the winter, I make at least one batch of homemade soup once a week....sometimes more.  I love soups loaded with vegetables and a hearty broth. Bob loves them with some kind of protein....see, he's a "Where's the meat? kind of guy.

I have quite a collection of specialty cooking magazines here, and a good number of them pertain to soups. While browsing through them to look for some new ideas, I came across this recipe with a very tempting photograph alongside. I've made tomato based soups like Minestrone before, but hadn't made one that had tomatoes as the "star" of the soup. As many magazines as I looked through, I kept going back to this recipe and photo. That was a signal to me to give it a try.

The recipe goes together in no time at all. I stayed pretty true to the original, adding some Italian seasoning to the broth for another level of flavor.  I also used my homemade chicken stock instead of canned broth.  If you want to keep this totally vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

When the pasta was done cooking and I looked at what I had for a finished product in the pan, I wasn't happy.  It was too "watery"...and in tasting it, it didn't have the tomato punch I wanted. Solution?  Tomato paste-a couple rounded tablespoons stirred into the hot broth at the end was all that soup needed to give me the depth of tomato flavor I was looking for.  It added just the right richness and slight thickness to the broth.  PERFECT!  I tasted one last time, adjusted the seasoning, and I was happy.

The soup sat overnight in the refrigerator waiting for lunch the next day. Once heated through, a sprinkle of parsley and shredded cheese is all that was needed.

One spoonful was all it took to know I had a winner.  The tomato and herb flavor was even fuller the next day, with a nice background of onion, garlic and a touch of celery. The ditalini adds just enough bulk to make the soup filling-which made Bob happy. He didn't even say "It would be better with some chicken..."-that's always a good sign!

Seeing those diced tomatoes made me feel like I was eating soup made with tomatoes from my garden, which makes me think summertime-and on a cold winter day, that's a VERY pleasant thought.

Not only is this soup easy, it's a great one to make just before grocery shopping.  It uses ingredients I always have in the cupboard and refrigerator.  If I didn't have celery in the crisper drawer, I'd omit it and add more onion...or maybe a couple of finely diced carrots. No diced tomatoes? Use canned whole tomatoes cut into pieces. That's what I love about recipes like this. They're so versatile and can adapt to whatever ingredients you have on hand.

This recipe is in my regular rotation-not only is it quick and easy, it's one super delicious tomato soup.


Carol

TOMATO DITALINI SOUP
(Source: adapted from Cuisine Splendid Soups and Stews magazine)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. finely diced onion
1/2 c. finely diced celery
2 cloves garlic, finely minced, then "pasted"
2 (14 1/2 oz. each) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
4 c. homemade chicken stock OR low sodium chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted)
1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 c. ditalini OR orzo pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
Chopped fresh parsley
Shredded Romano OR Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, Italian seasoning and ditalini.  Bring the soup to a boil.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 10-12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the tomato paste and stir until it dissolves into the broth and the soup is slightly thickened. If you like a thicker soup, add more tomato paste, then adjust the seasonings to taste. The heaping 2 Tbsp. was the perfect consistency for us.

Serve the soup garnished with chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkling of shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese.  4 servings.

NOTE:  Sometimes the pasta can "drink" up the broth in soup when it sits in the refrigerator overnight.  I fix that by adding a touch more broth when I heat it up or in this soup, a glug or so of V-8 juice works great if I have it on hand.

Asian-Style Chicken Wings

Cookbooks....boy have I got a boatload of them.  They're my "reference books"-my "encyclopedias", if you will, that hold valuable information when it comes to cooking and baking.  When I need a new idea-or want to reach back for a tried and true one-I can walk up to any of the bookcases loaded with these treasure tomes, pull a book off the shelf (or 2 or 10 books...) and find a boatload of inspiration. 

This recipe is and oldie but goodie.  My Mom and I each picked up a copy of this cookbook at a church fair we went to years ago. She made the recipe, raved about it, and told me I needed to try it. 

When I saw gin listed as an ingredient in the recipe, I was surprised Mom had made them. Neither she nor my Dad drank gin-and Bob and I don't care for it. She said she was intrigued enough by the recipe to pick up a small bottle and give it a go.  

I like to use freshly grated ginger in the marinade, but have used ground ginger and it works just as well. I use a little less than a cup of sugar-the cup isn't level-and I always use the lower sodium soy sauce.

One of the keys to the wonderful flavor of these wings is allowing them to marinate a good 24 hours-the wings in the photo marinated about a day and a half.  Baking them in a single layer and flipping them over halfway through the baking time allows both sides to glaze up nicely.

Am I ever glad my Mom made these and insisted that I give them a try. One taste and this recipe shot right to the top of my favorites list. I don't know what the gin does in this marinade-you can't taste it in the finished product-but it works some kind of magic. I guess it's that secret ingredient that makes people say "I don't know what's in these, but they taste FANTASTIC!"   They're the perfect mix of soy, garlic and ginger with just the right amount of sweetness, and that slightly sticky glaze is finger-lickin' good. Since the wings are best served warm, I like to make them ahead and put them in a crock pot on low. 

 If you're looking for a new idea to serve at your Super Bowl party, or if your family just loves chicken wings, I hope you'll give these a try. 

Now back to my "library"....I need to put some more of these cookbooks to good use! :)


Carol



ASIAN-STYLE CHICKEN WINGS
(Source: slightly adapted from What's Cookin' at St. Catherine's School cookbook, Manchester, NH-recipe from Diane Cote)

1 c. lite soy sauce 
1 scant c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. gin
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger OR ground ginger
2 Tbsp. honey
4-5 lb. chicken wings, cut in half, wing tips removed

Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, gin, garlic powder, ginger and honey in a small bowl until well mixed.

Place the chicken wings in a heavy resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the wings, seal the bag and  place it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to marinate. 

Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil, then spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Spread wings in a single layer on the prepared pan. Discard any remaining marinade.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn the wings and continue to bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes more or until the wings are golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.

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CHICKEN PARMESAN MEATBALL CASSEROLE

I  love having a variety of meats in the freezer-it make meal planning easy when the protein is in the freezer waiting to be thawed for whatever recipe I choose to make.  I try to have at least 1 package of ground chicken or turkey on hand. I love using it in chili and every so often, there's nothing better than a Fiery Chicken (or turkey) Cheeseburger-they really hit the spot. When I found this recipe, I just knew it would be something we'd love-and it was an all in one dish-even better!
I have a favorite go-to recipe for marinara sauce that takes no time at all to make and uses basic ingredients.  I put that on to simmer, then moved on to the next step.

I decided to amp up the flavor in the meatballs.  I added fresh garlic and chopped fresh parsley to the mixture, just like I do when I make meatballs out of ground beef for meatballs and spaghetti. Ground chicken is pretty bland, so I added some dried spices to give the meatballs multiple layers of flavor. I reached for my standards-onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. I always have a freezer bag of bread crumbs that I make from stale bread so I used 1 cup of those in place of the Panko the original recipe calls for.

I have great luck baking meatballs on my broiler pan.  I used my Pampered Chef cookie scoop which makes the perfect 1" meatballs (yes, Bob measured the scoop!). I kept my hands slightly damp which helped the chicken mixture not stick. I got 44 meatballs out of the batch I made.  Depending on what size you roll them, the amount could change.  I baked the meatballs until my instant read thermometer hit 165 degrees.  Once they were cooked through, I placed them in a bowl, added a touch of the marinara sauce and gently stirred them until the sauce lightly coated each one.

While the meatballs were baking, I got the pasta cooked. I used cavatappi pasta, but any small shape pasta would work in this.

Once the pasta was cooked and drained, I mixed the remaining sauce into it, then weighed it and placed half in the bottom of the baking dish. Weighing isn't necessary-I just prefer even layers. Half of the sauce-coated meatballs went over top, then half the cheese and half the Italian seasoning.  I repeated the layers and into the oven it went for 20 minutes.

When I removed it from the oven, both Bob and I could see that the top needed more cheese.   I had used pre-shredded mozzarella I had in the refrigerator.  For a casserole like this-I don't think it worked that well. I had to add another cup to the top to get the meatballs even partly coated with cheese. Note to self-next time, use the block mozzarella cheese and shred it by hand-it's MUCH creamier. Change number one.

I'll also be making my marinara sauce a little thinner the next time. The pasta really soaked the thick sauce up.  Adding a little water to the can to release any tomato stuck to the bottom and sides after I dumped the tomatoes into the pot would have made the sauce just the right texture.  Also-the thickness of the tomato product you use makes a big difference in the end result too.  The tomatoes I used yesterday were very thick and even though the pan was covered and condensation dripped in from the glass cover, the sauce could have been a little thinner.  I thawed some marinara sauce that I had frozen and added a couple spoonfuls when I reheated a portion of this the next night-that was just the right balance, the pasta was perfectly coated. Store-bought sauce is thinner than homemade as a rule. Change number two-thinner marinara.


This is one absolutely delicious AND filling meal.  The tender, juicy chicken meatballs are packed with garlic and cheese flavor-just the way we like them-and were made even more tasty with the homemade marinara sauce and melted cheese. I picked a few basil leaves from my garden, thinly sliced them into basil "ribbons" and sprinkled over the top. That added a nice fresh flavor and complimented the sprinkle of Italian seasoning that went over the cheese.  

We had this 2 nights, then I froze the rest of it in a couple containers to have on hand to thaw and give me a night off from cooking dinner-just heat and serve.


Thank you so much, Karly, for sharing your fantastic recipe.  Do take some time to check out her wonderful blog-she's got some delicious dishes to tempt everyone's palate. If you love Chicken Parmesan and would like all those flavors in a one dish meal?  I hope you'll give this recipe a try. I made and photographed it during the summer months, but this is a SUPER "comfort food" casserole-I can't wait to make it again to have on a cold winter night. It's a winnah-winnah-ground chicken dinnah at this house. :)

Carol

CHICKEN PARMESAN MEATBALL CASSEROLE
(Source: adapted from Karly @ Buns In My Oven-original recipe found HERE)

NASHOBA TECH MARINARA SAUCE:*
(Source: adapted from Chef Steve Whiting, chef/instructor of Culinary Arts @ Nashoba Regional Technical High School)

2 Tbsp. olive oil 
4 cloves garlic, finely minced 
1 (28 oz.) can Pastene "Kitchen Ready" tomatoes OR 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes or tomato purée (I prefer using the "Kitchen Ready" tomatoes-I like the consistency of the sauce using them)
2 tsp. granulated sugar, or to taste (feel free to omit the sugar if you like)
A generous pinch of dried basil, OR fresh basil, chopped
A generous pinch of dried oregano
Chopped fresh parsley, to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/4 c. grated Romano OR Parmesan cheese

*NOTE: 1 (24 oz.) jar of marinara sauce can be substituted for homemade marinara sauce

MEATBALLS:
1 large egg
1 c. soft bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. granulated garlic 
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. ground chicken

CASSEROLE:
1 lb. cavatappi (or any small pasta such as gemelli, penne, ziti rigati)
2-3 c. (8-12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese (much better to buy a block and shred it yourself-the cheese is much creamier than the pre-shredded one. If using pre-shredded cheese, you'll definitely need 3 cups.  If you shred the cheese yourself, 2 cups will probably be plenty), divided
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, divided

2-3 large basil leaves, rolled then cut into thin "ribbons" for sprinkling over top, optional 


For the marinara sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 

Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, parsley, pepper and cheese; cover and simmer over very low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, milk, chopped parsley, minced garlic, onion powder, granulated garlic, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well mixed.  Add the chicken and mix gently until all the ingredients are well combined. 

Form the meatball mixture into (44) 1" meatballs.  I use my small Pampered Chef cookie scoop for this-it makes the perfect size meatball with very little rolling.  Also, the chicken mixture is very moist so dampening your hands will make it easier to roll the meat and not have it stick to your hands. 

Place the meatballs on a broiler pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray OR on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake @ 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center.  An instant read thermometer should read 165 degrees.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Place the meatballs in a bowl and stir in some of the marinara sauce-just enough to coat the meatballs. Set the bowl aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some salt to the water then stir in the  pasta. Cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package suggest. Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot. Add the remaining marinara sauce to the pasta and stir until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce.

Place half of the pasta in a 13x9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Top the pasta with 22 meatballs, evenly spaced over top.  Sprinkle the meatballs and pasta with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 tsp. of the Italian seasoning. Top with the remaining pasta and the rest of the meatballs. Scrape any marinara sauce that is in the bottom of the bowl out and drop it onto the pasta and meatballs. Spread the remaining 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese over top, then sprinkle the cheese with 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning.

Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet larger than the baking pan just in case something bubbles over.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Sprinkle the basil "ribbons" over the top of the casserole, if desired.  Serve immediately.  8 servings.

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CRISPY BAKED FISH WITH HOMEMADE TARTAR SAUCE

Bob and I were both born and raised here in New England-an area of the country that has WONDERFUL seafood available.  My dad loved to fish and would go to the beach every summer weekend to dig clams. Family and friends couldn't wait to come over for a steamers feast. He would go ice fishing in the winter for smelt and caught fresh water trout in the summer which my Nana would flour and fry in a cast iron skillet. I've never had fish taste so good since. Those are some fond-and delicious-memories...the trout that is, not the clams. I never developed a liking for those. My daughter however?  Loves seafood of ALL kinds-she definitely takes after her Grampa.

When Bob and I got married, we soon found out that we shared the same likes and dislikes when it came to seafood. People rave about shrimp, lobster, clams-we say "no thank you". We do however love scallops, or good piece of cod or haddock. Back in the day, we would order fish when we ate out because although I had a few recipes to cook haddock at home that I liked, I knew there had to be one better out there somewhere-one that gave me a nice crispy crust on the outside of the fish without deep-frying it.

When this recipe arrived in my email box a while ago, I couldn't wait to try it.  Could it be? Is this the recipe I was looking for?

Our regular grocery store has a wonderful fresh fish counter, but also sells frozen vacuum packed fresh fish that we've always walked by.  With this recipe in hand, we decided to give a piece of cod a try.  Since there's only 2 of us, I look for packages of fish that are around 1/2-3/4 of a pound. That gives us plenty of fish without leftovers. Most times though, the packages hover around 1 pound or a little more. That's OK-we make the leftovers work for us.

The original recipe has you cut the cod in "fingers". I chose to keep the pieces whole.  If I have around 3/4 pound of fish, I cut back on the bread crumbs that I toast and also cut the flour amount down and adjust the seasonings accordingly. Otherwise, I use the recipe as written below.

I make the tartar sauce early in the day so that the dried onion has time to soften in the mayonnaise mixture. Using dried onion adds a nice flavor to the tartar sauce without watering it down like freshly chopped onion may have a tendency to do. I like cutting the mayonnaise amount in half and adding Greek yogurt-it lightens the tartar sauce without changing the flavor. I stir in the relish, salt and pepper, then give it a taste. Sometimes a dab more relish seals the deal.  That's what's nice about making your own tartar sauce-you can adjust the ingredients to what you and your family like-plus it's so easy to make.

I also toast the Panko bread crumbs early in the day. A quick trip-and I DO MEAN QUICK-under the broiler gets them nice and golden brown in no time.  Don't leave them in under the broiler and walk away-they toast FAST.  I stand right there with the oven door cracked open ready to grab the pan the minute they start to get brown. I give them a quick stir and then back they go for a few more seconds to finish toasting.

The fish is coated using the "FEB" method-Chef Michael Symon's rules. It's the perfect way to remember the order of coating-think about the abbreviation for the month of February. Feb-flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. The fish then hits the pan and into the hot oven it goes for 10-12 minutes total.

What comes out of the oven are beautiful golden brown pieces of fish with a crispy crust and a tender, flaky interior.  This recipe gives you the crunch of a piece of fried fish without deep frying it.  We absolutely LOVE it.  I've made it with cod and flounder, both with great results. We try to have this once a week with a small side of homemade oven fries and coleslaw or tossed salad.  I'm happy with a squeeze of lemon over the top of my fish-Bob has that and has to have the tartar sauce-he loves the stuff. This meal is such a treat-and a whole lot cheaper than eating fish out in a restaurant--healthier too.

Thank you so much, Georgia, for sharing your wonderful recipe.  This is now the ONLY way I cook fish.


Carol


CRISPY BAKED FISH WITH HOMEMADE TARTAR SAUCE
(Source: slightly adapted from Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking-original recipe found HERE)

FISH:
1 1/2 lb. boneless cod or flounder fillets
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs, lightly toasted
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
Lemon wedges, for serving

TARTAR SAUCE (makes 1/2 cup):
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. low fat plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 heaping Tbsp. (or more) sweet pickle relish 
1/2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Spread the panko crumbs on a large baking sheet with sides.  Place the pan under your oven’s broiler for 1-2 minutes until they begin to turn golden brown. I leave the oven door open a crack and stand right there to keep my eye on them so they don't burn-they toast VERY quickly. Remove the pan from the oven, give the crumbs a quick toss and return the pan to the oven for a few seconds to lightly brown the rest of the crumbs. Set the bread crumbs aside while preparing the tartar sauce and fish.

For the tartar sauce, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, relish and dried minced onion.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. I like to make this early in the day so that the flavors can blend.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a shallow baking pan with foil and spray the foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Place the 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and spread it evenly over the bottom.  Set the pan aside.

For the fish, in a shallow dish, combine the toasted panko bread crumbs, salt and cayenne pepper.

Place the flour on a sheet of waxed paper or on a large plate. Add the 1/2 tsp. salt and black pepper and toss them with the flour until well combined.

Beat the egg with the water in a shallow bowl.

Coat the fish with the seasoned flour, tapping off any excess-you just want the fish lightly coated with flour.  Dip the fish into the beaten egg, then coat it liberally with the bread crumb mixture, being sure to press the bread crumbs onto the fish to adhere them.

Place the fish in the prepared pan. Bake on the top oven rack @ 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the fish and bake for 5-7 minutes more, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 

Serve with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.  Makes 3-4 servings.

Featured 2/1/16 on Tweak It Tuesday

VIRGINIA REEL APPLE CAKE

I wanted to let you know that only two recipes will be posted a week. Tuesdays I'll add mine and Carol has kindly agreed to post her fantastic creations on Thursdays .

                                          Virginia Reel Apple Cake

Back in the day, I used to be in the Monday rotation for having the women's craft group from our church meet here at our house. We'd get together to work on projects for the annual church fair. Everyone would bring a their own lunch and the hostess of the day was responsible for making dessert and serving a beverage.

I was always on the lookout for dessert recipes to feed quite a few people. Every time I'd ask Bob for an idea, he'd say "How about Upside-Down Apple Cake?  I'd give him a look...you know the one....the  "there's no such thing" look.  He'd emphatically come back with "Yes there is-my mother used to make one."

I finally got so sick of him INSISTING this cake existed that I called his mother and asked if she had a recipe for an Upside Down Apple Cake?  Lo and behold, she did.  She told me she used to make it a lot and how good it was.

Come to find out, it was an old Pillsbury recipe.  I have a treasured Pillsbury Bake Off Recipe Collection cookbook  that I got from my Mom that contains recipes from the first 10 Pillsbury Bake-Offs. We looked to see if the recipe was in there and sure enough-there it was.

The original recipe states to spread the apple topping in a 13x9x2-inch pan that has been well greased on the bottom. Well, I'm always leery of things sticking to the pan, so I always line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper or parchment paper, then give it a quick spritz of nonstick cooking spray. I've never lost one slice of the apple topping doing it this way.  The other way may work perfectly-I'm just afraid to take the chance.

Trust me when I say-this is one of THE BEST upside down cakes I've ever had. The cake has a beautiful tender crumb and the apple topping adds the perfect crowning touch.  Another plus-it uses simple-to-find-at-the-store ingredients that I always have on hand in my kitchen.

The cake isn't fancy-in my book, a dish doesn't have to be. I find many is the time that recipes with the simplest ingredients pack the biggest punch. Taste is what it's all about and this cake is downright delicious. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?  Heavenly. Served at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream?  Equally as good.  Even plain-this cake is a winner.

A big thank you to my mother in law Beverly for steering me in the direction of this over the top fantastic and easy to make cake.  The only part that wasn't easy?  Telling Bob he was right! :)


Carol


VIRGINIA REEL APPLE CAKE

(Source: slightly adapted from Pillsbury's Best 1000 Recipes Bake-Off Collection cookbook)

APPLE TOPPING:
4 c. apples (4-6 apples), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon  

CAKE BATTER:
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 c. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract


For the topping, combine the apples, 1 c. granulated sugar, butter and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with waxed paper or parchment paper, then give the paper a quick spray of nonstick cooking spray.  Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Set aside.

For the cake batter, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set the mixture aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and 1 c. granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine the milk and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk/vanilla mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Pour the batter over apples in the pan.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the cake tests done. I check it with a cake tester-if it comes out clean when stuck in the center of the cake-it's cooked through.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a tray or platter. Carefully remove the paper if it comes out of the pan-it  will usually lift right off. 


Serve the cake warm with whipped cream or ice cream. The cake is also delicious served at room temperature. Makes 12-15 servings.

Featured 1/21/16 on Miz Helen's Full Plate


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Featured 1/25/16 on Busy Mom

Cookies 'n Cream Zucchini Bread

This yummy recipe ends zucchini week. 

Thanks Carol,  it's always a pleasure to have you guest post.

                                              Cookies 'n Cream Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread. I love it...and not just regular-sort-of-like-banana-bread-zucchini bread. That's delicious for sure. What I'm talkin' about is over the top zucchini bread-something you don't find everywhere.

I started playing around with creating zucchini bread and muffin recipes a few years ago. So far, I've come up with over 20 recipes.  Where do I get my flavor ideas? From everywhere-even the ice cream aisle at the grocery store.

Cookies 'n Cream ice cream is a favorite in this house...so why not turn that flavor into a zucchini bread?

This is an easy one to put together.  I've seen Cookies 'n Cream instant pudding mix at Super Walmart, but never bought it.  I had white chocolate instant pudding in the cabinet, so decided to use that instead of vanilla. Trust me, either flavor pudding works great. 

Rather than get a whole package of Oreo's at the store, then have them sitting on the counter taunting me because I didn't use the whole thing up, I decided to grab a bag of the bite-size Oreos for the bread.  Perfect-it gave me just the amount I needed-a scant 2 cups of crumbs when crushed. I put the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and took out my frustration on them with my French rolling pin. You can certainly get the job done quickly by pulsing them a few times in a food processor.  I added a heaping cupful of the crumbs to the batter and saved the rest to sprinkle over the top of each loaf before baking.  After sprinkling on the crumbs, I lightly pressed them into the batter. I thought that would give them a better chance of adhering to the top of the loaf while it baked.

Boy oh boy, is this delicious. The crushed cookies added the perfect "crunch" to the soft bread. If you're a lover of cookies 'n cream, I really think you're gonna enjoy this bread. It really does sort of taste like the ice cream!
It doesn't look like the zucchini plants are slowing down much in the garden, so I'll guess I'd better keep my thinking cap on and come up with more bread and muffin ideas soon.

Thanks so much for having me as a guest poster this week and letting me share some of my favorite zucchini recipes with your readers, Linda.  It's always fun to come by and share a recipe or three! :)

Carol 


COOKIES 'N CREAM ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 large eggs
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 c. canola OR vegetable oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 c. unpeeled, shredded zucchini
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 (4 serving size) pkg. white chocolate instant pudding mix
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 (8 oz.) pkg. mini chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed OR 2 c. coarsely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 (9x5-inch) OR 5 (5x3-inch) loaf pans; set aside.

Shred zucchini using on the large whole side of a box grater. Place the shredded zucchini in a mesh strainer to drain; set aside while assembling the other ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla extract until well blended.

Gently squeeze any excess moisture out of the shredded zucchini, then stir it into the egg mixture.

In a medium bowl. whisk together the flour, pudding mix, salt, baking soda, baking powder and 1 generous cup of the cookie crumbs. Add the flour mixture to the egg/zucchini mixture and stir just until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Sprinkle the top of each loaf liberally with the remaining cookie crumbs. Press the crumbs down lightly to adhere them to the batter. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes for the large loaves and 35-40 minutes for the smaller loaves, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Let breads cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pans to a wire rack and cool completely, Makes 2 large or 5 small loaves.

Featured August 25, 2015 on Victorian to Vintage

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Featured August 28, 2015 on Close to home

Lemon Cheesecake Zucchini Muffins

As promised- another delicious  zucchini recipe from Carol.


Every summer, I challenge myself to create at least 3 new zucchini breads/muffin recipes. Inspiration for flavor ideas come from everywhere-and at any time. I keep an ongoing list on hand to add all those ideas to.

There are so many decadent flavors of cheesecake out there. That got me thinking...cheesecake...and lemon...and muffin....all together.  How good would THAT be? It sounded like a winner to me in my mind......now could I make it happen for real? Time to find out.....

I don't often peel zucchini when making breads or muffins, but decided I would this time so that the muffins wouldn't be flecked with green. Getting lemon flavor in the batter was easily accomplished by using instant lemon pudding mix, the zest of 1 large lemon and 3 teaspoons of lemon extract.

I wanted something different for a topping. Graham crackers...that's what I'd use for a cheesecake crust. Why not make a crust mixture and use it for a topping?  And while I'm at it, how about making a "crust" on the bottom of the muffin before I add the muffin batter?

I mixed the crust ingredients, then using a measuring tablespoon, added a rounded spoonful of crumbs to each paper liner in my jumbo muffin cups. My Pampered Chef Tart Tamper was the perfect tool to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup.

A medium cookie scoop worked perfectly for getting half of the muffin batter into each cup.  A mini cookie scoop is just the right size to divide the cheesecake filling evenly between all the muffins. The remaining half of the batter gets gently spread over the top of the filling, then as a final touch, the last of the graham cracker crumb mixture gets sprinkled over top of each muffin.

These take a little longer to bake than muffins usually take-about 40 minutes in my oven.  I started testing them at 35 minutes, then every few minutes there after until my cake tester inserted in the center came out clean.

Letting them cool completely was probably the hardest part, Then came the final test-would they taste as good as I imagined they would?


The paper peeled off nicely to reveal all those glorious layers I wanted to see from bottom to top.  The center of the muffin has a nice ribbon of cream cheese running through it. 

One bite and I knew I had a winner. All the heavenly flavors of a decadent lemon cheesecake in a muffin-with ZUCCHINI no less! The burst of lemon comes shining through, the cream cheese adds a rich ribbon of creamy goodness and the graham cracker topping adds a nice texture and one more layer of flavor.

If you're a lemon lover and have zucchini busting out of your garden that needs to be used in a new recipe, I hope you'll give these a try. I mean really-don't you want lemon cheesecake for breakfast? Now you can have it! How cool is that?  ;)


Carol

LEMON CHEESECAKE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

CRUST AND TOPPING:
1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

FILLING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. 1/3 less fat OR regular cream cheese, softened 
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. clear OR pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

MUFFIN BATTER:
3 large eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. canola OR vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tsp. lemon extract
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
2 c. peeled shredded zucchini
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 (4 serving size) pkg. lemon instant pudding mix
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a small bowl.  Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is well combined.  Set aside.

For the filling, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy and the sugar has dissolved.  Beat in the, egg, vanilla and lemon extract on medium speed until combined. Set the filling aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 12 jumbo muffin cups with paper liners.  Set the pans aside.

For the muffin batter, place the peeled shredded zucchini in a colander to drain while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well mixed and sugar is dissolved.  Add the oil and whisk until blended.  Stir in the vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest. 

If needed, squeeze the excess liquid out of the zucchini and stir it into the egg mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and stir just until the flour is completely incorporated.  Do not overmix.

Place a slightly rounded measuring tablespoon of the crust mixture in the bottom of each prepared muffin cup.  I use my Pampered Chef Tart Tamper to press the crumbs evenly in the bottom of the paper liner, but you could use the bottom of a small glass or your fingers to give the crumbs a press until the bottom of each cup is evenly coated with the crumb mixture. 

Divide half of the muffin batter between the muffin cups.

Divide the filling between the muffins and gently spread it across the lemon batter. 

Top the filling with the remaining muffin batter

Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the remaining graham cracker mixture. 

Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes; run a butter knife around the edge of each muffin and gently lift the muffins out of the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve at room temperature or cold.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. These freeze well too. Makes 12 jumbo muffins.

NOTE: If you would like do make regular size muffins, proceed as above but use 24 standard size muffin cups. Bake @ 350 for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Featured August 25, 2015 Turn it up Tuesday

Taco Chicken Super Stuffed Zucchini

Welcome to Carol's Zucchini week! This is the first of three recipes Carol will post this week.

Thank you so much Carol for sharing your delicious recipes with us!!


                                    Taco Chicken Super Stuffed Zucchini


We've been growing zucchini for years in our garden and the recipes I've tried are endless.  From breads to brownies, to savory pies, quiches, Zucchini Parmesan, Zucchini Pizza....you name it, I've tried it every which way...but stuffed. For some reason I just never was tempted to give a stuffed zucchini a try.

Until this year...when a few of them got away from me hiding under the leaves of the plants.  YIKES! They were HUGE.  That's when I said NOW I'm gonna make stuffed zucchini.

We LOVE Mexican foods of all kinds, so that was my starting point-something with Southwestern flair.

Like Linda, I'm a USE IT UP kind of cook. I will go above and beyond NOT to throw any food away.  Any little bits of this and that get used to make something else.  

Such was the case with this recipe. I had made a delicious chicken recipe the night before, but had 2 chicken breast halves left because the doggone chicken breasts I got were so big I had to cut each half in half for recipe #1, which left 2 pieces thawed.  I had a cup or so of leftover Cilantro Lime Rice  and 2 ears of corn on the cob that were cooked and needed a new home in another dish. Both would be perfect add-ins to what I had planned.

Instead of baking off the chicken, I decided to rub a little low sodium taco seasoning on both sides, brown it in a bit of oil, then poach it to cook it through.  It was quick, easy and let me get my zucchini baked off and some slicing and dicing of vegetables done while it cooked.

We've been getting beautiful bell peppers and jalapenos from the garden, so some of them got chopped up along with some onion and garlic.  Then came the clean-out-the-refrigerator step. I grabbed the rice, cut the corn off the cob, then added some frozen corn to give me the amount I wanted. 

Once the chicken was cooked through and cooled a little, I used 2 forks-and my fingers-to shred it.

I didn't even waste the liquid I cooked the chicken in.  That was used to cook the peppers, onions and garlic in.  Once they were tender, I added the rice, corn, chicken, the rest of the taco seasoning, a little tomato sauce. a touch of oregano and water to the skillet.  What a bounty!  Once everything heated through, I removed it from the heat and added chopped black olives. I'll admit, Bob and I are NOT olive fans AT ALL, but we do like them in Mexican food. They add a little extra something that we enjoy.

Rather than use black beans in the chicken mixture-which would also be good, by the way-I opted to put a layer of fat free refried beans in each of the zucchini boats before adding the chicken mixture. 

Time to heap that chicken filling in-and pile it in I did.  I just mounded it until it was all used up.

I had an opened bag of tortilla chips with all of nothing left in them. Out came the rolling pin, they got a few good smacks to crush them and over the top of the filling they went. Into the oven they went to warm up.

After everything heated through, a sprinkling of cheese was the final touch for the zucchini.  One more trip to the oven to melt the cheese while I assembled all the garnishes.

I like the contrast of hot and cold when eating something like this.  Iceberg lettuce was the perfect "bed" for the zucchini once it was plated.  A sprinkling of chopped fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes, some green onion, a little cilantro and a dollop of sour cream and we were ready to eat.

Oh my GOODNESS are these delicious.  The zucchini is the perfect vessel to hold all that Southwestern goodness.  The creaminess of the refried beans was the perfect partner to the squash and chicken. The rice added some bulk to the filling as did the corn. The lettuce added a cool crispness and that touch of sour cream was the perfect final touch. 

I can only eat half of a half of these so we got MANY meals from them-and that's OK.  Any night eating Mexican dishes is a GOOD night for us.

What I love the most about recipes like this is there's no right or wrong. It's a great "use it up" dish. Use what you like...omit what you don't.  Add more rice and less corn...replace the corn with something else or leave it out all together.  Don't like refried beans?  Leave them out..or add a bean of your choice that you and your family love. This would also be a great way to use leftover cooked roast chicken, turkey, pork or beef.  Shred it up and add it to the mixture-saves you a step cooking off the chicken. 

If you, your family or friends grow zucchini and you have a few  MONSTERS that seemed to appear overnight,  and you enjoy the flavors of Mexico, give this dish a try. Not only is it super economical, it's downright delicious!


Carol



TACO CHICKEN SUPER STUFFED ZUCCHINI

3-4 large zucchini
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lb. total)
1 (1.25 oz.) pkg.low sodium taco seasoning, divided
1 c. coarsely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 c. coarsely chopped green bell pepper
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, veins removed, diced
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 c. fresh corn cut from the cob OR frozen corn
1-1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 heaping tsp. tomato sauce
1 (2 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained and chopped (optional)
1 (15-16 oz.) can fat free OR regular refried beans
1 c. coarsely crushed tortilla chips
1 1/2-2 c, shredded colby-jack cheese
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Thinly sliced green onion
Low fat OR regular sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds with a large spoon, making sure to leave at least a 1/4-1/2 inch shell around all edges and the bottom of the squash.  Brush the bottoms and cut surfaces lightly with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season the cut halves with kosher salt and pepper. Place the zucchini, cut side up, on a foil lined large rimmed baking pan. Bake @ 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the zucchini is just tender. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Coat the chicken on both sides with about 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning. 

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides.  Add enough water to the pan to come up to the halfway point on the chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid to a plate. 

After the chicken cools slightly, shred it with 2 forks. 

Add the red pepper, green pepper, jalapeno and onion to the cooking liquid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp/tender. Add the garlic. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Add the corn, cooked rice, oregano, tomato sauce, shredded chicken, 1 cup of water and the remaining taco seasoning mix to the vegetable mixture. Stir to coat all the ingredients with the sauce, adding a little more water if it looks too dry to you.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until everything is heated through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped olives, if using.

Divide the refried beans evenly between the zucchini "boats", spreading the beans evenly in the well of the zucchini.

Heap the chicken mixture in each zucchini.  Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over top.

Bake @ 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until everything is heated through.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of each zucchini.  Return to the oven and bake @ 325 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Place some shredded lettuce on each dinner plate. Place a zucchini half on the lettuce,  Sprinkle with the chopped tomato and cilantro, if desired.  Add a dollop of sour cream and some sliced green onion.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

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