It's that time of year again for us gardeners...so many zucchini, so few recpies. I decided to fry some last night, and they were delicious. Here's the recipe.
Fried Zucchini
1 Huge Zucchini...ours was almost 18 inches long (or a few smaller ones)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt (if using Table Salt, use less than half amount specified)
Canola Oil (for frying)
Corn Starch
4 eggs, beaten
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Peel zucchini, if desired. Cut zucchini into slices or wedges, depending on the shape you want. We cut ours about 1-inch thick, then quartered the slices. Sprinkle salt on zucchini slices. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse salt off of zucchini. Use large, sturdy pan or skillet, pour in enough oil so it is about 1 inch deep. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Pour corn starch into open dish that allows you room to coat the zucchini slices in corn starch. Coat slices in corn starch. Dip coated zucchini in beaten eggs, sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs, if deisred. Place zucchini in hot oil. Let fry 3 minutes, or until batter browns. Turn over and fry other side until browned. Remove fried zucchini from oil, place on cooling rack or paper towel-lined plate. Serve. Delicious dipped in marinara sauce, alfredo, or eaten plain. Can be served as an appetizer, or fabulous side dish.
You can also make zucchini parmesan with these.
Fried Zucchini (use the breadcrumbs for this recipe)
2 28-oz jars spaghetti or marinara sauce (or you can use my freezer sauce recipe from Sun, Jun 7)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1/2 lb Mozzarella cut into large chunks or shredded
Spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the zucchini over sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan or romano. Pour half of remaining sauce over zucchini. Then put remaining zucchini over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan and mozzarella. Cover and freeze casserole (or cook immediately). Thaw completely. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbly.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
I know this cut of meat is usually expensive, but we bought half of a cow and the butcher sent all kinds of cuts of meat that I had never purchased before. So I'll be putting the successful recipes for beef cuts up for all to see. The meat was frozen immediately after butchering, so that's the "freezer" part of this recipe. :)
Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Four 4-oz Beef Tenderloin Steaks
1 tsp Whole Rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
4 tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbsp Canola Oil (for pan)
Thaw steaks 24 hours in refrigerator. Combine dry ingredients. Rub on steaks. Sprinkle garlic over steaks. Drizzle steaks with 1 tsp vinegar each. Refrigerate 2 hours. Heat 3 Tbsp. canola oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook steaks 5 minutes, turn and cook 5 minutes or until done (I like steaks medium well, cook less time for medium rare or medium doneness). Let steaks rest 10 minutes under foil before serving. Great with garlic mashed potatoes.
Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Four 4-oz Beef Tenderloin Steaks
1 tsp Whole Rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
4 tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbsp Canola Oil (for pan)
Thaw steaks 24 hours in refrigerator. Combine dry ingredients. Rub on steaks. Sprinkle garlic over steaks. Drizzle steaks with 1 tsp vinegar each. Refrigerate 2 hours. Heat 3 Tbsp. canola oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook steaks 5 minutes, turn and cook 5 minutes or until done (I like steaks medium well, cook less time for medium rare or medium doneness). Let steaks rest 10 minutes under foil before serving. Great with garlic mashed potatoes.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Freezer Black Beans
We love beans...if they taste good. My kids can get past the texture if there's enough flavor (like in chili). Here's my recipe for Black Beans. They are simple to make, but they do take time (soaking and cooking in the crock pot). Be patient, the time is worth the result. Enjoy!
Freezer Black Beans (inspired by Chevy's Restaurant)
INGREDIENTS
Soaking Water, 2 lbs Black Beans
10 cups water
2 cups chopped onion (or 1 cup dried chopped onion)
4 Tbsp garlic (or more if you like it a lot)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chile powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt (or 1/2 Tbsp. Table Salt)
DIRECTIONS: Wash, sort, and rinse beans. Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse beans. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on High 2 hours. Then cook on Low 8-10 hours (until tender). Turn off crock pot. Let beans cool 1 hour. Label freezer containers (you can use mason jars, Ziploc freezer bags, or plastic freezer containers available in the canning section at the grocery store) with contents, date, and quantity. Measure beans into containers, close, and freeze. To use, thaw in refrigerator or microwave. Use in recipes that call for canned white beans. I like to measure the beans into 2 cup measures. That's about the right size for my family, and pretty close to a 14.5 oz can. You can also buy pint containers and freeze them in pints.
Freezer Black Beans (inspired by Chevy's Restaurant)
INGREDIENTS
Soaking Water, 2 lbs Black Beans
10 cups water
2 cups chopped onion (or 1 cup dried chopped onion)
4 Tbsp garlic (or more if you like it a lot)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chile powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt (or 1/2 Tbsp. Table Salt)
DIRECTIONS: Wash, sort, and rinse beans. Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse beans. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on High 2 hours. Then cook on Low 8-10 hours (until tender). Turn off crock pot. Let beans cool 1 hour. Label freezer containers (you can use mason jars, Ziploc freezer bags, or plastic freezer containers available in the canning section at the grocery store) with contents, date, and quantity. Measure beans into containers, close, and freeze. To use, thaw in refrigerator or microwave. Use in recipes that call for canned white beans. I like to measure the beans into 2 cup measures. That's about the right size for my family, and pretty close to a 14.5 oz can. You can also buy pint containers and freeze them in pints.
Carribean-Style Beans and Rice
I was serving Salsa Chicken (2008 posting) the other night and was searching for a great side dish to go with it. Here it is! After making it, I realized this could have easily been our main course. So delicious, and more than 11 grams of protein per serving with almost no fat. Plus, it was cheap. Most of the ingredients I needed were in my garden, and the rest were in my pantry and freezer. :) Enjoy!
(from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook), adapted by Avalie
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup coarsley chopped tomato
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pint Freezer Black Beans (today's posting), thawed and drained (or sub one can black beans plus extra garlic)
2 cups cooked rice
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium high heat until hot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomato, salt, crushed red pepper, and cumin; saute 2 minutes. Stir in cooked rice, cilantro, and black beans; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve with shredded cheese, if desired. Yield: 4 servings, 1 cup each. If you want to freeze this after preparation for a quick and easy side dish, simply freeze single portions in freezer bags. Reheat in microwave.
(from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook), adapted by Avalie
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup coarsley chopped tomato
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pint Freezer Black Beans (today's posting), thawed and drained (or sub one can black beans plus extra garlic)
2 cups cooked rice
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium high heat until hot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomato, salt, crushed red pepper, and cumin; saute 2 minutes. Stir in cooked rice, cilantro, and black beans; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve with shredded cheese, if desired. Yield: 4 servings, 1 cup each. If you want to freeze this after preparation for a quick and easy side dish, simply freeze single portions in freezer bags. Reheat in microwave.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Hawaiian-Style Teriyaki Chicken
When we lived in Hawaii, this chicken was one of my favorites. I've been searching for an authentic recipe for the past few years, and I think this one is the best. We served this at a Luau we had for some youth, and it was delicious! Note that it calls for bone-in chicken thighs with skin, which is a very inexpensive cut of chicken. I was able to get it on sale two weeks ago for 69 cents a pound.
Ingredients:
5 lbs chicken thighs, bone in, with skin
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
Sauce:
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 inch piece Ginger, smashed (or substitute ginger powder)
1 clove Garlic, smashed
COOK AND EAT DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for baking pan. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces in baking pan, skin side down. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Pour sauce over chicken. Enjoy!
FREEZER MEAL DIRECTIONS:
Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for freezer bags. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Label freezer containers. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces, skin side down, in baking/freezer container (disposable foil pan) or Ziploc Freezer Bags. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce.
Pour sauce over chicken. Remove air from bag, or cover pan with foil and freeze. When ready to eat, remove chicken from freezer and thaw 12-24 hours in refrigerator (if you're using a freezer bag, make sure to put it in a pan while it thaws, or you may have a big mess in your refrigerator). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Enjoy these "ono grinds" (delicious food) with rice, macaroni salad, green salad, and pineapple. Add my Kalua Pork recipe for a full-scale authentic Hawaiian Luau!
Ingredients:
5 lbs chicken thighs, bone in, with skin
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
Sauce:
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 inch piece Ginger, smashed (or substitute ginger powder)
1 clove Garlic, smashed
COOK AND EAT DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for baking pan. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces in baking pan, skin side down. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Pour sauce over chicken. Enjoy!
FREEZER MEAL DIRECTIONS:
Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for freezer bags. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Label freezer containers. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces, skin side down, in baking/freezer container (disposable foil pan) or Ziploc Freezer Bags. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce.
Pour sauce over chicken. Remove air from bag, or cover pan with foil and freeze. When ready to eat, remove chicken from freezer and thaw 12-24 hours in refrigerator (if you're using a freezer bag, make sure to put it in a pan while it thaws, or you may have a big mess in your refrigerator). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Enjoy these "ono grinds" (delicious food) with rice, macaroni salad, green salad, and pineapple. Add my Kalua Pork recipe for a full-scale authentic Hawaiian Luau!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Delicious Spaghetti Sauce
So by now you know I love to be thrifty and feed my family delicious food. I was staring at my pile of White Beans in my freezer pondering on another way to use them. My kids don't love eating beans everyday, so I've been getting sneaky. We're also famous here in Happy Valley for record-breaking zucchini gardens. So I've been looking for ways to use my frozen, shredded zucchini, as well. Here's what I discovered yesterday.
I decided to try to hide some beans and zucchini in my marinara sauce, and it worked...and was delicious!
Delicious, Nutritious Spaghetti Sauce
You'll need:
#10 can of Contadina Spaghetti Sauce from Costco (for less than $4)
2 cups Freezer White Beans, blended until smooth (use the Freezer White Beans recipe from my Thursday, November 6, 2008 posting)
1-2 cups shredded zucchini
Pour spaghetti sauce into large bowl. Add blended white beans and shredded zucchini. Stir until well blended. Makes about 14 cups of delicious spaghetti sauce.
The beans add flavor (extra garlic from the recipe) and tomato sauce-like texture. The zucchini absorbs the flavor of the sauce and looks like seasonings. It is delicious and SO good for you! Serve over noodles, or use in the Meaty Lasagna recipe. Freeze in 1 cup or 1 pint jars, and thaw when ready to use. Enjoy your high-protein, high-fiber spaghetti sauce!
I decided to try to hide some beans and zucchini in my marinara sauce, and it worked...and was delicious!
Delicious, Nutritious Spaghetti Sauce
You'll need:
#10 can of Contadina Spaghetti Sauce from Costco (for less than $4)
2 cups Freezer White Beans, blended until smooth (use the Freezer White Beans recipe from my Thursday, November 6, 2008 posting)
1-2 cups shredded zucchini
Pour spaghetti sauce into large bowl. Add blended white beans and shredded zucchini. Stir until well blended. Makes about 14 cups of delicious spaghetti sauce.
The beans add flavor (extra garlic from the recipe) and tomato sauce-like texture. The zucchini absorbs the flavor of the sauce and looks like seasonings. It is delicious and SO good for you! Serve over noodles, or use in the Meaty Lasagna recipe. Freeze in 1 cup or 1 pint jars, and thaw when ready to use. Enjoy your high-protein, high-fiber spaghetti sauce!
Yummy Garlic-Cheese Bread Rolls
My friend Wendy Williams gave me the fabulous idea for this recipe. Her creativity in the kitchen never ceases to inspire me. I whipped these up this week, and they disappeared very quickly! My husband stashed a few for the next day, and they reheated beautifully in the microwave.
Garlic-Cheese Bread Rolls
Use my Pizza Dough Recipe from the January posting.
You'll also need:
Butter or margarine (I like country crock in the tub...it spreads easily)
California Garlic Seasoning (Wendy recommends the kind from Costco, I used Kroger brand)
Parmesan Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese (or whatever kind sounds good to you!)
Make pizza dough. Divide into two pieces (you can make one pizza and one batch of rolls if you'd like...or you can cook one batch and freeze the other). Roll dough out on a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll until dough is less than 1/2 inch thick. Spread a thin layer of butter/margarine all over dough. Sprinkle California Garlic Seasoning Blend over butter. Sprinkle thin layer of cheese over butter mixture. Roll up the dough jelly-roll/cinnamon roll-style. Cut into rolls (I cut them about 2-inches thick), and place on rimmed baking sheet or stoneware. Repeat with other piece of dough. Preheat oven to 350F. Let rise until about doubled in size. Bake until cooked through, about 15-30 minutes (it takes 11 minutes in my convection oven). Makes 24-30 garlic-cheese bread rolls. Serve with ranch or marinara dipping sauce. This also makes a great companion to Minestrone soup, or fresh salad.
If using after freezing dough, remove from freezer and let thaw and rise until doubled in size (4-6 hours). Bake at 350 until cooked through, 15-30 minutes.
Garlic-Cheese Bread Rolls
Use my Pizza Dough Recipe from the January posting.
You'll also need:
Butter or margarine (I like country crock in the tub...it spreads easily)
California Garlic Seasoning (Wendy recommends the kind from Costco, I used Kroger brand)
Parmesan Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese (or whatever kind sounds good to you!)
Make pizza dough. Divide into two pieces (you can make one pizza and one batch of rolls if you'd like...or you can cook one batch and freeze the other). Roll dough out on a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll until dough is less than 1/2 inch thick. Spread a thin layer of butter/margarine all over dough. Sprinkle California Garlic Seasoning Blend over butter. Sprinkle thin layer of cheese over butter mixture. Roll up the dough jelly-roll/cinnamon roll-style. Cut into rolls (I cut them about 2-inches thick), and place on rimmed baking sheet or stoneware. Repeat with other piece of dough. Preheat oven to 350F. Let rise until about doubled in size. Bake until cooked through, about 15-30 minutes (it takes 11 minutes in my convection oven). Makes 24-30 garlic-cheese bread rolls. Serve with ranch or marinara dipping sauce. This also makes a great companion to Minestrone soup, or fresh salad.
If using after freezing dough, remove from freezer and let thaw and rise until doubled in size (4-6 hours). Bake at 350 until cooked through, 15-30 minutes.
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