Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesean Pine Nuts

img from epicurious.com

When we were in Utah last month we went to a potluck dinner with some friends and one of them brought this salad.  I could have eaten the whole bowl myself I thought it was so delicious. (I also love it because I'm always looking for new vegetable dishes to take to potlucks since there's always too many people bringing chips, pasta, or dessert and never enough veggies!)  And if your garden--or your neighbor's garden--is overflowing in zucchini, then you really must try this out.  

The recipe is from epicurious.com, but I'll repost it for you here.  And you can thank me later!

Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesean Pine Nuts

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 lbs medium zucchini, trimmed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

small wedge of Parmesean cheese

Preparation: 

Whisk oil, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and crushed red pepper in small bowl to blend.  Set aside.

Using a vegetable peeler or V-slicer and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/6" thick).  Place ribbons in large bowl.  Add basil and nuts, then dressing; toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Using vegetable peeler, shave strips from Parmesean wedge over salad.  

Veggie Tacos & Mexican Rice

I recently had lunch at Red Butte Cafe in Salt Lake City. I love to eat there because there is always something interesting and creative to try. I haven't been back for a few years and was frankly disappointed with the limited vegetarian options. However, I ordered the veggie tacos, not really expecting anything that great. And actually, they were pretty good. I don't know why I never thought of this before (especially since I have a monster, MONSTER zucchini plant in my backyard): zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and onion. Yum! The veggies were sauteed and seasoned perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised. And a week later, I made them at home.
I sauteed some garlic and onions for a few minutes and then I added the carrot sticks. I let them cook for a little while and then added the squash. I cooked them long enough to warm them up, but not overcooked. We topped it with hot sauce and guacamole. The kids just had bean tacos with a sliver of veggies on the side.
I also tried a new Mexican Rice recipe. I have long been on the search to find a good Mexican rice, but to no avail. I ran across the great website Pati's Mexican Table while looking for a recipe to pickle jalapenos. We really liked the rice and it was pretty easy. So, here is the recipe:

Mexican Style Rice (or Arroz Rojo)
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
2 cups long or extra long grain white rice
2 tomatoes, or about 1 pound, quartered
1/3 cup white onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, or more to taste
3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, optional
2 parsley sprigs
3/4 cup carrots, peeled and diced, optional
1/2 cup shelled green peas, fresh of frozen, optional
1 or 2 chiles Serranos, optional

To Prepare
In a bowl, soak the rice in hot water for about 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain very well.

While the rice soaks, purée the tomatoes in the blender along with the onion, garlic and salt. Pass through a strainer and reserve.

Heat the oil in a thick heavy skillet (if you have one with a transparent lid, pick that one) over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the rice and sauté, stirring often, until the color of the rice changes to a strong milky white and it shows more resistance and makes a heavier sound as you stir it around, probably about 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour in the strained tomato purée, mix it gently and let it cook until the color of the purée has darkened, thickened and is mostly absorbed, about 3 more minutes.

Stir in the chicken or vegetable broth and lime juice, give it a gentle stir and top with the parlsey sprig, the diced carrots, peas and serrano chiles, if so desired.

Let it all come to a boil, and when it does, put the cover on and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes. Here is where that transparent lid becomes so handy, as you can see what is going on inside the pot without losing steam. You know the rice is ready when it is cooked through and tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, but there is a lot of moisture in the pot. If the rice is not yet tender and the liquid has dried up, add a couple tablespoons more water, cover again and let it cook for a couple more minutes.

Let the rice sit covered for at least 5 minutes before you fluff with a fork and serve. You may also make it beforehand and reheat it covered over low heat with a tablespoon of water.

The last time I made cilantro rice, I put the leftovers in a ziploc and froze it. We thawed it and ate it for dinner last week and it was great! So, I did the same with the leftover mexican rice.

I can't wait to try Pati's Mexican Style Eggs and one of our all time favorite drinks, Horchata.

Buen provecho!

Zucchini Pancakes

This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa at Home, and in my opinion, Ina Garten really never goes wrong. These are not breakfast pancakes--think more like a potato latke. Adam and I both thought that they were pretty tasty, although the kids had to be convinced. I think that the red onion is the key and the last time I made them I tried whole wheat flour instead of white, and I still liked them very much. We ate them with fresh tomato slices and called it dinner!

Zucchini Pancakes
3/4 lb zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated red onion
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 8 tablespoons flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
unsalted butter and vegetable oil for brushing skillet

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets to thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining tablespoons of flour.)

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tb butter and 1/2 tb oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Zucchini-Tomato Frittata

I made this for dinner last night. It was very good and super easy (especially if you have all the eggs that you need and don't have to go to the store). I only put one zucchini in and it was plenty.

Zucchini-Tomato Frittata

Serves 8
Created by Art Smith

Serve a breakfast treat straight from the garden! This Italian take on the omelet features fresh vegetables that you've probably got growing right now. So raid the backyard and cook up something special this morning!

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs , beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced chives or green onion
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 zucchini , thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
• 1 medium tomato , peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic , minced

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and chives. Set aside.

In a 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Cook half the zucchini slices until tender, about 3 minutes, then move them to a small bowl. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini and reserve. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the onions, tomato and garlic for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Return the zucchini to the skillet, evenly distributing it. Add the egg mixture, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is just set.

Place the frittata in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is completely set and golden brown. Invert it onto a plate, cut into slices and serve.

From Back to the Table by Art Smith

Nutritional Information:
127 calories, 9.2 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 217 mg of cholesterol, 246 mg sodium, 3.1 grams carbohydrate

Moroccan-style Chickpea Soup

This soup is truly wonderful. Try it as the recipe says and you won't be disappointed, but it's also very forgiving when you are flexible with the ingredients. The other day I was completely out of ginger....different, but still tasted great. No saffron, no problem (I save mine for company--it costs an arm and a leg, you know!). Once I added a 28oz can of tomatoes, once I added tomato juice in place of some of the broth--we've liked it everytime. Besides, what's not to love about a recipe that takes only 30 minutes and helps you get through the abundance of garden zucchini that you'll soon be producing. Enjoy!

Moroccan-Style Chickpea Soup
from Cook’s Illustrated The Best 30-Minute Recipe book

Serves 6

This soup can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You can also substitute yellow summer squash for the zucchini, if desired.

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (15.5 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 lemons, quartered (for serving)

MAKING THE MINUTES COUNT:
While the onion browns, prep the zucchini and cilantro.

1. HEAT BROTH MIXTURE: Bring broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, saffron, and ½ teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan and set aside.
2. SAUTE ONION: Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. SAUTE AROMATICS: ADD BROTH MIXTURE AND ZUCCHINI: Stir garlic, ginger, and cumin into pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture and zucchini, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes.
4. SEASON: Stir in cilantro. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.