Monday, September 26, 2005
Let zucchini turn up in unexpected places
Many vegetables are versatile, and zucchini is no exception. From soups to breads to cakes, zucchini makes a fine addition to many recipes. It even can stand on its own as a side or main dish. This variety of uses makes zucchini a special treat, particularly this time of year. With an abundance of this vegetable, you can freeze grated zucchini in the portions needed for your favorite recipes. You’ll be glad you did when winter comes and you crave a little taste of summer.
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This recipe is a great choice for someone who cannot eat crab due to a shellfish allergy. Refrigerating the zucchini mixture for 30 minutes or more makes it easier to shape it into patties.
Mock Crab Cakes
2-1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg, and butter. Stir in crumbs, onion, and Old Bay; mix well. Shape mixture into patties; dredge in flour. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high-heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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This cake is good frosted with a cream cheese frosting or served plain. To make zucchini bread instead, divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans.
Zucchini Cake
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease one 13x9-inch baking pan. Combine eggs, oil, sugar, grated zucchini, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Makes 12 to 15 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When purchasing zucchini, look for bright colored skin without spots and bruises. Usually the smaller zucchini are the most tender.
Store zucchini in the refrigerator for up to one week, preferable in the crisper drawer.
When using thawed frozen zucchini in a recipe, drain the excess water before adding the zucchini.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Desserts and Treats • Main Dishes • (0) Contributions • Permalink
Monday, September 19, 2005
Rotini comes to the rescue on busy weeknights
Although any time of year can be busy, the start of school often puts families into overdrive. To survive hectic weeknights, be prepared for mealtime by finding a few fast and easy dishes that your family likes and keeping the ingredients on hand in your freezer. refrigerator and pantry.
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For extra flavor, use the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes instead of plain olive oil.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Toss
16 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. optional
Cook rotini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart pot, heat oil and sauté chicken, garlic, basil and oregano until chicken is cooked. Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 8 servings.
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This recipe works as a main dish or side dish. For a more filling entree, add cooked chicken and heat through.
Spinach Tomato Toss
8 ounces uncooked rotini
3 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Cook rotini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, sauté the tomatoes, spinach, onions and garlic in oil until tomatoes are softened. Sprinkle with salt; reduce heat. Stir in feta; heat until warmed. Drain rotini; toss with tomato mixture. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When cooking pasta, boil plenty of water (about 4 quarts water for every 1 pound of pasta). This reduces the likelihood that the pasta will stick together and it helps the pasta cook more evenly.
If spaghetti doesn’t fit in a pot, resist the temptation to break it. Use a wooden spoon to bend it into the water as it cooks.
Al dente is another Italian phrase; translated it means “to the tooth.” It refers to perfectly cooked pasta, which should be firm when bitten into but still be slightly chewy. If it’s mushy, it’s overcooked. While throwing pasta against the wall might sound like fun, biting into it is the only reliable way to check for doneness.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, September 12, 2005
Remember New Orleans through their food
The food of New Orleans, like the people, are memorable. So what better way to honor this treasured city than by creating and savoring some of the dishes that made the region famous.
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Easy Jambalaya
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage or keilbasa, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
2-3/4 cups chicken stock
1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
Heat oil in an 8-quart oven-safe Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add onions, celery, green peppers, garlic, and red and black pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place the chicken back in the pot along with the sausage, stock, rice, and paprika. Bring mixture to a boil; cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes during cooking to evenly distribute the rice and see if a little additonal water is needed. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Chicken Creole Gumbo
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast meat
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers, undrained
1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
1 4.5-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 dashes hot sauce
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is copper-colored, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in bell pepper and onion. Cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, pepper and hot sauce. Stir; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
If there is a night you normally eat out, consider dining in on inexpensive foods and donating the money saved to a charity organization providing help to the victims of Katrina.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, September 05, 2005
Talk with kids about brown bag lunches
When it comes to school lunches, parents and children often disagree on what makes a good meal. But one thing everyone should agree on is that a brown bag lunch should not end up in the trash. So before shopping for lunch materials, brainstorm food and snack ideas with your children. That way kids have a chance to express what they would like to eat, and you can pick from their favorites to create balanced lunches.
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Draining the pickle before rolling it will help prevent the tortilla from becoming soggy.
Pickle Rolls
1 dill pickle
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 slices deli-style ham
1 6-inch flour tortillas
Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on one side of a tortilla; top with sliced ham. Spread remaining cream cheese over the ham. Roll a pickle up in the tortilla and slice the roll into finger food-sized pieces. Store in a plastic container in the refrigerator; keep cold until lunchtime. Makes 1 serving.
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This bean spread is great on crackers, carrots, bagels, or sandwiches.
Hummus
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 teaspoon salt
Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid if needed to reach desired consistency. Makes about 1 cup.
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Homemade treats rarely come home uneaten, although they may be so good other children will want to trade their goodies for these cookies.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients until well blended. Mix in oats and chocolate chips. Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until edges are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.
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Pantry Pointers
When packing a lunch, include a frozen juice box, water bottle, or reusable ice to keep cold food cold.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com