Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Salad on Quinoa

From the back of the Trader Joe's Red Quinoa box :)

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups roasted corn kernels
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I used fresh heirloom tomatoes)
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup cilantro salad dressing (?? didn't use this)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of 1 lime (I used lime juice)
Sea salt and pepper

Cook quinoa with broth according to package directions. While quinoa is cooking, combine beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion. Top with salad dressing and toss gently. Add salt, pepper, and lime zest to taste. Add 1/2 of cilantro and gently toss once more. Set aside.

When quinoa is cooked, toss with olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool. When ready to serve, spread quinoa on a large serving platter and top with corn and bean mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Try #1 - September 12, 2010
I loosely followed this recipe, and it was great! I actually don't love the taste of quinoa, but the salad on top is where the flavor for this dish comes from. You could also serve the salad over rice, couscous, etc. This was a great way to use the fresh tomatoes we got from Nathan's parents' garden!

Zucchini Lasagna

This is inspired by a former co-worker in New York (thanks, Susan!). This can be vegetarian or made with meat, and can be served alone or with a side of pasta.

1 large zucchini
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (optional)
1/2 pound ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 medium onion (optional)
1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
1/2 pound pasta of any kind (optional)

1. Peel zucchini, if desired (I don't). Cut into long, thin strips resembling lasagna noodles.
2. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan, basil, oregano, and parsley.
3. If you want to add meat to this dish, brown meat in a skillet with onions and garlic. Mix with spaghetti sauce.
4. Pour enough spaghetti sauce into a 9x13 inch pan to cover the bottom. Add one layer of zucchini strips on top. Add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, then some more spaghetti sauce, then 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat zucchini, ricotta, sauce, and mozzarella layers two more times. Add the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top. Fresh basil can also be added to any of the layers.
5. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Try #1 - August 2010
This was as delicious as I remembered. However, our little family of 4 easily ate almost the whole thing. To make the dish stretch a little longer (we love leftovers!) next time I will serve it over spiral pasta. It would also stretch longer if we added meat, but we're trying for more vegetarian dishes these days. :)

Sunny Summer Squash Soup

I found this recipe here.

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, seeds removed and chopped
2 ribs celery, strings removed and chopped
2 medium (12-14 ounces) gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 pounds small yellow squash, chopped (or young zucchini)
1 pinch white pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 Tbsp tahini (optional)
salt and white pepper, to taste (optional)

Garnish: slivers of red bell pepper

Heat a large non-stick or enamel-coated pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, covered but stirring every minute or so, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes (add a little water if it tends to stick). Add the garlic and hot pepper and cook for another minute.

Add all remaining ingredients except the optional ones. Cover and cook until the potatoes are completely tender (they will mash if lightly pressed with a spoon), about 25-40 minutes.

Remove half of the soup and put it into a blender and puree at high speed until completely smooth. (Be careful--hot liquids can erupt from your blender; I always remove the center cup from the lid and cover the opening with a kitchen towel.) Once it's blended, pour the soup into another pot. Add the remaining soup to the blender, along with any optional ingredients you choose to use, and blend well. Add to the other half of the soup, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls, garnish with slices of red bell pepper, and serve.

Try #1 - August 19, 2010
Delicious! I like potato-thickened creamy soups. We had a huge yellow squash from Nathan's parent's garden, and this was a great way to use it. We didn't use any of the optional ingredients. I almost never peel potatoes for recipes, and when the unpeeled red potatoes I used went in the blender, it produced a red-flecked soup - which was very aesthetically pleasing, in my opinion. :)

Zucchini Provencal

From allrecipes.com

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium zucchini, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, quartered and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Pasta (optional)

1.In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
2. Serve with pasta, if desired.

Try #1 - August 18, 2010
Ok, so this really isn't any different than something I would make on my own... basically stir-fried vegetables with tomato sauce and pasta. I added a splash of red wine and some basil, and cooked the pasta right in the skillet. Good way to use up some zucchini.

Zucchini Casserole with Parmesan

From Angela's blog

4-6 medium zucchini, grated
4 eggs
1/3 cup light cream (15%) (can use whole milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2-3 Tbsp Parmesan

Spread the zucchini in a large baking dish. In a bowl, beat the eggs then add cream, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix well and pour over zucchini. Stir gently to coat.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° for about 25-30 or until the egg mixture sets. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve warm. (Reheats well.)

Try #1 - August 21, 2010
Easy... healthy... delicious... we ate the whole thing! This was a real crowd pleaser - Abby and William (not to mention Nathan) gobbled it up! I added a smidgen of frozen spinach. I think you could also add shredded carrots.

Peach Salsa

From Angela's blog

4 ripe but firm yellow peaches, chopped (skin on or off, your choice, skin on makes for better color)
2-3 Tbsp chopped shallots or onions
2-3 jalapenos, chopped (stem, seeds and ribs discarded)
Juice of a lemon
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Put the chopped peaches, shallots, and jalapeños in the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients. Pulse 2-3 times, just enough to get most the pieces small and to well combine the salsa. Do not liquefy it. Blender ok to use.

Place salsa into a bowl and cover. Let stand for an hour before serving to give the ingredients time to meld.

Serve with chips, fish, pork, or chicken.

Makes about 2 cups.

Zucchini Soup

From "Extending the Table"
Germany
Recommended as an appetizer or luncheon soup, served hot or cold.

1/4 cup butter (I used 2 Tbsp butter)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/4 cup zucchini, shredded
2 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
dash of pepper
1/2 cup wine (optional) (I used 1/4 cup white cooking wine)
1/2 cup yogurt

Melt butter in saucepan. Add and saute onions and garlic. Add zucchini and stock/broth. Simmer 12 minutes. Add salt, basil, pepper, and wine. Place soup in blender and puree until creamy. Add yogurt.

Try #1 - August 9, 2010
This was a surprisingly rich and flavorful soup, yet also light and fluffy (if you can describe soup that way...). My husband said "I never would've guessed it was zucchini!" A great way to use the abundance of summer zucchini.

Raspberry Tart Bars

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup oats
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup fresh raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x9 pan.
2. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Cut in the butter. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Mash the raspberries to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the fruit.
3. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Source: Frugal Momma's Cooking

Try #1 - August 4, 2010
YUM!!!!!!!!! I want to try this with blackberries too.

Summer Blueberry Crumble

My mother-in-law made this for us, and it was delicious!!! This recipe is specifically engineered so that the filling is not soupy and the topping holds its thickness and crunch. Funny, because we had just made a VERY soupy raspberry crumble last week, and the topping sunk right in. This recipe was perfect! From cookscountry.com.

1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt, divided
5 cups fresh blueberries
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and chilled

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 tsp salt in large bowl. Add berries to bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Process flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining salt in food processor until combined.* Add butter and pulse until dime-sized clumps form. Transfer crumble to bowl and pinch together any powdery parts. Sprinkle crumble evenly over berries.
3. Bake until filling is bubbling around edges and topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Serve. (Once fully cooled, the crumble can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

*Crumble without a food processor:
In step 2, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp salt in large bowl. Add chilled butter to bowl and, using pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until clumps form. Pinch together any powdery parts, then sprinkle crumble evenly over berries. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Try #1 - August 16, 2010
I made this with blackberries (4 cups) and peaches (1 peach)... YUM!!! The topping sunk a tiny bit in a few places, but overall stayed intact and crispy! Delicious with ice cream or yogurt.