Stuffed Zucchini

This is my grandmother's recipe, except she doesn't use recipes, so it's an approximation. If you don't like zucchini you can stuff bell peppers, tomatoes, Italian eggplants, or pretty much any receptacle-shaped vegetable. This is also a lot easier than it looks.

You'll need:

6 zucchini (you can use the normal long ones but I like the round ones, because you can put more stuffing inside, and obviously the stuffing's the best part)

1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

a few tomatoes or a 1/2c or so of tomato sauce

juice from 1/2 lemon

mint for garnish

stuffing:

1/2lb ground beef or lamb

1/3c white rice

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

a few tablespoons tomato sauce

spices-- I used tomato flakes & baharat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start with the stuffing. Chop onion & garlic. Saute in olive oil with spices-- cumin-based flavors are good here-- until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Pour cooked onion into a large bowl. Add raw meat. Rinse rice until it runs clear. Add rice. Add some olive oil and tomato sauce to moisten, and generously season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Chop the end of the zucchini (small end if you're using rounded ones) and remove the insides with a corer or a spoon. Discard insides. Don't cut all the way through to the other side. You should have zucchini shells now. Stuff them will the stuffing but don't fill all the way (the rice will expand).

Heat olive oil in a large skillet (the same you used for the onion is fine). Chop onion and garlic; saute until translucent. Add zucchinis to pan and oil if necessary; saute briefly on all sides. Add tomato sauce and a bit of water if sauce looks very thick. Add lemon juice.

If you have extra stuffing, make little meatballs and add them to the sauce too.

Cover pan and cook in oven until rice is done, about 45 minutes. You can reduce the sauce on the stovetop, uncovered, if necessary at the end.

Serve garnished with mint.

Frittata Sandwich

I am back from short my blogging break with a quick snapshot of what I've been eating this week: leftovers, like the frittata sandwich above, made from fromage fort, spread on each side of baguette and broiled, a piece of leftover frittata, lettuce & tomatoes. Here's the frittata recipe, from a few months ago. To this one, I added parsley & red onions. Green onions would be even better.

Katie, Karen & I also made a very delicious dinner of olive & lemon stuffed chicken breasts coated in a honey truffle mustard & panko crust, baked in a mushroom onion ragout, with toasted almond, lemon, and black pepper orzo. But the pictures got stuck on Katie's camera. Oh well.

Ben's Vegetarian Dinner

This is for (and was enjoyed with) my friend Ben, who has been a vegetarian 13 years and counting. Also Aaron & Colin, new vegetarians. I could never be one, but I think it's great that you are.

Zucchini Frittata

This is unlike any frittata you've ever had-- it bears no resemblance to an omelet, and you can hardly tell it has any eggs (it only has 2).

You'll need:

a bunch of zucchinis, grated-- I used about 6 small roundish ones with pale green skin. Don't peel them.
a bunch of cheese
2 eggs
about 1/4c breadcrumbs
1t cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Lila inspecting the frittata mixture

Squeeze water out of zucchini. Mix all ingredients together and season to taste. Spread onto greased gratin dish and bake at 350 degrees until set and golden brown on top, about 30-45 minutes.

Parsnip & Carrot Puree

This is really a parsnip dish; we added the carrots for color. Parsnips are a delicious, underappreciated vegetable. They're easy to cook, taste great, and are probably good for you (they are, after all, a vegetable). Steam them to retain the best flavor & vitamins.

You'll need:

a bunch of parsnips, peeled and cut into pieces (If they're more than an inch wide, remove the core)
1 carrot
1/4c cream (optional)
s & p

Steam the vegetables about 15 minutes; you should be able to stick a small sharp knife through the pieces once they're done. Puree with 1/4-1/2c of the cooking water and some cream. Season to taste.

Brown Rice Revitalized--or,
what to do with leftover rice

You'll need:

leftover rice (cooked)
1T olive oil
1 large shallot, slice thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4c slivered almonds
1/4c Madeira wine

Heat oil; saute shallot and garlic until translucent, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, to toast. Deglaze saucepan with wine; add cooked rice and stir to coat. Add a little water (I actually added some leftover roasted red pepper-feta-walnut dip mixed with some water) and cover. Cook over low heat until warmed through.

Ben's Almond Pralines

You'll need:

1c slivered almonds
1/4c maple syrup

Bring syrup to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Add almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until syrup is totally absorbed and pot is dry, at least 5 minutes. Toss onto wax paper. Eat. They're really, really good.

Maple-coated almonds on wax paper

Zucchini-Stuffed Squash Blossoms

We ate these too fast to take a picture-- but if you find yourself in a garden with squash blossoms, this is worth all the work.

Filling: Grate zucchini and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let sit 20-30 minutes. Squeeze water out and pat dry. Taste to make sure it's not to salty (if it is, rinse and squeeze again). Mix with grated cheese and egg (we used about 4 small zucchini for 2 cups cheese and 2 eggs). Add (about 1/2 c) fresh bread crumbs until mix is sticky and holds together.

Batter: 1 c flour, 1/4 c cornstarch, 1 c cold beer or milk. Whisk together flour and cornstarch with paprika, salt and pepper. Whisk in milk in a bowl placed over an ice water bath. Refrigerate until ready to use. Batter should be thick, but if it's too thick, add a little water.

Pick squash blossoms, preferably right before cooking. If you have to pick them earlier, rinse gently and place in a tray of ice water in the fridge until ready to use.

Stuff blossoms with filling; pinch ends to close. Dip in batter, and fry gently in oil over medium-high heat.

For leftover filling: Form small patties (about silver-dollar sized). Coat with fresh bread crumbs and fry until crispy on both sides.