Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter and Breadcrumbs

I went to the store several weeks ago and noticed a bag of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts.  Hellooooo Brussels sprouts!  I picked up the bag, mulled over what I could do with them, but eventually decided not to stray from my grocery list.  The following week, I was again drawn to the shredded Brussels sprouts, and decided that two weeks of wanting Brussels sprouts must mean that I needed to just make some already!

So glad I did.  Because that meant I had the opportunity to make try out this recipe.  The pre-shreddded bag definitely saves on time (although you could shred them yourself, or use whole Brussels sprouts and just boil them until tender), and the browned butter and bread crumbs give them a wonderful taste and texture.  I think I made this recipe three times before my bag of sprouts was used up.  And I enjoyed it every time.

Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter and Breadcrumbs
(adapted from Leelalicious)
Printable Recipe
Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
2 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Directions
1) Add about a 1/4 inch water to a skillet and bring to a boil.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the shredded Brussels sprouts; return to a boil and allow sprouts to cook until tender, draining any excess water.
2) Remove sprouts from skillet and set aside.  Add butter to skillet and cook on medium heat until butter has browned.  Add bread crumbs and cook until crumbs are lightly browned.
3) Stir the Brussels sprouts into the butter and breadcrumb until well coated.  Season to taste and serve warm.  Enjoy!

Couscous with Spinach, Feta, and Roasted Cauliflower

My grocery store let me down.  What this dish needs is a bright orange or purple cauliflower for a little pop of color.  But there was none to be had.  Besides the lack of visual appeal, this dish was perfect.  I'm mildly obsessed with roasted cauliflower right now--expect more cauliflower recipes in the future--and had some spinach and feta that were getting to their expiration point.  Throw it all together with some couscous and--voila!  A delicious light dinner!

Couscous with Spinach, Feta, and Roasted Cauliflower
Printable Recipe
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side

Ingredients
3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried mint
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups cooked couscous
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces feta, crumbled

Directions
1) Arrange cauliflower on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until covered.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until cauliflower begins to turn golden and cauliflower is tender.  Set aside.
2) In a large skillet, saute onion in 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat until they soften and become translucent. Add garlic, oregano, and dill and saute until fragrant.
3) Stir in the spinach, lemon juice, couscous and cauliflower.  Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until spinach is wilted.
4) Salt and pepper to taste and top with feta.  Serve immediately or chilled.  Enjoy!

Creamy Cabbage and Potatoes

Because of the cabbage and potatoes, this is sort of like a colcannon-type dish.  And, although I first made this recipe a while ago, realized I could totally use this as some sort of St. Patrick's Day recipe and instantly be all cutesy on my food blog.  You know, Irish stuff!  Leprechauns!  Pot of gold!  Shamrocks!  Lucky Charms!

What was I talking about again?  Oh right.

So I was a little afraid that this dish would taste too cabbagey and be off-putting, but not at all!  It was just creamy potato deliciousness which we thoroughly enjoyed.  And my hubby loved it the next morning fried on a skillet as a kind of potato pancakes.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Creamy Cabbage and Potatoes
(adapted from Serious Eats)
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound green cabbage, cored and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 pounds potatoes, baked
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
dash of nutmeg

Directions
1) Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat until it stops foaming and then add the onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and just beginning to brown.  Stir in salt and pepper and then toss in cabbage.  Continue to stir until cabbage and onion are combined and cabbage is beginning to wilt.  Pour in the vinegar and 1 tablespoon water; cover the pot and turn the heat to low.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cabbage is tender.
2) While the cabbage is cooking, peel the potatoes and mash them roughly with a fork or your fingers.  Set aside.  Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the milk and continue to stir until mixture thickens.  
3) Add potatoes, nutmeg, and cabbage mixture, stirring to combine.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer mixture to a 13x9 baking dish, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.  Enjoy!

Garlic Green Beans

Sorry for the complete lack of blogging for the past, oh, three months, but things have been crazy.  To be brief--we moved!  Good-bye Virginia, hello Texas!  It was a pretty quick move for us, but I think we're finally starting to get settled.  At least, that's what I'm telling myself (as I write this post instead of emptying more boxes).

The food scene is definitely a little different here.  I'm already missing the Middle Eastern options, which are now a prohibitively far drive away.  However, we luckily live really close to several Indian restaurants (imagine the blank stares from our new neighbors when I asked them about the nearby Indian options), and there are exponentially more BBQ and Mexican places here than our last neighborhood.

Another plus for Texas?  I love how enormous the produce section is in my local grocery store, as well as being able to show my kids some vegetables that they've never seen before.  Since we moved here, our grocery store has never failed to have at least three different kinds of cauliflower at a time.  And if my little guy points out the orange or purple or green cauliflower and asks me if we can get one, who am I to deny him?  I made this for dinner last night with an orange cauliflower, as well as my go-to garlic green beans to go with it.

Basically, this entire story was a long way of saying that I realized that I have never actually posted the recipe I use for garlic green beans.  It's ludicrous, really, because I use the recipe all the time.  We are a family of green bean lovers, afterall.  This recipe comes together quickly, and is so easy, that I have no problem picking up a pound or two of green beans whenever I feel like it.  Because I know we'll be eating them up in no time--and will plenty of cauliflower to go with them.

Garlic Green Beans
(adapted from Good Housekeeping)
Printable Recipe
Serves 6-8 side dishes

Ingredients
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and washed
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1) In a large skillet, heat 1 inch of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt on high until boiling.  Add beans and return to boiling.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes or until beans are bright green and tender-crisp.  Remove beans and drain any excess water.
2) Increase to medium heat, and add butter and garlic to skillet.  Cook until fragrant.  Add beans and cook about 2 minutes or until beans are hot and garlic butter is well incorporated.
3) Remove skillet from heat and toss with 1/4 teaspoon additional salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Macaroni with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce

I'm not really one for sneaking things into food (ok, so I have done it on occasion), but I thought I'd give this a try anyway.  My family isn't wild about homemade macaroni and cheese, so really, what could be the harm in adding a little cauliflower to the sauce?  Imagine my surprise when they all loved it!  And, what's more, it was almost as easy as making the stuff from the box.

Macaroni with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
(adapted from American Grown)
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 pound macaroni
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into florets
8 ounces sharp white cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a bowl and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
2) Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add the cauliflower and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until soft.  Drain well.  Place the cauliflower in a blender and puree.
3) In a medium-sized pot, place the pasta, cauliflower puree, cheese, and milk over medium heat.  Stir gently to combine and continue stirring until cheese is melted.
4) Season with parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Southwestern Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Jalapeno Lime Dressing

The summer if coming to an end.  Even if the temperature isn't quite showing it yet, I'm already starting to anticipate it.  And I've never looked forward to and dreaded something so much in my life.  My son is going to be starting preschool and, although I know he's more than ready and completely excited, I'm sure I'll be feeling a little lost without him for those few hours every week.

So, all of that being said, in order to ease the transition, I made this salad.  It's a good mix of the summertime and the coming autumn.  It's delicious and easy and comes together so quickly--perfect for when you're trying to enjoy every moment with your son.

Southwestern Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Jalapeno Lime Dressing
(adapted from Holly Clegg)
Printable Recipe
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
SALAD:
6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

DRESSING:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped

Directions

1) Coat foil lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  On prepared pan, toss together sweet potatoes,  1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Add the jalapeno chunks to the baking sheet and roast an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes and jalapeno are soft and beginning to brown.  Set aside to cool.

2) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine red onion, red bell pepper, black beans, corn, and cilantro.  Gently stir in sweet potatoes.
3) For the dressing, puree the lime juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil and roasted jalapeno in a blender. Toss with potato mixture until well coated.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies

In keeping with my promise to my husband that I wouldn't make savory zucchini dishes for a while, here's yet another sweet zucchini recipe.  And these are seriously good cookies!  Even if they were just plain oatmeal cookies they would be delicious--soft, yet chewy--but don't forget that these babies have zucchini.  So it's practically a health food!  (Just ignore the amounts of butter and sugar.)  Plus, spread on some frosting (if you're feeling crazy) and you're in for a bite of oatmeal cookie heaven.

Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
Printable Recipe
Makes about 2 dozen


Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated zucchini, drained of excess liquid
1 cup oatmeal

Directions
1) Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into a bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
2) Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini and oats. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3) Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees until edges are golden, about 15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

Sweet Zucchini Pie with Oatmeal Streusel Topping

I already know what you're thinking.  A sweet pie filled with zucchini sounds a little unusual, but trust me on this one: it's delicious!  I have mentioned before that my husband doesn't care for zucchini.  So I made this pie one night when I knew he'd be working late and couldn't see what was in it.  Of course, he had a few bites when he came home.  And of course, he raved the next morning about how good it was.  I knew I should have waited until he was done eating his piece of pie for breakfast (that's what leftover pie is for!) before I told him that it was made with zucchini and not apples (seriously, it tastes just like an apple pie!) because then he gave me the "how could you deceive me like this?" look, which doesn't go well with either breakfast or pie.  But it was worth it.  And, by the way, feeding my family vegetables at breakfast?  Am I a rock star mom or what?

Sweet Zucchini Pie with Oatmeal Streusel Topping
(adapted from AllRecipes)
Printable Recipe
Serves 8


Ingredients
PIE:
5 cups zucchini, cut length-wise, peeled and seeded, and sliced 

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 9 inch pie crust
• 
  
• TOPPING:

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup four
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon. 


Directions
1) In a medium-sized pot, boil zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes.
2) While zucchini is boiling, combine all topping ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until crumbly.  Set aside.  
3) Drain zucchini and let stand in cold water for about 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
4) Place zucchini in a large bowl.  Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg. Mix well and place filling into the pie crust.
5) Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Drizzle with caramel sauce or eat plain.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

I was overloaded with zucchini the other day, but since my husband doesn't like zucchini, I told him I'd only use it in sweet dishes.  No more savory zucchini recipes for me.  (Well, at least for the next week or so.)  One thing my husband does like, however, is chocolate.  And I knew he wouldn't complain about this one.  This cake is so moist and delightfully chocolatey, he would never have guessed there was zucchini it in.  That is, if he hadn't grated it up for me.

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
(adapted from Simply Recipes)
Printable Recipe
Makes 10-12 servings


Ingredients

CAKE:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips


GLAZE:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions
1)  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
2) With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, and zucchini.
3) Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the chocolate chips with the last addition.
4) Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.
5) While cake is cooling, mix together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth.  Drizzle glaze over cake.  Enjoy!

Homemade Cheese Potato Casserole

This dish goes by a lot of names: funeral potatoes, cheese potato casserole, au gratin potatoes.  Growing up, they were just called "cheese potatoes," and they were my most requested dish.


I've made cheese potatoes several times over the years, but had never found a recipe that didn't require a can of condensed cream-of-something soup.  Finally, I had the tremendously bright idea of emailing Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (and supplier of Homemade Hawaiian Haystacks) whether she had a good recipe for cheese potatoes that didn't require canned soup.  She promptly wrote back saying she would soon be trying such a recipe, and was kind enough to email it to me. 


Over time, I altered the recipe a bit to taste more like the cheese potatoes I remember growing up.  Let me tell you, it is pretty dang close to what mama used to make.  And definitely worth not opening that can of soup.

Homemade Cheese Potato Casserole
(adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
Printable Recipe
Serves 6-8


Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2-3 green onions, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, shredded or cubed
1/2 cup sour cream


Optional Topping:
3 cups crushed cornflakes combined with 2 tablespoons melted butter


Directions
1) Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add green onion and cook until tender.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. 
2) Slowly whisk in salt, pepper, broth, and milk, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and stir in cheddar until smooth. 
3) Fold potatoes into sauce until combined; stir in sour cream until well mixed. 
4) Scrape mixture into 9x13 dish; add topping, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Make ahead: Prepared potato mixture can be refrigerated in baking dish, covered with foil, for up to 2 days. To finish, bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; add topping, if using, and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden. 

Baked Southwest Veggie Egg Rolls

This is another great dish to put in as much variety of vegetables as you want. I kept it pretty tame, but, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, cilantro--you name it!-- would all be fabulous. And it's such a cinch to make, I know we'll be having this one again!

Baked Southwest Veggie Egg Rolls

(adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)

Printable Recipe

Makes about 15

Ingredients

1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Monterey cheese, shredded
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Egg roll wrappers

Directions
1) In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers.
2) Place a heaping 1/4 cup mixture in the center of one egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. Repeat.
3) Place seam-side down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray tops of egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown, flipping them halfway through baking time. Serve warm with salsa, sour cream, or southwest chicken salad dressing. Enjoy!

Pink (Beet) Pancakes

I first heard of pink pancakes several months ago as a way to sneak veggies into breakfast. I like beets and I like pancakes, so this seemed like a no-brainer to me. And, honestly, you don't taste the beets at all, so don't let them phase you; my toddler ate three pancakes without slowing down. That's not a record or anything, but it's not too shabby, either. But if you really, really can't get over the beet thing, add a tablespoon of cocoa powder, serve with cream cheese and pretend they're red velvet pancakes. You won't know the difference.

Pink (Beet) Pancakes

Printable Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)

2 eggs

1/2 cup pureed beets (One 8 ounce can of beets makes about 1 cup puree. Use half and freeze the rest for another day.)

2 cups milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1) Stir together all dry ingredients.

2) Make a "well" in the center of the dry ingredients. Add eggs to the "well" and beat with a fork.

3) Add all the remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.
4) Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Drizzle a small amount of vegetable oil over the griddle.
5) Using a 1/4 measuring cup, pour batter onto hot pan.
6) Cook batter until bubbles begin to form and pop; flip. Griddle cakes are done when the center of the cake springs back lightly when touched. Enjoy!

Mojo de Ajo Vegetable Fajitas

My husband is not totally on board with veggie-only dishes, so naturally when I told him we were having fajitas for dinner, he thought I meant "steak." It was kind of a blow when he realized the steak was substituted with zucchini and corn and mojo de ajo. But was he satisfied? Oh yes. The mojo de ajo gives it a garlic-y twist that is so delicious! And I, for one, did not miss the meat at all.

Mojo de Ajo Vegetable Fajitas

(adapted from Prudence Pennywise)

Printable Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

MOJO DE AJO:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 5 cloves)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

FAJITAS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 cup corn

Salt and pepper

12 small corn tortillas, warmed

Directions
Make the mojo de ajo:

1) Cook oil and garlic in a large skillet over low heat until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

2) Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice, red-pepper flakes, and salt. Pour mojo de ajo in a small bowl and set aside.

Make the fajitas:

1) Re-heat skillet over high heat. Add oil, and gently swirl to coat. Add onion and bell peppers, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2) Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is beginning to brown, and pepper has softened slightly and skin is blistered, about 5 minutes.

3) Add zucchini, corn and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

6) Add the mojo de ajo, and stir to coat. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately with warmed tortillas, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese. Enjoy!

Mixed Vegetable Masala

Oh, I loved this dish! I think it was one of the best curry dishes I have ever made. I would make it again tomorrow. Heck, I would make it again today!

Mixed Vegetable Masala
(adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 yellow pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 cup)
2 carrots, sliced (1 cup)
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut into chunks (2 cups) (substitute cauliflower in the winter months)
½ cup coconut milk

salt and pepper

Directions
1) Pulse garlic in food processor until finely chopped. Add tomatoes with juice, ginger powder, and crushed red pepper flakes, and pulse until combined. Set aside.
2) Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 10 minutes, or until softened. Stir in potatoes, carrots, curry powder, and chili powder. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3) Add zucchini, tomato mixture, and ½ cup water. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat, and stir in coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Zucchini Lasagna

This recipe has been on my "to make" list for a long time, but now that it's zucchini season, I've finally gotten around to it. Although I think adding a chopped tomato would taste great, it's pretty dang good as is.

Zucchini Lasagna

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese or cottage cheese or a combination of both
salt and ground pepper
2 medium-sized zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced thinly crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 green onion, thinly sliced
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
1) In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and ricotta or cottage cheese; season well with salt and pepper.

2) In another medium bowl, combine zucchini, garlic, oregano and green onion; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

3) Spread 1/3 zucchini mixture in greased 8-inch square baking dish; top with two lasagna noodles, then 1/3 ricotta mixture. Repeat twice with remaining zucchini mixture, noodles, and ricotta mixture, finishing with the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

4) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake at 425 degrees until bubbly and noodles are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil; bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Baked Parmesan Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Tomatoes

This recipe was exactly what I was looking for: flavorful, simple, baked fresh vegetable goodness. The first time I made this, I ate the entire thing myself. And I loved every bite.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Tomatoes

(adapted from The Sisters Cafe)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-3 summer squash and/or zucchini

2 roma tomatoes

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

2-3 tablespoon butter

fresh finely grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1) Thinly slice zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes and arrange half of the slices evenly in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

2) Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place thin slices of butter on top to taste.

3) Layer the remaining zucchini, squash and tomato slices and repeat with seasonings. Top with parmesan cheese.

4) Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until center of zucchini and squash is just becoming clear. Uncover and bake 10-15 more minutes, or until the parmesan begins to golden. Enjoy!

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

I saved this recipe for a night that I knew my husband would be working late. He has a tentative relationship with cauliflower, but there's not much he can say about it if he's not home when I'm making it, right?

I had a hankerin' for cheesy cauliflower a few months ago and never satisfied it. Until now. This recipe satisfied it. Can you go wrong with cauliflower, baked to perfection, in a cheesy sauce? No. I don't think so. And guess what? My husband loved it.

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

(adapted from My Kitchen Cafe)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 large cauliflower head, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch florets (about 6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1) Heat the butter, garlic and flour in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth.

2) Stir in cauliflower, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

3) Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is nearly tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

4) Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on top. Pour mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

5) Bake at 450 degrees until golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Cheesy Garden Chowder

Soup is one of those lovely dishes that is so easy to sneak in veggies that my two-year old normally wouldn't eat. The fabulous thing about this particular recipe, beside the fact that its crazy delicious, is that you can include practically any vegetables you want and it will still taste wonderful. I'm eager to try this soup again with another variety of vegetables. Sweet potatoes? Sure. Corn? Oh yes. Zucchini? Yellow squash? Absolutely. Asparagus? You're reading my mind.

Cheesy Garden Chowder

(adapted from Passionate Homemaking)

Printable Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 chopped bell pepper, any color
1/2 cup each: diced celery, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 cup whole milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1) In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the garlic, onion and bell pepper until tender and fragrant.

2) Add remaining vegetables, broth, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth; gradually stir into the soup. Allow to thicken several minutes at a low temperature.

4) Just before serving, gradually stir in the cheese until melted. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.  Enjoy!

BBQ Sauce Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

It should come as no surprise to you that no, they don't sell bbq sauce here. I FINALLY found a recipe for bbq sauce that was simple enough for me to make while in Bosnia and tastes good, too. And it was about time because summer is just around the corner and bbq sauce screams summer time.

I made a few roasted vegetables to go along with the chicken--put them in the oven at the same time as the chicken they were done at the same time. Don't you love when things work out like that? The chicken was so moist and delicious when it was done. And oh, the roasted vegetables were so good! Perfect!





BBQ Sauce Chicken and Roasted Vegetables
(bbq sauce recipe adapted from Patti Cakes)
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
BBQ SAUCE:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder, more to taste
dash garlic powder
dash hot red chili powder (or tabasco sauce, or whatever hot powder/sauce you have on hand)
2 tablespoons honey, optional

4 chicken breasts

ROASTED VEGETABLES:
4 carrots, peeled and diagonally cut
2 bell peppers, thickly sliced
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon brown sugar (or your BiH alternative)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions
1) In a large bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. When well combined, place chicken in the bbq sauce and allow to marinate for at least three hours (I put my frozen chicken in the bbq sauce until it thawed out).
2) In a separate bowl, toss vegetables with brown sugar, a drizzle of oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
3) Place chicken and vegetables in separate greased roasting pans. Cook at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown and chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

Spinach and Feta Twice-Baked Potatoes

I do potatoes. As in, if there's a pot luck or a family gathering, it's assumed that I will bring a potato something. And if it's not assumed, my husband will gladly tell everyone that I will be making some kind of potato something. (I love that he loves my cooking, btw.) Twice-baked potatoes are a potato staple. And yes, I have brought them to dinner parties.

The thing is, cheddar is a hard commodity to find outside of the US--at least, in the countries I've lived in--and it's non-existent here. And although cheddar isn't a prerequisite to making good twice-baked potatoes (far from it!), the sharpness of the cheese does give a good flavor. Especially when paired with bacon. Oh, bacon....

But feta! Feta is bounteous in BiH and has an edgy taste all its own which I've come to appreciate more and more. So I whipped up some spinach feta twice-baked potatoes for dinner. The tangy-ness of the feta and the cool overtones of spinach made this a fabulous twist on the typical twice-baked. Give this one a try!



Spinach and Feta Twice-Baked Potatoes
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons butter, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
dash pepper
1/3-1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I used about 6 tablespoons worth, but could have easily used more)
1/2 heaping cup feta, crumbled

Directions
1) Heat oven to 375°F. Gently scrub potatoes, but do not peel. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork to allow steam to escape while potatoes bake. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced in center with a fork.
2) When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut lengthwise in half; scoop out inside, leaving a thin shell. In medium bowl, mash potato insides with a potato masher. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper.
3) Reserve about 2 tablespoons feta, and fold in spinach and remaining feta cheese.
4) Fill potato shells with mashed potato mixture. Put reserved feta on tops of potatoes. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5) Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake about 20 minutes or until hot. Enjoy!