Layered Zucchini

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in layered zucchini, yummy stuff, zucchini

≈ 4 Comments

I love this time of year! This is when my garden really starts to hit it’s stride. One of my garden favorites is zucchini and I use it in as many dishes as I can.

This year I have four plants and, so far, they are all producing.
I am bringing in about three to four zucchini a day.
It’s time to get cookin’!

Layered zucchini reminds me of lasagna a little bit.
Instead of the noodles, you use zucchini.

Layered Zucchini:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/175 Celsius.
You will need a large saucepan.
You will also need a colander, a small bowl, and a skillet.
To bake, you will need a greased 8″ square pan.

Ingredients:
6 cups sliced zucchini- 3 or 4 medium/small, 5 or 6 small, OR 1 large
1/2 pound ground turkey OR ground beef
1 cup spaghetti OR tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano OR 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves OR 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup ground flax OR dry bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese   

Directions:
After you have sliced 6 cups of zucchini, partially fill a large saucepan with water and salt it. Bring the water to a boil and add the zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes. Any longer and the zucchini will be too soft.
Drain. Cool.
Crown and crumble the ground turkey in your skillet. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, and garlic powder. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the egg, cottage cheese, and parsley.
Get your baking pan and layer half of the zucchini in it.
Sprinkle with half of the ground flax
Cover that with half of the cottage cheese mixture, half the ground turkey mixture, and half of the mozzarella.
Repeat, except do not add the rest of the mozzarella yet.
Put in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Take out and sprinkle with the mozzarella and put back in the oven for a few minutes- just to melt the cheese.

Serve.
This makes enough for 4 or 5 people.

You can buy flax seeds or already ground seeds.
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Have a great day!

Zucchini Time

30 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in yummy stuff, zucchini

≈ 5 Comments

My zucchini is starting to go into full production.

I love zucchini. I just can’t wait until I am able to start picking.
I prefer to pick them smaller. These are as big as I like to let them grow.
I believe the flavor is a lot better.

The larger ones are fine for shredding, if you are going to use it as a filler or for baking brownies or bread.
A couple I know shreds it and adds to to all kinds of things such as meatloaf to give added nutrition.
I have not tried that though.

My daughter claims to not like zucchini.
Yet there are some ways she likes it.
One is zucchini alfredo.
Another is cheesy zucchini sausage casserole.

She also likes a few things baked with zucchini that I will have to bake and post.
I thought I had posted them, but I checked and no, I did not.

But, I will be making some blueberry zucchini bread  one of these days. My blueberries are ripening good now.

I have also got a recipe for zucchini pizza crust that is pretty good.

When I grew up, my mom never grew zucchini so I never had it until the last five years.
Now, I find all kinds of ways to fix it.

Nutritionally speaking, zucchini gives you a lot!
It contains magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, beta carotene, maganese,  vitamin C, calcium, vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6, and folate.

Summertime Business

24 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in garden, yummy stuff

≈ 4 Comments

Things are starting to happen in the garden.
I am now harvesting and canning green beans.

The broccoli is coming on.
I will be freezing some of that soon too.
I did make broccoli salad last night for dinner.

Summer gets pretty busy when everything gets into full swing.

I have lots of tomato plants and I plan to make plenty of salsa as well as ketchup and juice and chopped tomatoes.

Between the garden and some stressful things going on, I haven’t gotten a lot done as far as recipes go.
I have been taking pictures and as things settle down I hope to get back into a routine.

Frugal Me Fridays- Popcorn for Snack Time

13 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by in Frugal Me Fridays, yummy stuff

≈ 4 Comments

Who says snacks have to be out when you have a food budget? You can just snack frugally!

Everyone loves popcorn!
But, those microwave 3 packs can get pricey.

To save, you can buy them in bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club.
A better choice is regular popcorn.

You can get a pound of it for $1 or maybe a little more.
It makes LOTS!

You can make it on the stove, invest in an air popper, a microwave popper, or even put some popcorn and a little oil in a paper bag and do microwave popcorn your way.

It really takes mo more time popping regular corn than it does the microwave variety.

Make your own caramel corn for a treat!

Popcorn is low calorie and filling.
Popping your own not only saves you money, it is healthier.
None of those chemicals that come in the bags of microwave popcorn.

And you get to season it just the way you want!

Frugal Me Fridays- More Meat Tips

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in Frugal Me Fridays, meat tips, yummy stuff

≈ 6 Comments

Eating lean meat is healthier.
It also costs more.

One thing you can do is buy a cut with a higher fat content and cut off the visible fat before cooking.
If it is ground meat, you can drain the meat on paper towels or dump in a strainer.
You can also rinse the meat after cooking.
But, if you do this, be aware some nutrients will be lost as well as any seasoning you may have used.

Cheaper cuts of meat can be a little tougher.
You can make the meat more moist by adding a little water or broth to the pan while you are cooking it.
You can also marinate the meat before cooking.

Adding a little fat to the frying pan before cooking the meat will seal in juices.
Heat the pan, add the oil and make sure it is hot before you add the meat.
If the oil is not hot, it will soak into the meat, instead of searing the outside.

If you can afford to, you can save quite a bit of money by purchasing a quarter, half, or whole cow, pig, sheep, or whatever you want.
It is a big expense up front.
But, when you figure out the cost per pound it is a good investment.

I am sorry I missed last week’s Frugal Me Fridays. I was unable to get to my computer.

Mushroom Cheese Burgers

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in brown rice, Mushroom cheese burgers, yummy stuff

≈ 8 Comments

If you are a mushroom lover, this is a burger for you.

This is a different type of vegetarian burger. Usually you see bean burgers or maybe a thickly sliced grilled portabello mushroom for a burger.
This burger is made with white button mushrooms, brown rice, and cheddar cheese.
You can pile them up with all the fixings, but they are moist enough without additional condiments.

Plan ahead to make these.  The mixture has to chill so it will take several hours between mixing and chilling and cooking.
The first time I made these I forgot about the chill time and meal time was a little later than normal.

You will need a large skillet for frying.
You will also need a mixing bowl.

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
8 oz. white button mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 cup cooked brown rice- follow package directions
1/2 cup uncooked oats, either quick or regular
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 to 4 Tablespoons ground flax seed- you can use bread crumbs

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in your large skillet.
Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir until onion is soft
Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid has absorbed.

Stir in the brown rice and cook for a minute.

Pour that mixture into your bowl.
Stir in the oats, cheese, and egg.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the flax or bread crumbs. You just need the mixture to not be too wet and sticky.

Cover and put in the fridge until firm. This will take 3 to 4 hours.
When firm, take out of the fridge.
Line a plate with plastic wrap and make the burgers into 4 large patties. They are big so you might want to make 6 smaller ones.

Put back into the fridge for another hour. You can also quick chill them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet.
Add the burgers and cook for about 5 minutes on either side until hot and the outside is browned.

Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.
Makes 4 to 6, depending on size. 

Memphis Rub

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Memphis Rub, rub, seasoning, yummy stuff

≈ 4 Comments

This rub is full of complex flavors. You get a little bit of heat and a little bit of sweetness. Use it as a stand alone rub or grill your meat with the rub and add some BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
I really like this rub on pork, but it is also fabulous on shrimp.

You will need a jar with a tightly fitting lid. An empty large spice shaker container or Parmesan cheese container is just perfect if you have one of those.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup paprika
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne(red) pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Put everything into the container and screw on lid.
Shake it up.

This makes about a half cup.

To use: put some on meat and rub it in.

Pork chops with Memphis Rub.

 

Frugal Me Fridays- The Food Processor Investment

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in food processor, yummy stuff

≈ 2 Comments

Sometimes in order to save money, you have to spend money.

A food processor is not a necessity, but it is handy and can save you money in the long term.

Some ways it can save you money:
Making your own almond flour or other nut or bean flours.
Buy the nuts and make your own nut butter- such as peanut butter.
Buy a pumpkin and make your own puree for making pies and breads.
If you have an inexpensive access to apples, make your own applesauce.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on one.
You can find a good one for about $30 or $40, less if you catch one on sale.

If you get one that has a wide enough chute, you can slice whole potatoes or peppers.
They work great to shred zucchini.

I have used mine to make mayonnaise also.

You can use it to mix pie dough or cookie dough.

I mix up my black bean brownies in it.

Under Control

20 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in yummy stuff

≈ 2 Comments

Things have been a little hectic around here lately.
Hence, the lack of new recipes posted.

I have been busy transplanting volunteer tomato plants and trying to rid the rest of the garden of little maple trees.

Tons of whirlygigs descended on my freshly tilled garden and sprouted.

The garden was too wet to till so I hoed up what I could.
As large as the garden is, it took a lot of time to do small areas.

Finally the garden has gotten tilled and hopefully things will get a little more settled.

I did get a chance to grill last night.
This is what we had:

My asparagus is slowing down, but I am getting a few spears a day yet.
I decided to try grilling it.

I drizzled the spears with olive oil and sprinkled with curry powder and kosher salt.
Put on the grill and turn frequently so the spears don’t burn.
When the spears are tender, take off the grill.
It only takes about 5 minutes total to cook them.

I also cooked some thick cut Iowa chops with Memphis Rub.
I will be posting that recipe in the next couple of days.

In the roaster is frozen corn.
I add a pint of corn and 2 tablespoons butter, cover and heat until hot.
That takes about 30 minutes.

Until next time!