Stuffed Zucchini

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Yield: 6-8 servings

4 medium zucchini (about 8 oz each), stems removed
4 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium red potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into 1/2" cubes
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/4 lbs), seeded and chopped
1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves or 1 Tbs dried
6 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position and one to the lowest position, then place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on each rack.  Heat oven to 400F.

Meanwhile, halve zucchini lengthwise.  Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and most of the flesh so that the walls are about 1/4" thick all the way around.  Brush the cut sides with 2 Tbs of the oil and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the potatoes with 1 Tbs. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread in a single layer on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating on the upper rack; return to oven.

Place the zucchini halves, cut-side down, on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating on the lower rack; return to oven.  Roast the zucchini until slightly softened and skins are slightly wrinkled, about 10 minutes, while simultaneously roasting the potatoes until they are tender and lightly browned, 12-14 minutes.

When the zucchini has finished roasting, remove it from the oven using tongs, flip the zucchini halves over on the baking sheet, and set aside.

While the zucchini and potatoes are roasting, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and cooked potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in basil, 1/2 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide filling evenly among zucchini halves on the baking sheet, packing it lightly; sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Return the zucchini to the oven, this time to the upper rack, and bake until heated through and cheese is spotty brown, about 6 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Notes:
- I felt like the zucchini flesh was going to waste, but I was so preoccupied with everything else I was making for dinner that I forgot about it.  I wonder how it would be to chop it up and add at least some of it back in with the onions and garlic.
- The original recipe uses 1 whole medium onion and 5 large cloves of garlic.
- Perhaps pepper jack cheese would be yummy, too.

Slow-cooker Mashed Potatoes

From Quick Cooking (Dec. 2000), page 48.

Prep: 5 min. / Cook: 2-4 hours
Yield: 8-10 servings

1 pkg. (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
6 cups warm mashed potatoes (prepared without butter or milk)

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, salad dressing, and parsley; stir in potatoes.

Transfer to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving (3/4 cup) = 199 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 671 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 3 g protein

Notes:
- I'm not sure what was with my potatoes, but they were extremely dry and I ended up adding milk to keep them from scorching.  My mom didn't have this problem when she made the potatoes, so perhaps it's my crock pot, which we already know is notorious for cooking things too quickly.
- I think I used neufchatel cheese (less fat than cream cheese) and light sour cream, which would help out a bit when it comes to the amounts of fat and cholesterol.  You could take things even further by replacing the sour cream with fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (I'm really into that right now).
- Because I didn't want so strong of a ranch flavor in the potatoes (this was for Thanksgiving), I probably only used about 1 Tbs. of ranch seasoning.  It was subtle, but I liked it.  Play around with the amounts depending on your taste--the less you use, the lower the sodium content will be.

Moussakas

Adapted from Mom Larsen.

1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb (or ground beef)
2 medium eggplants, peeled and ends trimmed off
2-3 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 (8 oz) cans tomato paste
2 Tbs. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce:
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash nutmeg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten until frothy

Saute onion in butter until transparent.  Push to side of pan.  Add ground meat and minced garlic; cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks.  Add basil, oregano, cinnamon, and tomato paste; stir.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Simmer 10 minutes, then stir in bread crumbs.  Set aside.

Cut eggplants in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1/2"-thick slices.  Brush both sides of eggplant slices and potato slices with olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes, turning slices once.  (Potato slices may need to be removed sooner than eggplant slices; check at 15 minutes.)

For cheese sauce: Melt butter in saucepan.  Add flour and cook 1 minute.  Gradually add milk and chicken broth to saucepan and cook, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add salt and nutmeg.  Stir in parmesan cheese.  Add a little sauce to eggs and stir, then carefully add eggs to sauce and mix well.

Spray 9x13" pan with cooking spray and line bottom with potatoes.  Layer 1/2 eggplant, 1/2 meat; repeat.  Pour cheese sauce over top.

Bake at 357F for 20-25 minutes.

Notes:
- My mom's recipe doesn't call for the potatoes and uses melted butter instead of olive oil.
- This can be prepared ahead and kept in the refrigerator but will need to cook longer.

Oven-Roasted Fries

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 92.

Prep: 10 min./Cook: 35 min.
Serves: 4-6.

Pictured: Oven-Roasted Fries with Cuban Seasoning.

5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, well scrubbed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbs. kosher salt
3 Tbs. seasoning mix (pages 117-119), optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice each potato lengthwise into 8 slices.  Put the potato slices in a large bowl, add oil, salt, and seasoning mix, if using, and toss to coat the potatoes evenly.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add the potatoes in an even layer.  Bake the potatoes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 35 minutes.  Serve hot.

Cuban Seasoning

1 tsp. ground bay leaves

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. granulate onion

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

Whisk together bay leaves, cumin, garlic, onion, oregano, and turmeric in a small bowl until combined.

Notes:

- I used 10 small Yukon Gold potatoes

- My fries were delicious and cooked through, but perhaps next time I'll cook them a little longer to get them a little more like fries instead of roasted potatoes.

- A small coffee grinder is perfect for grinding dried bay leaves (as well as other spices).  I used a little less than 1 tsp. garlic powder because I didn't have granulated garlic, and I again used the coffee grinder to turn my dried minced onion into granulated onion.

Chicken Pot Pie

From Mom Larsen (adapted from Laverne Hales).

3 cups cooked cubed chicken
1 ½ cups diced cooked carrots
1 ½-2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
½ cup chopped celery
6 Tbs. margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
7 tsp. chicken bouillon or 7 chicken bouillon cubes
1/8-1/4 tsp. pepper
5 ½ cups milk (divided)
3 cups biscuit baking mix (like Bisquik)

Cook celery in margarine until tender. Stir in flour, bouillon, and pepper. Remove from heat and add 4 ½ cups milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Stir in chicken, carrots, potatoes, and peas. Remove from heat.

Combine biscuit mix and remaining 1 cup milk. Mix well. Turn 2/3 dough into well-greased 9x13” baking dish. Sprinkle with flour. With floured hands, pat dough evenly over bottom and up sides of dish.

Pour chicken mixture into prepared dish.

Knead remaining dough. Roll to 1/8 thickness. Cut into eight 3-inch rounds and arrange on casserole.

Bake at 350˚F for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden.

Notes:
- Always check the size of your bouillon cubes to make sure you're using the right amount.  I have cubes that are at least twice the size of the ones my mom uses, so I have to be really careful about measuring by the number of cubes.  In this recipe, you'll want to make sure you've got the equivalent of 7 tsp.

New England Clam Chowder

From Dave Lieberman.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into ¼-inch pieces
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
1 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from cans of clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

Pan-Toasted Croutons:
2 to 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tbs. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet and toss the bread cubes in the butter until browned and toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Notes:
- Really good served in bread bowls (without the croutons).