Author: laughingmoondesigns@yahoo.com

Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Avocado Rolls
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Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Avocado Rolls

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I was inspired by a recipe posted a couple of years ago on a blog I love, LemonsandBasil.com.
I love roasted sweet potato and these make wonderful appetizers as well as a side dish. I am going to try a version with goat cheese, because everything is good with cheese. These are super easy. I used a grill pan for the zucchini but you could use them directly on the gill or in a grill pan on the stove top. NOTE: I think next time I will also make the sweet potato “fries”a little shorter.

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Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • smoked paprika
  • course sea salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Slice zucchini into long thin strips, then lay out on fresh paper towels and coat with layer of salt, then let them sit for about 15 minutes. This helps to sweat the water out. After the 15 minutes, apply pressure with a paper towel to remove some of that moisture.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, peel sweet potatoes and chop into small stubby fries, approx 1-1.5 inches long.
  3. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, lay sweet potatoes flat, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the salt, pepper and smoked paprika  and bake 15-20 minutes.
  4. Once the zucchini has “sweat” for approximately 15 minutes, brush lightly with a little olive oil.
  5. Grill zucchini slices on an indoor grill pan {stove top} or outdoor grill until soft (approx 3-4 minutes each side). Sprinkle with salt and pepper {you may want to blot the cooked zucchini with a dry paper towel to remove any extra moisture}.
  6. Add sweet potato wedges and avocado slices to zucchini pieces and roll up.
Chilled Corn Yogurt Soup
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Chilled Corn Yogurt Soup

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I love sweet corn in just about every variation you can come up with. This was a yummy vegetarian side dish that I served with a Mahi burger, but would be a good main dish with a salad. I was inspired by a recipe in Runner’s world but I roasted the pepper and squash and added some caramelized onions and made a couple of my own tweaks. It would be great warm as well if you don’t have time to chill it. I could not get it smooth enough in a food processor so I used a blender.

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Ingredients

3 ears of corn, shucked and the kernels sliced off
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow squash, cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 sweet onion, sliced thin
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (for onion)
1 carton greek yogurt (8 oz)
3/4 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 400, Place pepper and squash chunks on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a bit of sea salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, heat olive oil in a large pan. Cook onions until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a food processor or blender (I ended up using the Vitamix) add all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl, cover and chill until cool, about 2 hours.

This would be good with a little pesto on top for a garnish.

 

“Beefless” Sloppy Joe’s
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“Beefless” Sloppy Joe’s

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We are not vegetarians but we TRY to eat healthy. Mostly. Except for desserts. Anyway… my husband wanted a sloppy joe but without the fat of the ground beef. Here it is. You can use any kind of fake meat but I really like Trader Joe’s “beefless” beef (Smart ground is also good) and they have great hamburger buns also. I served this with roasted corn and a salad. You could also make this with ground Turkey. I got lazy and took photos with my ipad, so not great but the recipe was very good.

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Ingredients

  1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the onion and bell pepper in the hot oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until softened. Add the “beefless” ground beef to the skillet; cook and stir to crumble. Since there is no fat it does not really brown. Just mix everything well.
  2. Stir the pureed tomatoes, barbeque sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and hot sauce into the mixture. Simmer until completely heated, 7 to 10 minutes more.
Rhubarb Crisp
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Rhubarb Crisp

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I love rhubarb. My husband does not.. he ate a lot of this. It is very good. I cut back on some of the sugar from the original recipe. I love the tartness of the rhubarb and sweetness of the crisp. Good hot with ice cream or plain. I make this whenever I find rhubarb in the produce aisle. Super easy recipe, this would be great to make with children as an introduction to cooking.

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups rhubarb, cut into 3/4″ pieces
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon  cinnamon
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup rolled oats
  • 1⁄2 cup melted butter
  1. Combine rhubarb, sugar, flour and cinnamon and put into 8″ x 8″ x 2″  baking dish.
  2. Combine flour, brown sugar, rolled oats and melted butter and sprinkle streusel over rhubarb mixture.
  3. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.
Tofu with Roasted Veggies and Quinoa
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Tofu with Roasted Veggies and Quinoa

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The roadside farm stands are open! On my walk the other day I stopped to pick up sweet corn (peaches and cream), Vidallia onions, yellow and green zuchinni, tomatoes and red peppers. I decided it called for a healthy sort of stir fry. I chopped up some tofu, roasted the tomatoes and with a little Balsamic glaze to drizzle on top I threw this together and served over quinoa. Your could substitute chicken or shrimp for the tofu as well. I roasted the tomatoes and stir fried the squash and pepper but you could also roast all the veggies.

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Ingredients

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
olive oil for roasting tomatoes and caramelizing onions and stir fry
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 block of extra firm tofu
2-3 ears sweet corn
1 red pepper
1 large Vidallia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 golden Zucchini (or crooked neck squash)
1 zucchini
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
Balsamic glaze for drizzling

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chopped tomatoes on a sheet of tinfoil, drizzle with olive oil – about 1-2 tablespoons, sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and roast until juicy, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside, saving any of the juice.

While tomatoes are roasting heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (depending on size of onion) in a large pan. Add onions and cook slowly until golden, about 20 minutes.

In a large bowl slice corn kernels off the cob. In a large pan heat a teaspoon of oil and cook corn until just warmed and getting a bit caramelized. Set aside.

In same large pan add red pepper and zucchini, cook until just tender remove from pan and mix in with corn and tomatoes.

Heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil and add the tofu. I add a little soy sauce to help brown and give extra flavor. Brown all sides of tofu. When tofu is nice and brown, add the veggies back in to warm everything.

Serve over a bed of rice, couscous or quinoa. Drizzle with Balsamic glaze. You can make your own or use a bottle.

 

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken
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Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken

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This was a quick week night dinner. I usually like chicken thighs better but the chicken turned out moist and flavorful. I served it with an apple, walnut and Romaine salad with greek yogurt dressing. This served more than 2 (depending on the size of the breast) but you could easily double for more servings. This would also be good with a marinara sauce. 

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Ingredients

1 6 oz bag of pre-washed spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup of part skim ricotta (you could also use full fat)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup panko flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
cooking Spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Heat olive oil in a large non stick pan over medium heat. Add spinach to the pan and cook until spinach wilts, about 4-5 minutes. Stir frequently. Drain spinach in a sieve, pressing to remove any excess water. Place on a cutting board and finely chop. Place in a medium size bowl. Add ricotta and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and stir well to combine.

Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper. Pound to flatten to about 1/4 inch using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Place half of the ricotta mixture in the middle of the chicken leaving a 1/4 inch border. Using the short side roll up in a jelly roll fashion and place seam side down in a 2 quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with the remaining chicken breast.

Sprinkle chicken with the panko flakes, parmesan cheese and smoked paprika. Bake at 450 for 20 – 30 minutes until chicken is done

 

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Margarita Braised Chicken

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Cooking Light has been a go-to for recipes for me for about 25 years. I stumbled across this last week as I was going through old magazines and cutting out the ones for saving. I changed a few things but this will become a regular meal at our house. I served over plain rice but couscous would be good. Roasted tomatoes might be a good addition

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Ingredients

1/2 cup flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
5-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
2 large thinly sliced onions
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 ripe Mango
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup tequila
1 lime, thinly sliced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt; dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Peel and cut a ripe mango into chunks and set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer chicken to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add onions to skillet; cook slowly until golden and sweet, about 15-20 minutes (you don’t have to caramelize them but I liked the flavor the caramelizing gave them). Add garlic to pan, and sauté 1 minute. Remove the onions and set aside saving the pan juices.

Combine fruit juice, and tequila in a bowl. Pour into the pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute. Pour onion mixture over chicken, add the mango; top with lime slices. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

Orange Yogurt Cake (Bizcocho de Naranja)
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Orange Yogurt Cake (Bizcocho de Naranja)

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This is a moist, dense cake that is not overly sweet. Three orange flavors: juice, marmalade and liqueur. Refrigerate after the cake has cooled. This cake will even freeze so you can make ahead of time. Wrap cooled, unglazed cake in plastic wrap to freeze. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and glaze. I liked it best warm after I put the glaze on it. Garnish with fresh raspberries or strawberries and grated orange rind, if desired. This was from a Cooking Light recipe.

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Ingredients

CAKE:
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of orange rind (optional)

GLAZE
3 tablespoons sweet orange marmalade
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange flavored liqueur

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the juice in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in saffron. Let stand 10 minutes.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.

Place sugar, egg, and egg white in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until thickened. Add yogurt, beating well. Gradually add oil and juice mixture, beating until well blended. Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat just until blended. Repeat procedure with the remaining flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray (I used a springform pan). Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Place cake on a serving platter. Combine marmalade and liqueur in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; strain through a fine sieve directly onto surface of cake. Discard solids. Spread marmalade mixture evenly over top of cake, allowing excess to drizzle down sides of cake.

Corn Fritters
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Corn Fritters

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These are just wonderful. I have made these small and served them as appetizers with guacamole and larger as a side dish. They would also make an excellent vegetarian main dish. I have even used the leftovers, toasted, as a breakfast side with maple syrup. There are so many variations you can add to these fritters, onions or chiles would be good for a little spicy side to a Mexican entree. I added some cheddar cheese for this version but they would be good without. This was adapted from a recipe in the Williams-Sonoma cocktail party cookbook.

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INGREDIENTS

3 ears of fresh corn, shucked, with kernels sliced off (you could use frozen also)
1 Cup of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup whole or skim milk
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Hold an ear of corn upright, stem end down, in a shallow bowl (so the kernels don’t go everywhere). Using a sharp knife, slice straight down between the kernels and the cob to remove the kernels, rotating a quarter turn after each cut.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Add egg, milk, cheese and corn kernels and stir to just combine.

In a large frying pan or electric griddle heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, drop in a heaping teaspoon of the batter, then press down to flatten. If these are for a side dish I make them larger-about pancake size. Repeat with more batter,  being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden on the first side, about 3 minutes if making the small appetizer size. Turn over and cook until golden on the second side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.

Serve plain, with guacamole, Romesco sauce or yogurt sauce.

Chicken Quesadillas with Peach Salsa
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Chicken Quesadillas with Peach Salsa

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These have become one of my “go-to” regular recipes on a week night because they are easy, quick and very tasty. I vary things around, sometimes using roasted sweet potato, corn or other items I have on hand. I also like mango and pineapple salsa. I make these with either leftover grilled chicken or the “just roasted chicken” from Trader Joe’s. These are good as is or drizzled with avocado cream sauce.

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Ingredients

Flour tortillas (I like the homemade ones from Trader Joe’s)
Mango or peach salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese mix
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, caramelized
Avocado, sliced (optional)
Cooked chicken shredded (or cut into pieces) 

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, cook until golden and caramelized, set aside.

Heat a panini press – I find this works best but you can also use a griddle.

Chop or shred the cooked chicken. Lay out a flour tortilla on a plate and arrange chicken, onions, salsa, avocado slices and shredded cheese. Top with second tortilla. Transfer to the panini press or griddle and cook until toasted and the cheese is nice and gooey.