Zucchini bread

Zucchini is one of those things that, when planted in the garden, will give you an over abundance of vegetables. Unfortunately, zucchini does not freeze well, but I did discover that if you freeze grated zucchini in plastic zipper bags, you can use it to make bread.  When it thaws, there will be liquid separate from the zucchini, just dump the whole thing into the recipe, and it works just fine.  I discovered this because you can only eat zucchini so many times in a week, before your family starts to complain.

The past few years, I have not had much luck with my zucchini due to the cabbage borers, but this year looks like I may have a bumper crop.  Mine went in a little late, so they are not quite ready to pick, but since my sister's garden is producing so well, she shared her bounty with me.  I have been experimenting with recipes, but this is a tried and true favorite of my family's, so I will share this one first.   

This recipe is nearly 40 years old.  It came from the cookbook that came with my original Waring Food Processor, called Processor Perfection  Before this recipe, I tried several others, but none seemed to have much flavor.  I think this one is helped by the hefty amount of cinnamon.  I would like to experiment and add some other spices, and when I do, I will let you know how that turned out.

1  2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4  rounded teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup wheat germ
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini
2/3 cup vegetable or coconut oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup raisins (optional)

Do not peel the zucchini, just give it a good scrub with a vegetable brush to remove those prickly things. Grate using a food processor with a grating blade or on an old fashioned hand grater. Sift dry ingredients together.  Mix oil and sugars and add vanilla and eggs. Combine with dry ingredients and add sesame seeds, nuts and zucchini.  Mix only until ingredients are combined.  Pour into greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.  Bread is done when toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and turn out on a rack to cool. Feel free to add raisins, craisins or chocolate chips if that's what your family likes. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie

I know, it's about time. How about pizza on the grill?

I apologize for being away for so long.  Sometimes, life just gets in the way.  Right now I'm in Colorado visiting my daughter. Last night I made pizza on the grill for dinner and thought I would share it with you.

Here is the history behind this recipe.  I belong to a group called "Farm to Table"  that meets at a local garden center.  We meet once a month to work on crops we have planted as well as learn a few recipes from a wonderful chef, Heidi, who works with us. After we work out in the field she has a wonderful snack prepared for us.  This was something she made for us last summer.  It's very easy, doesn't heat up the kitchen, doesn't require any fancy equipment, and is really delicious.

There actually isn't a real recipe, just some instructions, but it's worth sharing here.  While I make my own pizza dough in my bread machine, you can use store bought pizza dough.  Sometimes it's frozen and in some stores it's fresh in the refrigerator section.  You can also ask your favorite pizza place to sell you dough.  If you would like my dough recipe, just let me know in the comments section below this post, and I will send it to you.  If I get enough requests, I will post it to the whole blog.

The secret to this is to get your grill REALLY hot.  Like 500 degrees hot. Before I turn my grill on,  I get everything ready.  We usually do this outside, because it's just easier.  I set up a tray with all my toppings.  This is the part where individuality comes in. You can use prepared pizza sauce, or make your own, or don't use any sauce at all!

To make your own pizza sauce, pour a can of tomato sauce or puree in a sauce pan, add a few sprinkles of garlic powder (not garlic salt), a few sprinkles of onion powder, about a tablespoon of dried oregano and a tablespoon of dried basil and salt and pepper to taste. Heat to blend flavors.  You can freeze and reuse what ever is left over.  I always have a container of this in my freezer.

Suggested toppings:

Pizza sauce
Pesto
Shredded mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil cut into ribbons, or dried basil if that's all you have
Dried oregano
Fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, broccoli or whatever you really love!
Meats such as pepperoni, cooked sausage, chicken, or meatballs.  (Note: meats should be fully cooked before putting them on the pizza because it doesn't cook long enough to cook the meat)

Once my toppings are all ready, I turn on the grill to the highest setting and go back inside to work on the dough.  I make individual pizzas because they are easier to handle on the grill, and everyone makes their own, so everyone gets what they like. I have a large family, so I make enough dough for two pizzas.  This will give me eight individual sized pizzas.  The recipe makes two pounds of dough. 

Divide the dough into small balls, a little smaller than the size of a tennis ball.  (How's that for exact science?)  Roll the dough onto a floured surface into about an 8 - 10 inch round.  If it's not exactly round, don't worry about it.  Lay them out on a large cutting board, if you don't have one, use a cookie sheet, but make sure it's well floured.  It's okay if the rounds overlap each other a bit.  Once your grill is at 500 degrees, take the dough outside.  Place rounds directly on the grill, no stone, no pan, nothing!  Cook for about three minutes.  Take a look at it, if large bubbles have happened on your rounds, just poke them with your tongs.  (the only piece of fancy equipment you need) After another minute, flip them over and cook for another two or three minutes. At this point, I go back inside to bring out the tray of toppings.

The pizzas will not be fully cooked.  Remove them from the grill and put your toppings on each one.  Place them back on the grill and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.  Take a peek now and then.  You want your cheese to be melted and bubbly. Remove and enjoy!

Once you start making pizza on the grill, you will never use your oven again!  Let me know how yours turned out, and of course I always welcome questions and comments and will answer you as quickly as possible.  Just check the comments section below this post. Enjoy!

Happy cooking!

Carol
a.k.a Nonnie

Update/correction to the snickerdoodle recipe

So I'm guessing that no one has tried to make the snickerdoodle recipe, because today I went to make snickerdoodles, and I can't find the recipe card so I looked it up on the blog and printed it out.  Lo and behold!  There is no flour in the recipe!  Duh!  I'm hoping that no one tried and had a disaster, because, no one e-mailed me about it.  So I have fixed the problem.  Use 2  3/4 cups of flour.  The recipe was posted September 24, 2014. 

Here is my request for you,  if you read a recipe and something seems wrong, please let me know!!!  I always try to double check everything, but sometimes things slip by.  So sorry!  Have a great day! 

Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie

Chicken Imperial

                                                                   

This recipe is nearly 40 years old! It was given to me by a friend and I still have the original card in her writing!  I have been cleaning out my recipe box and binders and getting rid of any recipes that I know I will never make again-like those with canned cream of anything soup. If I can't change the recipe to something healthier, I toss it.  This one was a favorite, I don't know why I stopped making it, maybe because of all the butter (the original called for 1 1/2 sticks!).  I wrote the recipe to serve four.  You might notice there's more than that in the photo.  I had family over for dinner tonight and doubled the recipe.

I changed the original recipe a bit-actually, I changed it a lot, but the original flavor is still there. The original recipe called for a whole cut up chicken and was cooked in the oven for an hour and a half.  I had thin sliced boneless breasts, so I decided to do it on top of the stove. I adjusted the seasonings a bit, and made a sauce with the seasonings and butter.  I added parsley and rosemary to the original seasonings.  Don't be afraid of the curry, it gives it great flavor!

If you don't want to spend the extra money for thin sliced chicken breasts, use regular boneless breasts and slice them through the middle to made two thin slices out of each one. This was a really quick meal because there was no chopping involved; it took less than 30 minutes to prepare.  Serve it over rice with a vegetable and salad and you have a great meal.

Chicken Imperial

4 thin sliced boneless chicken breasts, or two regular boneless breasts sliced to make 4 thin slices
4 tablespoons flour + two tablespoons more for the sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a small sauce pan.  Combine curry powder, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, paprika and rosemary in a small bowl, stir to combine.  Add Worcestershire and Dijon mustard to the butter whisk, add dried spices and whisk until combined.  Keep on low heat while preparing the chicken.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large heavy bottomed skillet.  Season 4 tablespoons of flour with salt and pepper, dredge chicken in flour and place in hot skillet.  Do not touch the chicken until it moves freely in the pan, about 2-3 minutes.  Turn and brown on the other side for another 2 -3 minutes  Add the butter, spice mixture to the pan, lower heat to medium, and continually baste the chicken for two to three minutes.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.  Raise the heat to medium high and add two tablespoons of flour to the pan, Whisk quickly to form a roux.  Add wine and continue mixing, Add chicken broth.  If mixture gets too thick, add more broth.  Taste and check for seasoning, you may want to add a little salt at this point.  Add the chicken back to the pan to warm through.  Transfer chicken to a platter and pour the sauce over.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

Fresh Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Oranges, and Almonds

This is one of those recipes that came about because of what was in my fridge at the moment.  I was in the mood for a salad, but  I was out of lettuce.  I did, however, have a bag of fresh spinach in the fridge along with some strawberries and clementine oranges, and so this was born!  You can vary it with whatever fruit you have on hand, I have even used craisins.  Tonight I made it with slivered almonds, but I have also made it with walnuts or pecans.  Your choice!  You can of course add other greens to the salad, even some fresh parsley or mint.  Add some goat cheese or blue cheese and it would be a wonderful light lunch or dinner on a warm summer day.  You can use bottled dressing, but I made my own. I have included the recipe here.

Fresh Spinach Salad

1/2 bag fresh baby spinach, washed and spun dry
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 clementine oranges peeled and sectioned
1/4 cup slivered almonds, or nuts of your choice
goat cheese or blue cheese (optional)

Dressing

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed dried mint (optional)

Combine spinach, fruit and almonds in a large bowl.  Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.  Pour over salad and enjoy!

Fried Rice

                                                                         

This is a recipe I learned from a Taiwanese woman about 35 years ago.  I have adapted and changed it several times to fit the likes and dislikes of my family.  This can be served as a side dish or as a meal in itself.  If I serve it as a meal, I try to make sure it has sufficient protein.  I always add eggs, and one other animal protein, usually either ham or pork.  You could also use chicken or shrimp. I also use edamame because it is higher in protein than the traditional green peas.  If you don't eat soy, you could use peas or green beans. The original recipe calls for regular long grain rice, but because I am trying to eat healthier, I have been making it with brown rice for a few years now. 

Fried Rice

1 cup rice (uncooked)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 eggs beaten
1 to 2 cups ham, pork, chicken or shrimp (cooked)
1 package edamame or frozen green peas defrosted
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder (found in the international section of your supermarket)
3 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 scallions chopped

Cook rice according to package directions.  While the rice is cooking, chop onions and garlic.  Add two tablespoons of oil to a wok or large skillet with the heat turned to high.  When the oil is hot, add the eggs to the pan and stir constantly.  I use chopsticks for this, but a fork will work just as well.  Cook for three or four minutes or until the eggs are cooked through and somewhat dry.  Remove the eggs to a bowl and set aside.  Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and lower the heat to medium.  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook until the onion begins to soften.  Chop ham or pork and add to the onion in the skillet, along with the five spice powder.  Mix well.  Turn heat to low and add the eggs back to the pan along with the edamame or peas.  At this point the rice should be cooked, add to the pan along with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix well.  Turn the heat back to high or medium high..  Cook for several minutes, stirring often, then add soy sauce and sesame oil.  Cook for about five more minutes, stirring often.  Transfer to a bowl and top with chopped scallions.  Serve with additional soy sauce for those who want it.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a.
Nonnie

Sausage, Potato and Pepper Skillet Supper

                                                                            

This is a recipe that came about because one night, I unexpectedly had to babysit my grandchildren and I had to come up with something for dinner, quickly and with what I had on hand that was defrosted.  I planned to make some sausage, but didn't have enough for everyone, so I stretched it by adding some veggies, and potatoes and that night eggs. This meal took just thirty minutes! Everyone loved it, and it has become a regular on my menu list.

This is a make ahead dinner, you can make it over the weekend, and freeze or refrigerate it until you need it.  The most time consuming part is prepping the vegetables.  You can chop the peppers and onions when you are prepping for another meal and freeze them until you need them.  The consistency of the peppers will change, but once you cook them, there is no change in consistency or taste. You can adjust the amount of any of the ingredients to suit your needs or your family's preferences. The idea, is that the whole meal is made in a skillet and you don't have to worry about side dishes, unless you would like to serve this with a salad. One hint, I use my electric skillet for this dish because it is very large.

Sausage, Potato and Pepper Skillet Supper

1 pound Italian Sausage (sweet or hot - your choice)
2 - 3 large potatoes
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 - 3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 - 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Remove sausage from the casing, break into small pieces and cook over low heat.  While sausage is cooking, peel and thinly slice potatoes.  Add oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium, when the oil is hot, add potatoes, salt and pepper.  Stir frequently to keep the potatoes from sticking to the pan.  While this mixture is cooking, chop peppers. onion and garlic and add to skillet.  Cook for about 15 minutes more, or until potatoes and sausage are cooked through.  If the potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan, add a little water and scrape up.  Serve with a fresh salad if you like.

You can add any vegetables you have to this meal, try broccoli, artichoke hearts, green beans, even fresh spinach.  Another thing I have done, is to add 3 beaten eggs just before serving. The eggs add a little more protein and bind the whole mixture together.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie