Zucchini Fritters

"In mid-summer if zucchini do not surreptitiously appear on your front porch in the hours between dusk and dawn, you have no friends." Anon

Apparently, we have many friends or the few who love us have green thumbs indeed. One shelf of our refrigerator is devoted to zucchini. We've done the zucchini bread, and we have eaten zucchini in soup, salads, and vegetable trays.

Today, in the midst of summer, I made zucchini fritters. However, if you find this hub in winter, spring, or autumn, you can still make this recipe. Zucchini is always available at the market. If you like this recipe as much as did we, you can make it any time of year.

Photo courtesy https://www.eatwell101.com/zucchini-fritters-recipe

 

Zucchini Fritters (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated zucchini, (see note below)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon olive oil

NOTE—When grating the zucchini for this recipe, I suggest that you remove and discard the seeds. That seedy interior part of the squash is very wet.

Instructions

1. First, prepare your zucchini--cut the stem and blossom end off of your zucchini. Slice horizontally into two halves. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard the seeds.
2. Shred the remaining zucchini—one large squash should yield about 2 cups.
3. Place the grated zucchini in a bowl. Add the eggs, Parmesan, parsley, flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Spoon zucchini batter into pan (about 1/4 cup for each fritter). Sauté for about 5 minutes. Carefully turn over and continue cooking over medium heat for about another 5 minutes or until the centers are cooked through and the edges are crispy.

What makes this recipe work?

• Parmesan cheese adds a creamy richness as it melts, and binds everything together. If you don't like Parmesan, another melting cheese would do--Cheddar, Swiss, etc.
• Zucchini is rather bland. Flat-leaf parsley provides a green herbal note.
• If you want to turn this into a meal, stir in 1 cup of minced cooked ham. I prepare the ham by pulsing it a few times in a food processor.

Homemade Vegetable Soup

I woke up this morning craving the vegetable soup of my childhood.

It was the 1950s. We lived frugally, but I don't think we ever considered ourselves poor. We had a house and clothes to wear. Daddy had a car, and we had nourishing food every evening. Our meals weren't gourmet—they were frugal, but they were homemade and cooked with love. Back then there was no "Hamburger Helper", we hadn't heard of McDonald's, and frozen dinners were still relatively new--and a luxury we really couldn't afford. 

Mom never measured her ingredients, so there's no written recipe. But in the afternoon, when I got home from school, I usually sat at the kitchen table puzzling over homework while the evening meal was prepared. I was an inquisitive little kid and liked to observe what was going on in the kitchen.

As I think back to those days I am amazed at how well Mom did with so little. A pound of beef for stew (which is a cheap, tough cut of meat) was stretched to make several meals for a family of four. Dried beans were a blessing—a one-pound sack of beans today costs only $2.00 (and it was much cheaper 60 years ago). Two pounds of dried beans equal about 2 cups uncooked but expand to 6 cups!

I'm proud of my Mom—her frugal nature gave us wholesome, healthy, natural food to eat and saved us countless dollars.

(Photo credit: Image by Lori Dunn from Pixabay)

Homemade Vegetable Soup (makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef for stew
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry navy or white beans
• 1/2 cup dry red kidney (brown) beans
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
• 1 medium (about 1 cup) onion, finely chopped
• 1 small stalk of celery (no tops), finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped cabbage or kale, optional
• 3 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 medium (about 1 cup) potato, diced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot sauté the beef in olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. In the same pot add white and brown beans and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Return sauteed beef to pot. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours or until beans and beef are tender.
3. Add lentils, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage or kale, bouillon cubes, tomato sauce, and potatoes.
4. Cover and simmer until vegetables and lentils are tender (about 20 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Photo Credit: Image by Matthias Lipinski from Pixabay 

Easy Cake-Mix Kuchen

Weekends are made for a leisurely breakfast. I could do pancakes, waffles, muffins, or even a batch of scones. But I'm in the mood for something different today. With just one hour and a little help from my best friend (Betty Crocker), I can make an amazing fruit kuchen. I like this recipe because it is so adaptable--you can use just about whatever kind of cake mix/fruit combination you have on hand.

(Photo Credit: Arkansas Democratic Gazette)

Easy Cake Mix Fruit Kuchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 package cake mix, any flavor you want (I used yellow)
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• *2 1/2 cups fresh or canned fruit or 1 can of fruit pie filling (I used Granny Smith apples)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sour cream (OK to use low- or non-fat)
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place butter, cake mix (dry), and coconut in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into dry cake mix until it appears like fine crumbs. Reserve 3/4 cup of the mixture. Pat the remaining cake mix/coconut into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan, building up the edges slightly. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange prepared fruit on the warm crust. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the fruit.
4. Combine sour cream and egg. Drizzle over fruit. Crumble reserved cake mix/coconut mixture over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

* If using fresh apples or pears pare, core, and slice. If using peaches, apricots, cherries, nectarines, or plums, remove the pit and slice.



Suggested combinations:
Chocolate cake - pears, strawberries, blackberries, cherries
Spice cake - peaches, apples, nectarines
Carrot cake - pineapple, apricots
Yellow or white cake - any fruit of your choosing

All Day Cassoulet

My dad was a very frugal shopper; he loved finding a bargain and could calculate the unit cost of an item in his head long before any of us could have produced the answer with a calculator (if we had had pocket calculators back then). He died before the advent of warehouse clubs, so I've taken his place, scouring the aisles for the best deals in town.

I don't feel like shopping today--I don't need to. I know I already have enough stored in my pantry to last through just about anything (even a pandemic). Let's see, there are 20 pounds of chicken tenders in the freezer, 10 pounds of onions, a dozen cans of diced tomatoes, several pounds of chicken sausage, and an untold amount of dry beans. Mmmm sounds like cassoulet.

Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat and white beans. The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole, a deep, round,  earthenware pot.
Cassoulet (Photo courtesy CreativeCommons)

All Day Cassoulet

Ingredients

• 2 cups Great Northern or dried navy beans (see Note below)
• cheesecloth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken sausage (I like Aidell's), sliced
• 2 large onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 4 cups coarsely torn fresh bread (preferably from a crusty, rustic loaf)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

NOTE: There are two ways to prepare dried beans. The first, and the one you are probably most familiar with, is to sort them (there COULD be rocks hiding in there), place them in a pot, cover them with water and let soak overnight. I don't know about you, but I don't often (ever?) plan that far ahead. If cooking beans means that I need to prepare the night before, cooked beans will not happen in my house. There's another method—an easier method, and it works just as well. Sort the beans, place them in a cooking pot (with a lid) and cover them with water. You want the water to go about 2 inches over the top of the beans. Bring to a full boil over high heat and boil for one minute. Turn off the heat, put on the lid, and let them sit for one hour. No peaking! OK, now you're ready to proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Instructions

First, prepare the beans:

1. Cut a square of cheesecloth, about 6-8 inches. Place the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme in the middle of the square and tie them up with string/kitchen twine. You want the herbs to flavor the beans, but you don't want them (especially the rosemary leaves) to get lost in the broth. This little bundle is referred to as a bouquet garni (yes, it's French!). 
2. Push the cloves into the onion; place the onion, celery stalk, and carrot in the pot. Add enough cold water to cover to about one inch above. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until beans are tender throughout but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes. Discard the onion, celery, carrot, and bouquet garni. Set the beans aside—DON'T drain!

Next, the meats and vegetables:

1. While the beans are simmering prepare the meats. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken tenders for about 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Don't overcrowd the pan or the chicken will steam and not brown. It's best to cook in small batches. Remove the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
2. To the same pan add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes or just until it begins to brown and caramelize. Remove to the same plate as the chicken.
3. Now add the diced onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and begins to color. Toss in the garlic slices and cook for an additional minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Now, get ready to assemble the casserole:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Using a skimmer, remove half of the beans from their pot and place in the bottom of a dutch oven. The next layer is one-half of the tomatoes.
3. Next, the chicken, sausage, and onions followed by the remaining tomatoes and the remaining beans. Add enough cooking liquid so the beans are almost, but not quite, submerged. Reserve the remaining liquid.
4. Bake s-l-o-w-l-y:
5. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours. Check the liquid every 30 minutes to make sure it is no more than 1/2 inch below the beans, and add liquid or water as necessary. Do not stir.
6. After the cassoulet has cooked for 2 hours, toss bread and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle over cassoulet, and return to oven until beans are tender and bread is golden 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7.  Before serving, let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to cool and allow the beans to absorb some of the liquid.

Leftover Cereal Bread

I like Cheerios, Puffed Wheat, and Raisin Bran. My husband prefers Honey Bunches of Oats and Frosted Mini-Wheats. Our daughter likes Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We have lots of boxes of dry cereal in our pantry and at times there are lots of almost-empty boxes. Each has just a handful of flakes or crispy bits--not enough for a bowl.

So, what to do with the leftovers? My frugal German heritage won't let me throw them away. So I devised "Leftover Cereal Bread."

(Photo Credit: Image by Aline Ponce from Pixabay)

Leftover Cereal Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups dry cereal (any kind)
• 1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup molasses
• *1/4 light corn syrup
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• about 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Mix the water, cereal, oatmeal, oil, molasses and corn syrup in a large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the yeast until dissolved; let stand 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, then 3 cups flour or enough to make a stiff dough.
2. Cover and let rest 30 minutes. Turn out on lightly-floured surface; knead 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Divide dough in half. Place each half in a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Cover and let in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
3. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven 1 hour. Remove from pan; cool on racks.

     *if using mostly sweetened dry cereal, substitute 1/4 cup water

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Chicken Piccata

I love the taste of lemon. It's such a clean, bright flavor and is a great salt substitute. (If you use a squeeze of lemon, you'll put away the salt shaker, I promise).

Lemon makes me think of summer--lemonade, lemon meringue pie, lemon bar cookies, lemon in salads and sauces. And lemon with chicken; specifically chicken piccata. 

Is this a "carb"? Technically, I'm not sure, but with the lemons in there (fruit) am I stretching the paradigm a bit too much to share this with you today?

Here's the link to my recipe as featured on Delishably.

Photo courtesy https://www.cookipedia.com.uk_wiki

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

I love potatoes. It doesn't matter what form they take. I'm an equal opportunity potato lover—rustic mashed, creamy mashed, scalloped, au gratin, fried, hash browns, baked, boil (and adorned with chives and melted butter), or leftover mashed potato patties. If I'm honest (like now) I will admit that sometimes I make extra mashed potatoes just so I can create these fried potato patties a day or two later.

(Photo Credit: Image by locrifa from Pixabay)

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients (makes 6 patties)

• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup baking (biscuit) mix (such as Bisquick, Jiffy, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mixed and ready to be shaped into patties

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Scoop up into generous 1/3 cup portions. (I used a baking ring, but this is optional) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should be able to get 6 patties from these ingredients).
3. Place in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan; heat to medium.
5. Place patties in a preheated pan. Saute on one side until brown, about 5 minutes.
6. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until browned and heated through.

Shaped in ring mold and ready for a 30-minute chill in the freezer

Easy (and Quick) Pizza Crust

When the work day is long and time to prepare dinner is as short as me {{smile}} the go-to for many families is take-out or frozen pizza. True pizza crust can take several hours (mix, proof, shape, etc.) but here’s one that will take only minutes.

This homemade pizza costs far less than store-bought, take-out, or delivery and you can have it just the way you like it.  Want extra onions? No problem. You'd rather have green olives than black? We can do that.

(Photo Credit: Image by Paweł Maryniak from Pixabay)

Ingredients

·         1 cup warm water

·         2 tsp. active dry yeast

·         2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         3 tablespoons olive oil

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 tsp. sugar

·         1/2 tsp. dry oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Place warm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over and stir just to moisten. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir quickly to mix thoroughly. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead about 10 times. Divide dough in half and place each half in the center of a lightly-greased 12-inch pizza pan. Press or roll the dough to the edges. (A lightly-floured pizza roller makes this a cinch!).                      
4. Top your pizza as desired and bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are brown and the cheese and sauce are bubbling.

How to Build Your Perfect Pasta Salad, and How to Plan a Picnic

It's been far too long since I've shared any recipes with you. But rather than reinventing the wheel, why not help you leap over to my other blog, where my alter-ego reigns supreme with summer salad recipes and tips, and menus for the perfect picnic?

This first link will guide you in building your own pasta salad. Pick your pasta shape, and then I'll give you ideas for the fruits or veggies, protein, special add-ins, and even several dressing options.

Next, how to plan a picnic, menu ideas, recipes, and even some packing tips. 

Chicken salad -- healthy doesn't have to be boring

I invited a dear friend over for lunch today. I knew that I wouldn't have much time to prepare a meal, so came up with something I could make the night before. She loves chicken and fresh veggies so why not a chicken salad?

Traditional chicken salads, the ones you buy at the deli counter at your supermarket typically consist of chopped cooked rubbery chicken, a bit of celery, and a LOT of mayonnaise. Yes, creamy is dreamy, but I'd rather be able to actually taste the chicken.

How Do You Make It Memorable?

1. Use white-meat chicken (dark meat isn't pretty and the flavor is a bit too rich for a delicate salad.)
2. Use crisp celery and dice it finely.
3. A bit of chives adds some zip.
4. Dried cranberries provide a sweetness that contrasts with the other savory flavors.
5. Rosemary is an aromatic herb that will surprise (and please). Most people won't recognize it, but they'll ask "what is that interesting flavor in the salad?"
6. Mayonnaise is good, but the tang of Greek yogurt makes this salad even better and reduces the total amount of fat.
7. Still not sure? I have lots of suggestions at the end of this recipe for substitutions and other ingredients you can add.

Carb Diva's Best Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chicken, diced (I think white meat is best in this recipe)
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise, (I used non-fat)
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover and chill at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. Spread on the bread of your choice. My personal favorite is honey oatmeal.

Here Are Some Suggested Changes

This is such a versatile recipe. Here are a few suggestions on how to adapt it to what you have on hand:

herbs

• use fresh minced tarragon in place of the rosemary

fruits

• sliced seedless grapes
• diced apple
• chopped fresh pitted cherries

crunch

• pumpkin seeds
• chopped smoked almonds

savory/salty

• crumbled bacon
• shredded Cheddar
• shredded Swiss cheese

Chinese 5-Spice Burger

Chinese 5-Spice Burger

Several years ago I entered a Sunset Magazine cooking contest for "Best Burger". The only requirement was that one of the ingredients be one of several local wines. Alas, I did not win the Grand Prize, but my name was placed beside the words "Honorable Mention."

Not too bad for someone who typically doesn't eat beef and doesn't own a grill.

I could elaborate with a long story. But today this recipe will be short, sweet, and to the point.

Photo Credit: James Carrier, Sunset Magazine

Equipment Needed

• 8 or 10-inch nonstick frying pan
• medium-size bowl
• charcoal or gas grill
• instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

• 1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 green onions (including tops), finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons Chinese plum sauce
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons Merlot wine
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
• 1 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
• 4 large sesame seed buns, split
• red lettuce leaves

Instructions

1. Pour oil into an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat; when hot, add mushrooms and stir until lightly browned about 4 minutes. Stir in the green onions and plum sauce and remove from heat.
2. In a bowl, gently mix ground beef with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese five-spice, and ginger. Shape the beef mixture into four equal patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Lay patties on a lightly oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level for only 3 to 4 seconds); close the lid on the gas grill. Cook patties until no longer pink in the center (cut to test) or a thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160°, 6 to 8 minutes total, turning once to brown evenly. After 5 minutes, lay bun halves, cut side down, on the grill, and toast lightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

To assemble

1. On the bottom half of each roll, layer the lettuce, burger, and sautéed mushroom mixture. Cover with the roll tops.