Zucchini Giving You Trouble?

This time of year is when zucchini start to give you all kinds of trouble. The only way to rid of yourself of them is to leave them on your neighbor’s porch in the dead of night. Zucchini is quite prolific, thus the need for neighbors.

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) is a member of the gourd family and in some countries is known as courgette. They can be yellow, green or light green. Although a few zucchini are round, they are generally long with a ridged shaped similar to a cucumber.

Nutritionally, zucchini are low in calories and is a good source of vitamins A, C and fiber. Zucchini has a mild flavor, making it suitable for a variety of dishes. It can be found in dishes from appetizer to dessert. The simplest method to prepare zucchini is to steam them or sauté in a small amount of butter or oil.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:
1⅓ cups sugar
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups all purpose flour
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups grated zucchini
Powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. Mix sugar, butter and oil in a large bowl.
3. Combine milk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add to sugar mixture. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Sift together flour and cocoa. Add baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt to dry ingredients.
4. Stir into sugar mixture. Mix in zucchini. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar before serving.

Need a few more zucchini recipes, try these from Cooking Light - http://bit.ly/bH34uc

A Few Tips for Ridding Yourself of Zucchini…
1. Pick zucchini while they are really small, about 3 to 4 inches. Smaller zucchini are more tender than larger ones. Try them stir-fried, toss them into a soup, cut into sticks, bread and serve as an appetizer with marinara sauce.

2. Hide them. Yes, that’s correct. They are relatively bland and take on the flavor of other ingredients. Put zucchini in chocolate cakes, cookies, meat loaf.

3. Grate and freeze it. You may be grumbling about them now, but in the dead of winter, you’ll appreciate those prolific plants. Try putting zucchini into spaghetti sauce. Your kids may find it, but at least you can enjoy watching them try to pick it out.

4. Make a zucchini donation. Some food pantries and organizations that assist low income populations will be happy to take your excess zucchini.

5. Finally, host a zucchini party. Hand out a few of those excess zucchini to your non gardening friends and ask them to make a dish for the party.

What’s Wrong with Something Old?

A few days ago, I checked out an online video on what’s new at the grocery store. Cooking Light - http://bit.ly/d6Y8cH. And I got to thinking, “what’s wrong with the old stuff”. Before you become upset, I have nothing against new foods. I am all for advancement and improving the nutritional value of one’s diet. It’s just that I believe we sometimes undervalue foods that have been around. We always seem to be looking for the next great fix. So today, I am taking the time to talk about a few old favorites of mine.

Let’s start with the much maligned potato. The poor potato gets no respect. It’s about time we paid the potato it due. One serving (about 5.3 ounces) contains 110 calories, 620 mg of potassium, and 45% of the daily vitamin C requirements. When consumed with the skin, you get 2 g of fiber. As an added bonus, potatoes are a fat free food. For a new take on potato salad, try the recipe for lemon chive potato salad - http://bit.ly/9T3V1H. I tried it. It’s great!

Now is a great time to reach for a fresh tomato. And added bonus, tomatoes don’t require cooking. One medium tomato contains 35 calories, 100 IU of vitamin A, and 24 mg of vitamin C. Try this recipe for Caprese Salad http://bit.ly/d6Y7wy. Also give this Greek Salad a try. They both come together in a snap!

Greek Salad
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
2 medium vine ripened tomatoes
½ small red onion
¼ cup Kalamata olives
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces feta cheese, block or crumbles
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 to 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Oregano, for garnish

Directions:
1. Peel and dice cucumber. Core tomatoes and dice tomatoes. Combine cucumbers and tomatoes. Slice onion and add to salad. Add olives, salt, pepper and oregano. Toss ingredients together.

2. Top with feta cheese. Pour a small amount of olive oil over salad. Add vinegar. Garnish with a little oregano. Fresh oregano can be used if desired.

And last, but certainly not least, try green beans. They do not need to be smothered in bacon fat, however, as a good Southerner; I would not turn them down. One serving (100g) of green beans contain only 31 calories; almost 3 g of fiber, 690 IU of vitamin A, 12 mg of vitamin C, and 33 mg of folic acid. A simple method to prepare green beans is to steam them and add a vinaigrette dressing. This makes a terrific salad. Or try this recipe for Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette. http://bit.ly/bKKzWl.

Enjoy some these old favorites. If you have a favorite oldie, we would love to hear about it.

Greek Yogurt – My New Favorite Food

I have eaten Greek yogurt periodically. However, on my recent trip to Greece, I ate the stuff every day. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I would have licked the bowl, but I think my companions might have been embarrassed.

Greek yogurt is different from regular yogurt. You can stand a spoon in Greek yogurt. To say that it is thick is an understatement. Most Greek yogurt is sold minus the fruit and sugar. At one time Fage was about the only brand available in the US. With increasing popularity, companies such as Dannon, Stonyfield Farm and Yoplait have gotten on the Greek yogurt bandwagon.

Sources of Greek Yogurt:

• Fage – http://www.fageusa.com/
• Dannon – http://www.dannon.com/greek/default.aspx
• Yoplait – http://www.yoplaitgreek.com/
• Oikos - http://www.stonyfield.com/oikos/index.jsp

There are two good things about these websites – recipes and coupons.

True yogurt connoisseurs prefer plain yogurt. I prefer mine with honey or homemade jam. I also like to toss in a little granola. It’s great for a quick breakfast.

Greek yogurt stars in lots of common dishes such as:

• Tzatziki - http://bit.ly/bEMswg
• Apricots, Yogurt, and Honey - http://bit.ly/yeyj9

Roasted Fruit with Greek Yogurt

I am not sure if the Greeks actually make this dessert, but I love their yogurt so much that I am using for this recipe.
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Plums, apricots, peaches, enough for 4 servings
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons chopped nuts, toasted
1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper. Place fruit, cut side up, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until soft and some juices run off, about 15 minutes.

2. Divide among 4 dessert plates; top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt, sprinkle with nuts and drizzle with honey.

Fruit Crisps, Cobblers, Pies

You name it and I like them. I don’t make them too often. I don’t want to roll out the crust. Don’t have the time to make the topping. Let’s face it. Sometimes we just don‘t have the time to prepare some of the dishes that we would really like to.

However summer fruits are just too good to pass up a cobbler or crisp. Recently I came across a crisp topping recipe that makes enough for two crisps. The real high light of this recipe is that it can be frozen and used when needed. So now I get to have my crisp without a lot of extra work when I a short on time. An added bonus is that this mixture can be used for individual crisps. This way you won’t have crisp in your refrigerator for days on end.

Crisp Topping

Ingredients:
½ cup chopped nuts
1 cup old fashioned or quick oatmeal
1¼ cup all purpose flour
⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet; toast until aromatic, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the nuts occasionally to ensure even toasting. Remove from oven; cool completely.

2. Place nuts and oatmeal in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add flour, both sugars, cinnamon and salt. Blend to combine.

3. Cut butter into one tablespoon size and add to flour mixture. Process on low speed until pea-size clumps form, 4 to 5 minutes. Makes enough for two crisps.

Fried Chicken, Southern Style

Growing up in the South, I always looked forward to fried chicken. ‘Cause Mama could really fry some chicken. Any good Southerner can tell you how to fry chicken. And of course, there are as many ways to make it as there are people who make it. With the exception of plenty of seasoning, everything else is pretty much up for grabs.

July 20, 2009 issue of Newsweek magazine had an article on southern fried chicken (http://www.newsweek.com/id/206027). The nerve of those Northerners; laying their hands on our fried chicken. The article does make for interesting reading and water fountain conversation. The article centers on a product, Ad Hoc Fried Chicken Kit, available from Williams Sonoma for $14.95. The kit contains two packages of brine mix and coating. And now, you’ve got to buy the chicken. Sorry, but that is too much money for chicken. However, the author does say it was good. Personally, I am going to stick with my cheaper mixture of buttermilk, seasonings and flour. However, if you are just dying to try the Ad Hoc Fried Chicken Kit, here is the link http://bit.ly/dzCc38.

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
2½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper, preferably cayenne
¾ teaspoon white pepper
¾ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 – 3½ pounds chicken or chicken parts
1 cup buttermilk
1cup all purpose flour
1quart vegetable or peanut oil
¼ cup bacon fat, optional

Directions:
1. Make two batches of the spice mixture, one for the marinade and one for the flour coating.

2. If using a whole chicken, cut into serving size pieces.

3. Combine spice mixture and buttermilk. Add chicken and marinate for at least 24 hours. Drain buttermilk.

4. Combine flour and spices. Stir to combine. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Place chicken in hot oil. Fry until golden brown.

To the fat police out there, this is good fried chicken; I never claimed it was healthy. I do believe it may well be worth the occasional indulgence. Some people also add a little bacon fat, but that is a personal thing. And personally, I never pass up a chance to use a little pork fat.

For beginning fryers, I am including a few tips to help you make good fried food. First of all, I prefer peanut oil, because it allows one to fry at a slightly higher temperature. Pork fat is added for flavor. Preheat the skillet. You don’t want to heat the food and skillet at the same time. Preheat the oil. Preheating the oil allows your food to start cooking immediately and absorb less fat. To test your oil to see if it is hot enough, add one or two drops of water. If it sizzles, you are ready to fry.

For those of you serious about cutting fat, this recipe works well when making oven “fried” chicken. For best oven fried chicken, use dark meat.

If you want another recipe from two southerners, the late Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock, give this recipe a try http://bit.ly/b9fL2K.

I Got the Blues…And You Should Get Them Too

Generally speaking when we get the blues, it’s not a good thing. Getting the blues is generally associated with misfortune, loss of a job, betrayal. But there’s a new blue in town. It’s call anthocyanin and it’s the blue you need to get. Anthocyanins belong to a group of chemicals referred to as flavonoids. They are responsible for the flavor and aroma of fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanins help promote good health through protection against heart disease, slowing the aging process, and the initiation and promotion of cancer.

Anthocyanins are found in blue foods such as blueberries, plums, red cabbage, eggplant, blackberries and purple grapes.

Data shows that blue foods make up only 3% of the average American’s fruit and vegetable intake. Here are a few ideas to help you increase your consumption of blue foods. Toss a few blueberries or blackberries into your morning cereal. Blend some fruit with milk or yogurt for a blue smoothie. Add a few berries to your muffin or pancake batter. Add berries to your dinner salad. And finally, just eat them. Fruits and vegetables require very little preparation and they make great snacks.

Here are a few recipes to help you get started.

Blueberry Dumplings

Serves 6 to 8.

Filling:
4 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup water
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves

Dumplings:
1½ cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
¾ cup milk
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Directions:

For filling:
Mix all ingredients in a 12-inch skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until berries soften and mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

For Dumplings:
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles a fine meal. (Mixture can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for a day or two.) Add milk; stir until just combined. You should have a very sticky dough.

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto simmering berry mixture, placing close together. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover skillet and simmer until dumplings are firm and tester inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Note: Dumplings will not brown. If you want to brown yours, place them under the broiler for a few minutes. I don’t think the dumpling gods will mind if yours have a little color. After all, the whole idea is to eat some good for you blue foods.

If you want to consume even more blue foods try these recipes:

Grilled Eggplant Stack
 http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1634738
Rustic Berry Tart - http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/rustic_berry_tart.html
Blueberry Sauce - http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/blueberry-sauce/
Summer Berry Crisp- http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Summer-Berry-Crisp-240846

Knackle or Knuckle?

I was fortunate to travel around Greece for a few weeks and I promised that I would give you a few updates on the food. Well, I must confess that my goal of blogging while traveling just did not work out. I guess I just cannot travel and blog at the same time. However, I would still like to share some of my thoughts on Greek cuisine.

One of the most interesting things that I ate was pork knackle or knuckle – I am not sure which is correct. The menu said knackle and the waiter said knuckle. It was some part of the pork leg. It was basically braised pork with rosemary and roasted potatoes. It was good, but needless to say, I did not finish it. If only I had a refrigerator and a microwave.

I did try grilled sardines, just as I promised a friend of mine. They were okay, but would have been better with a starch of some kind. But with a few roasted potatoes, I would try them again. I was surprised that Greek food is not overly spicy. However, they do make good use of oregano, rosemary, garlic, onions, and a few other spices. It just goes to prove that good food does not need to be overly seasoned.

Since Greek food is based on local foods and emphasizes a plant-based diet, I thought I would tie Greek cuisine to our farmers market. Throughout the course of this summer, I will be featuring Greek dishes made with local ingredients. Some local ingredients I plan to feature include eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes and maybe okra. If you have a favorite Greek dish, please tell me about it. I love to hear about what other people cook.