You Had Me At Fritter! (zucchini fritter, that is)

• What to do when you have excess zucchini?  Fritterize them, of course!  The recipe and comments below are courtesy of my sister's kitchen, freshly tested today.  Next time she promises to take pictures.  These delectable fritters also come with her huz and 11-month-old-baby-boy seal of approval.  What higher recommendation can I give?!
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• 1 large zucchini, grated
• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
• Milk (i used a few tablespoons) 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste (next time i'd use fresh minced)
• paprika to taste
• cumin to taste
• dried parsley (optional)
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (i used earth balance) 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix ingredients together.
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon of shortening in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of the batter into the skillet, and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Turn fritters over when the center appears dry. Cook on the other side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Add more shortening to skillet as needed, and continue with remaining batter.

Chicken Tortellini with Pesto and Mushrooms

Don't go to McDonalds or a $5 Hot-N-Ready pizza joint when you're tired and can't think of what to make for dinner!  Here's a quick and  oh-so-easy dish that can be prepared for less than it would cost to have Fazoli's (blech!)  for two.

Two chicken breasts cut into strips (if you're really pressed, pre-cooked chicken strips)
1 TBL olive oil
1 or 2 cloves of garlic minced
1 can diced tomatoes with italian herbs, undrained
1 cup water
1/2 cup prepared pesto
9oz package of fresh cheese tortellini
8oz sliced fresh mushrooms
grated parm to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Saute chicken and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink.  Add tomatoes, water and pesto.  Bring mixture to a boil.  Stir in tortellini and cover. Simmer for about 7 minutes.  Add mushrooms and simmer covered for another 3 minutes.  Sprinkle with parmesan, season with pepper and salt if needed.  (I lived dangerously and cooked everything uncovered and it was fine).

Lemon Bars, Lemon Bars, Lemon Bars!

What's not to love about a shortbread crust topped with a delicious lemon custard?  When my mom and sister recently requested that I bring these to a family gathering, I was a little doubtful.  I've had bad results making custard style desserts in the past.  Nothing worse than a dessert that tastes eggy!  But being the obliging daughter and sister that I am, I scoured the net for a recipe and settled on this one.  It could not have been easier to make and the results were outstanding!

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt
6 large eggs at room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
powdered sugar for dusting

Cream butter and sugar.  Combine flour and salt and add to the butter until just mixed.  Gather dough into a ball and press into a 9X13 pan, making a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350, and bake the crust for about 15-20 minutes until very lightly browned, let cool.  Leave oven on.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.  Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is set.  Let cool to room temperature.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Easy Peasy Summer Sides

While there are actually no peas in any of these dishes, these last few gorgeous weeks of summer and a timely email from my sister prompted me to post these salad and side dish recipes.  A few easy minutes in the kitchen and presto! you are rewarded with some palate pleasing preparations to take to a picnic, potluck or enjoy all by yourself on the back deck!

SPINACH SALAD

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (champagne)

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Hmmm, there are no instructions with this, but I think I can break it down for you:  Melt the butter in a skillet and toast the sesame seeds.  Toss together the spinach, almonds, cranberries and toasted sesame seeds.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the suger, minced onion, paprika, vinegars and vegetable oil.  Toss with the spinach mix and serve.

CHURCH LADY SALAD

Those of you who grew up in the church, especially during the 70's and 80's, have no doubt encountered the church lady in one of her natural habitats: the church potluck.  She'll be wearing a flowered blouse and a polyester skirt with a pair of white keds, but don't be fooled!  She has an arsenal of recipes that could easily knock down a crowd of hungry Baptists and have them begging for mercy.  Here is one of our time-honored favorites.

Mix together:

1 16oz pkg prepared cole slaw mix

½ c slivered almonds, browned in butter or oil, cooled.

½ c sunflower seeds

3 green onions, cut

1 package ramen oriental noodles, crumbled.

  

Dressing:

½ c sugar

½ c oil

1/3 c apple cider vinegar

oriental seasoning from noodle mix.

Grandma Carmel's Baked Beans

It isn't only church ladies that can turn out a mean side dish!  My Grandma Carmel considered bingo night at the Catholic Church sufficient for church attendance, but these beans would do themselves proud at any Protestant Picnic!

1 large jar Randall beans

1 cup white sugar OR more - until your teeth hurt, like Grandma used to say

minced shallots or onion (just a little)

salt and pepper to taste

a few strips of bacon on top, optional

bake in a glass 9 x 13 for about an hour at 350 or little longer if still soupy

Fajita Marinade and Pico de Gallo

This versatile marinade can be used for chicken, pork or steak fajitas or just as a general marinade for grilling. The measurements below are for 1 lb boneless meat.

FAJITA MARINADE

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Mix ingredients in large ziploc bag or shallow dish. Add meat, turn to coat, marinate 4-24 hours.

PICO DE GALLO

1.5 cups diced tomato--I like to use roma tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion or you could use some sliced green onion

1 TBL diced jalepeno

1 TBL minced garlic (adjust to taste)

2 TBL fresh cilantro

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.

Momma Kat Mac n Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon grated fresh onion (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups shredded cheese (we use cubed velveta - about 3/4 to a pound)

2 cups thin white sauce (recipe follows below)

1 tablespoon butter

Cook mac (not too done). Place half cooked macaroni in ungreased 2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the onion, salt, pepper and cheese. Repeat with second layer. Pour white sauce over top and dot with the butter. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 additional minutes.

Thin white sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. blend in flour, salt and pepper. Stir til bubbly and smooth. (more like a paste) Stir in milk slowly while whisking, heat to boiling over medium heat. Stir constantly! Boil and stir 1 minute.

Adventures With Chicken

I've been in a grocery shopping funk lately. The grocery store in our little town has higher prices and less selection than the stores in the college town 40 minutes away. I try to make a trip there once a week to do most of the shopping, but it's an all day affair and I've officially been a sale flyer slacker. Hence, the cupboards are getting quite bare, even by Old Mother Hubbard standards. I did have one last locally farm raised chicken in the freezer that I had put in the fridge to defrost and was going to cook in the evening for next day's meal. I don't usually get home in time to roast one of these chickens in a reasonable amount of time, as they are plump almost 7 pounders. Well wouldn't you know I forgot to get it going and here it was almost midnight. Curses! What could I possibly throw together for dinner the next day without a stop at the grocery store? Hmmm....I wonder if I can cook a whole chicken in the crockpot. Off to the interweb I flew, fingers flying furiously. Sure enough. I ran across some recipes "chop apple and onion, stuff the chicken...etc." Hey interweb, it's midnight, I'm not chopping apples and onions. So I threw caution to the wind and invented...

MIDNIGHT CHICKEN

1 thawed roasting chicken, in this case 6.5 pounds

Rinse, pat dry, rub all over with a little olive oil

Season generously inside and out with whatever concoction makes sense to your sleep deprived mind (season salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder)

Place chicken in the crockpot

Turn to high, go to bed, and wake up 5-6 hours later to perfectly done "roasted" chicken along with a couple cups of very rich stock.

Cover and put in the fridge for dinner tonight.

Take the children to school, go to work.

Come home later that afternoon and use a few cups of that delicious chicken to make

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI BAKE

1/2 cup chopped onion--no, we're out, substitute a bit of dried minced onion

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground sage

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups chicken broth--how about delicious roasted chicken stock, YES!

1 cup milk

1 (4.5) oz jar sliced mushrooms--or fresh mushrooms, today canned, draiend

2 to 3 cups cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley--sorry cupboards bare, a bit of dried instead

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

7 oz cooked spaghetti--if you use 2 cups chicken, add another ounce or two

1/2 cup shredded swiss

Heat oven to 350. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, sage and pepper, cook until bubbly. This only takes a minute or so. Stir in broth, milk, mushrooms. Cook and stir until mixture boils and is slightly thickened. Stir in remaining ingredients except swiss cheese. Spoon into ungreased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle on shredded swiss and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley.