Sauteed Zucchini with Corn and Roasted Green Peppers

Every now and then it's nice to try a vegetarian or in this instance even gluten free recipe. I didn't love it, but I would make it again if in need of a vegetarian warm side dish. Modified version of original recipe, posted on girl cooks world here.

Ingredients
* about 1 pound zucchini, cut into small, 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 Tablespoon butter
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus extra if needed
* 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
* 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
* 1 poblano or green bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips
* 2/3 cup Mexican-style sour cream**
* salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Place the zucchini in a colander and mix with the salt. Let stand over a plate or the sink for about 1/2 hour to draw out any bitter liquid. Rinse and pat dry or drain for several minutes in the colander.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until the zucchini has browned and is just tender. Remove the zucchini to a bowl with tongs or a slotted spoon, attempting to keep as much of the butter and oil mixture in the pan as possible.

Add the onions and cook, stirring until translucent. Add the corn and the pepper strips and continue to cook until the onion begins to brown. Stir in the sour cream and zucchini and cook until the sour cream has reduced to a thick glaze. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four.

Rice Pilaf With Grapes, Cranberries and Pecans

Ready in 25 Minutes. Serves 4 - 6.

I tried this at my friends house over the weekend and had to ask for the recipe. The recipe itself originally published in Southern Living's March 2010 issue. See it here.

Ingredients
1 cup diced red onion
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups halved seedless red grapes
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons white or regular balsamic vinegar
2 (8.5-oz.) pouches ready-to-serve basmati rice*
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Sauté onion in melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until tender; stir in grapes, dried cranberries, and balsamic vinegar. Stir in rice, pecans, parsley, and salt; cook, stirring often, until thoroughly heated.
*2 (8.8-oz.) pouches ready-to-serve whole grain brown-and-wild rice may be substituted; omit salt.

Notes From Hungary

Goulash served year round

Pancake bar snack

Salt & Pepper Paprika

Shrimp Scampi With Thin Whole Wheat Spaghetti Noodles

Side comments #1 - Will my flowers and jalapeno peppers ever grow?

 And now for the recipes.

Total Time: 30 min    ๑   Prep 20 min    ๑   Cook 10 min    ๑  

 Yield: 3 servings    ๑   Level: Easy

Ingredients
Pasta
1.5 tablespoon butter

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons brandy

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

If shrimp are frozen, defrost.

Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the olive oil, wine, brandy and lemon juice. Boil the liquid about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss in crushed cayenne red pepper to combine.

Divide the shrimp among 3 plates or arrange on a platter and serve.

Peach Pie, Anyone?

Recipe and crust design inspired by Southern Living's 07/2011 Issue. View it here.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups cold butter
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (about 4 lb.)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar


Preparation (If you are not making homemade crust, skip steps 1-3) 
1. Cut 1 1/3 cups butter into small cubes, and chill 15 minutes. Stir together 4 cups flour and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup ice water with a fork, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened and dough begins to form a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding more ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, if necessary. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press and shape dough into 2 flat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes to 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425º. Place 1 dough disk on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Starting at 1 edge of dough, wrap dough around a rolling pin. Place rolling pin over a 9-inch pie plate, and unroll dough over pie plate. Press dough into pie plate.
3. Roll remaining dough disk to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
4. Peel peaches, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut slices in half. Stir together brown sugar, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 cup flour in a bowl; add peaches, stirring to coat. Immediately spoon peach mixture into piecrust in pie plate, and dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter. (Do not make mixture ahead or it will become too juicy.)
5. Carefully place remaining piecrust over filling; press edges of crusts together to seal. Cut off excess crust, and reserve. Crimp edges of pie. If desired, reroll excess crust to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch leaves using a knife. Brush top of pie with beaten egg; top with leaves. Brush leaves with egg; sprinkle with 1 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape. 6. Freeze pie 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a jelly-roll pan in oven 10 minutes. Place pie on hot jelly-roll pan.
7. Bake at 425° on lower oven rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°; bake 40 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake 25 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly (juices will bubble through top). Transfer to a wire rack; cool 2 hours before serving.
Lovely Lattice: For an equally impressive top crust, cut remaining dough disk in Step 3 into 3 (1 1/2-inch-wide) strips and 8 (1/4-inch-wide) strips using a fluted pastry wheel. Proceed as directed through Step 4. In Step 5, replace whole crust with dough strips, making a lattice design. Omit pastry leaves. Brush lattice with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar. Omit slits in crust. Proceed as directed in Steps 6 and 7, shielding just the edges with foil.


By Pastry Chef Shae Rehmel, Five & Ten, Athens, Georgia, Southern Living







Comments: Texture and taste is very similar to apple pie... but better.