ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Did you know that August 8th was the official "Sneak some Zucchini onto your Neighbor's Porch" day? What to do with all those lovely zucchini in the garden? You want to give some away, of course, and find new recipes to use the fresh, green vegetable growing madly in the garden. Try this recipe for an easy casserole with a delicate flavor and layers of color and texture.

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Here's a simple and flavorful way to prepare a large zucchini for a family meal. If you have leftovers, it's easy to re-heat for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion

1/2 cup bell pepper

1 large zucchini

4-5 medium mushrooms (optional)

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

2 cloves garlic

8-10 ounces tomato sauce (marinara, crushed tomatoes, etc)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

Topping:

1 cup bread crumbs

3 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 12 inch baking pan. I use glass but you can use metal.

Peel and chop the onion. Cut the bell pepper into 1/2 inch pieces. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and chop 2 cloves of garlic.

Heat a large skillet over high heat, add the olive oil. Stir in the onion and bell pepper and reduce the heat to medium.

Allow to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic.

Stir in the tomato sauce. (use any tomato sauce you have on hand)

Reduce heat to low and stir everything together and allow to simmer while you proceed with the next step.

Wash and trim fresh basil and flat leaf parsley leaves.

Roll the leaves together, and with a sharp knife, slice through the bundle to get small pieces.

Cut the zucchini into 1/2 inch slices across the middle, then cut the rounds into four pieces. In a large bowl, season the zucchini with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Add the chopped basil and parsley.

Spread a little of the tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

Layer the zucchini over the tomato mixture.

Next layer the corn over the zucchini.

Now layer the sliced mushrooms over that.

Now spoon the remaining tomato sauce mixture over everything. Notice the sauce is thick and not watery. The vegetables will release quite a bit of liquid during the cooking process and so you want the tomato sauce to be on the dry side.

Bread Crumb Topping:

In a large bowl, mix together:

2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, pushed through a press or finely minced

Spread the bread crumb topping over the vegetables in the baking dish.

As you can see, the bread crumbs are all different sizes. This is a rustic-style dish and everything does not need to look ' oh so perfect', it will still taste great!

You should be able to see the layers on the side of the dish.

Put into a pre-heated oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the bread crumb topping turns a golden brown and the vegetables are soft, but not mushy.

Serve immediately as a side dish. Great with grilled chicken or fish, and warm, crusty bread.

Can be assembled the day before and popped into the oven for dinner. Adjust the baking time to about 40 minutes and be sure to check to make sure the topping doesn't burn. I don't recommend freezing this because the vegetables will be mushy when it thaws.

What do you do with excess zucchini? Leave a comment below and let us know "Where Does the Zucchini Go?"

CRUNCHY CONFETTI SALAD

Fresh, crisp vegetables with a tangy vinegar dressing all mixed with a surprise of crunchy ramen noodles. Easy, economical and zero fat! Makes an easy summer side dish and is a great choice for potlucks. It travels well and you can double this recipe for a crowd.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

Ingredients:

1/2 head green cabbage

1/4 head red cabbage

2 green onions

1/4 red bell pepper

1 carrot

1 package ramen noodles, uncooked

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Open the package of ramen noodles. Put the uncooked noodles into a zip lock baggie. Use a rolling pin or mallet to crush the noodles into small pieces, but not into dust. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the rice wine vinegar, the sugar and ramen noodle seasoning packet. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

Remove any damaged outer leaves and the core of the cabbages. Thinly slice the cabbage and then cut crosswise into bite-size pieces. Put all the cut cabbage into a large bowl.

Wash, dry and chop the green onion. Slice the bell pepper into strips and then across into small pieces.

Peel and grate the carrot. I use a standard box grater. Throw all the chopped vegetables into the bowl with the cabbage. It looks colorful already!

Now add the broken, uncooked noodles to the bowl.

Pour the dressing over all and mix well to coat everything.

Serve chilled. This recipe can be doubled for a larger crowd. Enjoy!

SPLIT PEA SOUP

SPLIT PEA SOUP w/HAM

Put this easy recipe together in your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a rich, hearty soup at the end of your day. So easy and delicious! This recipe is a good way to use the leftovers from the baked ham you made for dinner. If you didn't bake a ham, just buy a slice of ham at the grocery store. Get a piece that has a bone. This recipe is almost fool proof and a good recipe for a beginner.

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable verison of this recipe without photos, click here.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Doesn't that look yummy? Let me tell you, it is! If you have never made scalloped potatoes, please try this recipe. It is easier than you think and sooo delicious. If you have bought the box of 'scalloped potatoes' at the grocery store and think all scalloped potatoes taste that bad, you are in for a wonderful surprise with these homemade potatoes.

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

COLESLAW

Cool, creamy, crunchy. How good is this? So simple to make and so much better than the limp, watery, bland stuff you get in restaurants. Prep your vegetables ahead of time and add the dressing right before the meal. You will love this! Start with this basic recipe then change the ingredients to make it all your own. Good for barbecues, potlucks, summer meals or any time. Serve on the side or add to a barbecued chicken, pork or beef sandwich, yummy!

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

PERFECT RICE

Rice seems to baffle some people. Don't worry, let me show you how to overcome your rice reluctance. With practice you will trust your ability to make perfect rice from scratch on the stove top with just two ingredients. You will no longer search out the so-cal­led ‘easy’ or 'shortcut' methods. When you do that, you end up paying more and the quality is lower. Whole shelves on supermarkets are devoted to ‘easy’, ‘fast’, ‘quick’, ‘instant’ and ‘converted’ rice. These products come with a price: they cost more and they often have added sodium, sugars, coloring and preservatives too. If you can make something that is far superior, low cost and easy, why would you choose the other stuff? As my mom used to say, “If you want to eat like that, go ahead.”

Two ingredients? Yes, you can make perfect rice using just two ingredients: rice and water. You can, but I suggest you enhance the flavor. You have lots of choices with that and here I’ll show you what I make as my ‘basic’ rice recipe. You can embellish on this as much as your budget, time and palate allow.

How much total rice do you want to end up with? Enough for two servings? A lot for a big crowd? One meal and some for leftovers? I like to make enough for one meal and have some to use in another dish next time. Why cook twice when you can do it all in one operation?

For a printable recipe without photos, click here.

If you do an Internet search, you will find hundreds (well, maybe dozens) of differing opinions on how to select, prepare and serve rice. Everyone has their favorite or traditional methods. That’s just fine. Here’s mine:

Let’s start with what I call regular rice, long grain white rice.