Red Pepper Zucchini

I'm really loving the zucchini right now, so here's another one. I just made this up, and it turned out really well. I've already had it twice in three days. Here ya go!

1 Zucchini
Butter or Canola oil (butter has a richer flavor, but oil is healthier and lighter tasting)
Garlic salt
Onion salt
Crushed red pepper
Parmesan cheese from a can
Fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large (emphasis on large) frying pan, heat up a couple tablespoons of butter or oil. It doesn't need to be sizzling, but it should be hot. Slice zucchini and place in hot butter/oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt, onion salt, a little parmesan cheese (the canned kind) and red pepper. Cook, flipping often until zucchini is tender and is starting to get brown flecks on it. Remove from pan and sprinkle fresh parmesan over hot slices if desired. Serve hot.

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is in season. Lots of people have way more than they can eat, so they give it away to their neighbors. This works out really well because secretly zucchini is very delicious. Here is a delicious zucchini recipe as a main dish. It's also fun looking. Here's one of my little secrets though: I always, always accept zucchini. I take as much as I can. Then I cube it and freeze it in 2 cup portions in Ziploc bags. Then, instead of stuffing the zucchini shell, just bake in a glass baking dish.


1 large zucchini
1½ cups cooked rice
1½ pounds ground beef
1 envelope dried vegetable beef soup or 3 teaspoons bullion and season salt
¾ cup water
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the insides of the zucchini in chunks. Leave the shell intact. Boil the insides of the zucchini in salt water for 5 minutes then drain. Cook rice. Brown the meat.  Mix soup (or bullion and season salt) with water.  Mix zucchini, meat, rice, water, and parmesan together and fill back up the skins.  Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cowboy's Delight Casserole

This is a great casserole for a crowd, and pretty cheap too. I like it because it lasts well in the fridge, so the leftovers are really good.


1 lb ground beef (I usually use half a pound because I'm cheap like that.)
1/4 C chopped onion
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 bag/box of shell noodles or macaroni
Cheese
1 12 ounce can whole kernel corn
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the noodles until done. Brown the beef with the onions. Mix beef, noodles, tomatoes, corn, and spices in a big bowl. Put the mixture in a 9x13 pan and top with cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes (until the cheese is melted and a little brown).

Oregano Chicken

This is super easy, delicious, and healthy. It's a win-win-win situation.


1/4 C olive oil
1 envelope Italian dressing packet
2 tsp lemon juice
Chicken breasts
1-2 Tbsp dried oregano

Combine the olive oil, salad dressing mix and lemon juice.  Place chicken in an ungreased 13x9 pan, spoon oil mixture over chicken.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover, baste with pan drippings; sprinkle with oregano.  Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice.

Pizza Factory Bread Sticks

My parent's anniversary was coming up, and I wanted to make them something really special for dinner. This was one of the things I made. Super good. It's a bit involved though. 

1 T. yeast

2 T. sugar

1 1/2 C. warm water

1 T. oil

1 tsp. salt

3 1/2 C. flour

3/4 C. melted butter - divided

3/8  tsp. granulated garlic

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp. Season All

1 T. Parmesan cheese

8  - 1/4 inch wooden dowels cut into 18 inch lengths (craft store)

Soak the dowels in oil for about a day. Then bake at 475 for 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before you use them. (This is what the guy at pizza factory told me to do to prep my dowels, so it's not just crazy stuff I tried on my own.) 

Mix the yeast, sugar and water and let sit for a couple of minutes to dissolve the yeast.  Add the oil, salt and flour and knead by hand or with your mixer with a dough hook for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise until double (about 45 minutes). Divide dough into 8 equal parts. Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into about an 16-18 inch long "snake". Wrap the dough around the dowel loosely. Pinch to secure the dough at the top and bottom.  Leave about 5 inches at the end of the dowel. Hang over the edge of a 9x13 inch cake

pan with all of the dough inside the pan. Let them rise until double (again, about 45 minutes). Brush with 1/4 C. melted butter. Bake at 375 for about 15- 20 minutes or until just golden. Meanwhile mix the remaining 1/2 C. melted butter, seasonings and parmesan cheese. When the breadsticks come out of the

oven, brush them with the seasoned melted butter mixture.

I wrapped the dough tighter than this, there were no gaps where you could see the wood, but I think the visual on how to hang the breadsticks was important to see. And, since I was making these for my parents' anniversary dinner, I didn't remember to take pictures.

Focaccia Bread

I love focaccia bread. I love it tons! It makes a great side, but with many toppings, it's also a good main dish. I also like to dip it in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and freshly ground pepper.

1 1/2 C warm water
1 Tbsp of yeast
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 C flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp herbs de province (or a mixture of garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, and parsley)
Toppings:
Onion salt
Garlic powder
Parmesan cheese
Green pepper slices (optional)
Tomato slices (optional)
Pepperoni (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Other toppings as desired


Let yeast soften and grow in water for about 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour, sugar, salt, and herbs and mix in a bread mixer until smooth, or knead for 10 minutes. Let rise 1 hour. Press out on a greased pizza pan (or cookie sheet) and coat the top with olive oil. Sprinkle on onion salt, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, and other toppings. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.

Crepes

I was at work one day when one of my co-workers and I got off on a tangent about food, which isn't super unusual. But what was unusual is that we decided to make breakfast after work. This is actually her recipe. It is delicious. They can be used either as dessert crepes or for anything else. The little bit of sugar in them doesn't interfere with other flavors such as ham and cheese.


2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla Dash salt
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In blender container place eggs, beat. Pour in milk. Add sugar, vanilla and salt; blend. Then add flour and butter; blend on low speed just until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Cook in a frying pan at medium heat. Serve with whatever you want inside (i.e. ham and cheese, ice cream, lemon juice and powdered sugar, fruit and whipped cream, lettuce and tomatoes, etc.).

Dear World, Part II

Sorry about the long leave of absence. I'm back now though, and things should be going full speed ahead.

Dear World,

I went on vacation. So sorry. (Kind of.) I will be back posting regularly as soon as I can, but I thought I owed you an explanation as to why you are getting more than a day between posts. That said, Happy Cooking!