Italian Style Spaghetti Squash

2 lb spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, diced
4 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) Place squash halves, cut side down, in baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water, and cover dish with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven, and cool slightly.
3) Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add zucchini, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until zucchini begins to brown. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
4) Using a fork, scrape squash strands into a bowl. Toss with remaining 1 Tbs of oil. Mound squash in the centers of four pasta bowls. Spoon vegetable mixture around or over squash strands, dividing vegetables equally among bowls. Drizzle with more oil, if desired, and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Review: Spaghetti squash is a bizarre beast. I'd never had it before and was amazed (and a little freaked out) by how the squash just came out in strings. However, it looks gross. I felt like I was serving up a big bowl of mush. It was yummy and had great flavor. Oddly, I'd also recently read an article that spaghetti squash is only 13 calories per serving. And, I got these two free, since the rec therapist (Earl) at work decided to gift them to me. I love knowing people with too much produce on their hands!!

Ultimate Veggie Fried Rice

2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups leftover vegetables

1) Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil. Saute onion, carrot, celery, herbes de Provence and salt 10 to 15 minutes, or until well browned. Add a little more oil if pan seems dry. Add rice, and stir-fry 5 minutes, or until mixture is hot and well combined.
2) Rice is now read to be served, but if you have some time before your meal, turn heat to low, add a little more oil to pan, and let rice sit undisturbed 7 to 10 minutes, or until browned. If it begins to stick, scrape it up, stir tasty brown bits in, and continue browning with a little more oil. The more time and energy you spend at this stage, the tastier the rice will be. Add leftover vegetables just before serving and continue to heat thoroughly.

Review: I used bulgur, so it doesn't brown like rice does. Too bad. I used a can of pinto beans, along with some frozen peas and corn to fluff this dish out. It was pretty yummy, but not the fried rice taste I'm used to. I doubt soy sauce would enhance this fried rice!

Plum Tomatoes & Artichokes With Penne

12 oz oil-marinated artichoke hearts
1 cup chopped onions
1 Tbs finely minced garlic
2 28-oz cans plum tomatoes, crushed
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
cooked penne pasta (12 oz box)

1) Drain the artichokes, reserving the oil, and halve them lengthwise.
2) Place 3 Tbs of the artichoke oil marinade in a heavy pot. Add the onions and stir over low heat for 10 minutes, adding the garlic during the last 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
3) Add the reserved artichoke hearts with the remaining oil marinade and stir while simmering for 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and adjust the seasonings. Serve in shallow bowls over cooked penne.

Review: This was a lot of sauce, with a bit of pasta. I'd recommend using only one can of crushed tomatoes and shave some cooking time off. Well, I shaved time off, so if I'd cooked it for the full length of time, it may have reduced. However, I get impatient with sauce. :( This was super yummy, with a bit of a "kick." I really liked it.

Shaved Asparagus Salad With Orange-Tarragon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup raw hazelnuts
1 shallot, peeled and minced (3 Tbs)
3 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp Dijon mustard
7 Tbs olive oil
1 bunch asparagus
6 cups mixed spring greens
2 navel oranges

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Place hazelnuts on baking sheet, and toast 15 minutes, or until skins darken and split. Rub nuts between two towels until skins come off. Cool, then coarsely chop.
2) Whisk together shallot, vinegar, tarragon, orange zest and mustard in bowl. Whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3) Peel asparagus into long thin strands with peeler. Toss with greens in bowl.
4) Peel oranges with knife, removing white pith. Slice between membranes, and cut orange segments directly into salad, letting juice drip into bowl. Toss salad with hazelnuts and 3 Tbs dressing. Serve remaining dressing on side.

Review: I was so sure this was going to be a failure. We toasted the nuts for 10 minutes and still burned them. I threw out the orange peels without getting the zest. I used dried tarragon (1 Tbs) and it took forever to shave the asparagus. However, we made the most of it and dragged it off to the back to school picnic. Everyone loved it and raved about how awesome it was. I got lucky.

Green Bean, Cherry Tomato & Corn Salad

1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 Tbs dried oregano
2 tsp capers, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil

1) Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain. Refresh under cold water. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl.
2) Add tomatoes, corn, oregano, capers and garlic to beans, and toss gently.
3) Whisk together lemon juice and oil. Add to bean mixture, and stir gently, and stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes to develop flavors. Serve.

Review: I tossed the frozen corn for the last minute of boiling, to quickly defrost it. It worked well. This was an "alright" dish.

Curried Vegetables With Couscous/Rice/Bulgur

1 1/2 Tbs vegetable oil
6 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1) In 4-qt Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbs oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
2) Add remaining 1/2 Tbs oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add ginger, coriander, turmeric and cayenne, and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low. Stir in onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add cauliflower, broth and salt. Cover, increase heat to medium-low and simmer until barely tender, 12 minutes.
3) Add zucchini and reserved mushrooms to cauliflower mixture. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve over couscous, brown rice or bulgur.

Review: This is the first curry I've made that I really liked. It had a great flavor, but not the typical curry flavor that I've become used to. So, I liked this a lot.

Spaghetti all'Aquilana

2 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus 4 Tbs, for frying
12 squash blossoms, center parts removed
1 onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
large pinch saffron threads, crushed in a mortar and dissolved in water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 lb spaghetti
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated pecorino Romano

1) Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 Tbs salt.
2) In a tall-sided pot, heat the 2 cups oil to 350F. Cook the squash blossoms in the hot oil for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
3) In a 12 to 14 inch saute pan, heat the remaining oil over high heat, and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until golden brown, then add the parsley, saffron and vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until reduced by half, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4) Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until tender yet al dente, then drain and add to the pan, along with the flowers and egg. Toss over high heat 2 minutes, until the egg is lightly cooked and coats the pasta. Serve, topped with cheese.

Review: Prior to making this dish, I made a batch of pesto, harvesting the basil in my garden. Then, I went back out to harvest squash blossoms (yellow squash, zucchini and butternut squash blossoms). All of this in the rain. I'm happy to have used stuff from my own garden, but now it looks kind of pathetic. :( I've included a squash blossom pic from earlier in the season. I tweaked this recipe a bit, as I didn't want to waste a bunch of olive oil. I fried the squash blossoms in about 2 Tbs coconut oil, in a frying pan, tossing them for 30 seconds after the oil got good and hot. It seems to have done the trick. I also came close to starting a grease fire, as it splattered quite a bit and I have a gas stove. :( But, I this recipe was AMAZING. It had a great savory flavor, which I was not expecting. I think everyone should make this. I imagine it would be good without the flowers, too.

Fettuccine With Zucchini

1 lb zucchini, diced
salt
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, slivered
1 lb fresh fettuccine
freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano

1) Place zucchini in a colander, toss with salt and set aside to drain in a sink or over a bowl 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbs oil in a heavy saute pan, add onion, pine nuts and garlic, and saute over low heat about 10 minutes, until onion is soft and nuts start to brown. Rinse and drain zucchini and add to pan. Saute about 20 minutes, until tender.
2) Bring large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta, cook pasta about 3 minutes and drain, reserving about 1 cup pasta water. Add pasta to saute pan, cook over low heat about 5 minutes, to blend ingredients, adding pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in parsley, cheese and additional olive oil and serve.

Review: Ah, a recipe from the New York Times. I'm moving up in the world! This was odd, considering the step involving setting the zucchini aside to drain for half an hour. I used dried minced onion, and a fraction of the amount. I also used Parmesan cheese. Grana Padano sounded too fancy to find in Idaho. I also minced the garlic, as I tend to not read directions all that thoroughly while cooking and tending to a new kitten. This came out well, though. It was fairly easy to make, if you don't mind waiting awhile.

Spaghetti With Spinach, Beans & Tomatoes

2 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 pkg spaghetti
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1) In a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1/2 Tbs oil. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti; cook until al dente, as package label directs. Drain.
3) Warm remaining 2 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and crushed red pepper for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Allow to boil 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in spinach and beans, cook for 2 minutes, until all ingredients are hot. Remove from heat.
4) Add drained pasta to skillet; toss well to combine. Serve and sprinkle with golden bread crumbs.

Review: Mmm, this tasted like comfort food. It also had a healthy taste. If any of that makes sense. I did use fresh spinach instead of frozen, since I find frozen spinach yucky. I recommend sticking with fresh spinach.

Asparagus Salad With Eggs & Herbs

5 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 asparagus spears, trimmed
2 large eggs
2 Tbs minced fresh chives or 1 Tbs dried minced chives
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups arugula
1 head Belgian endive, leaves separated
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1) Mix oil, garlic and 1/2 the thyme in small bowl.
2) Heat 2 tsp garlic oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, cover, and cook 3 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to plate.
3) Fry eggs in 1 tsp garlic oil in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs chives.
4) Whisk lemon juice into remaining garlic oil; season with salt and pepper, and toss with arugula and endive in large bowl.
5) Divide greens between 2 plates; top with 6 asparagus spears and 1 egg each. Sprinkle with remaining chives and thyme. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Review: This was yummy, despite the initial weirdness. It's odd to have a fried egg on top of my salad, and having it fried with garlic and topped with chives. And, I'd recommend chopping the asparagus to make it easier to eat. :)

Creole Rice Pilaf

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/4 cups diced mushrooms
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, boiling
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried thyme

1) Heat oil and crushed red pepper in 4-qt saucepan over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Add shallots and celery, and cook 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes before adding rice. Cook mixture 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
2) Add boiling broth, coriander and thyme. Bring all to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and serve.

Review: I substituted bulgur for the rice, and shaved about 25 minutes off my cooking time. This was alright, but mostly tasted like tomatoes and shallots. It would probably be better with more vegetables, but I'm not sure which ones to add.

Penne With Summer Squash

1 lb dry penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 lb zucchini, very thinly sliced
1/2 lb small pattypan squash, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely shredded fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1) Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, in large deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 2 minutes. Add zucchini and squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden at edges, about 6 minutes.
3) Drain penne, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Stir in salt, pepper and reserved cooking water into squash mixture.
4) Transfer penne to large serving bowl. Add squash mixture, basil and chives, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Review: I could only find large pattypan squash, so I had a lot of food on my hands, since I used 4 zucchini and 2 large pattypan squash. We invited the 1st year girls (3 of 'em) from my husband's PhD program to share the food. Somehow, we still ended up with 6 servings of leftovers!! Everyone enjoyed it, but I'd recommend using less squash. ;)

Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Tomato Salad

2 Tbs plus 1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs dried minced onion
2 cups corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 15.5 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Warm 2 Tbs oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in corn and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast, stirring often, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate and cool.
2) In a large bowl, combine corn mixture, cilantro, beans and tomatoes. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, whisking until salt is dissolved and ingredients are fully incorporated. Slowly add 1/3 cup oil, whisking constantly until blended and thickened. Pour over corn mixture. Stir well and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Review: I did not want to heat up the oven. Instead, I roasted the corn on the stove. I'm sure it's not the same result, but it came out nice. I also love the smell of roasting corn. :) I also used canned tomatoes, which is just easy to use. This ended up being a yummy dish, perfect for a summer evening.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette:
1 tsp grated or minced lime zest
3 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

Sweet Potatoes:
2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 3/8-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced
3 Tbs orange, mango or pineapple juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1) Prepare medium-low charcoal fire, or preheat gas grill (or boiler).
2) To make cilantro-lime vinaigrette: Combine lime zest, juice and vinegar in large bowl. Whisk in oil until completely blended. Stir in cilantro, garlic and salt.
3) To make sweet potatoes: Add potato slices to vinaigrette, and let marinate a few minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato slices to grill. Turn occasionally, basting with remaining vinaigrette, and cook until tender when pierced with fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

Review: Yum. I made this for our grilling adventure today. My mother-in-law is visiting. Mike grilled a big steak that the two of them shared. I made these sweet potatoes (Mike grilled them) and the below sugar snap pea salad. We also had a Costco broccoli salad, which my mother-in-law loves and can no longer find at her local Costco. I'd say it was a great grilling adventure.

Sugar Snap Pea Salad With Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette

Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbs chopped fresh mint
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs minced shallot
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar

Salad:
1 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/3 cup chopped pistachios

1) To make lemon-mint vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients.
2) To make salad: Cook sugar snap peas in boiling water 2 minutes, or until bright green. Drain. Toss peas with vinaigrette. Stir in pistachios.

Review: This was a great side salad. The mint gave it a cool flavor, while the pistachios gave it a nice savory flavor. The whole dish had a great crunch. It's a great summer dish.

Corn Salad

6 Tbs olive oil
1 cup finely minced red onion
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbs sherry vinegar, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1) Heat 2 Tbs oil in skillet over medium heat, and cook onion 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin, and cook 1 minute more. Cool in bowl. Add corn, peppers and tomatoes to onion. Fold in cilantro.
2) Whisk together remaining 4 Tbs oil and vinegar, drizzle over salad and toss to combine well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Review: This was an easy dish, but for some reason it didn't seem to have much flavor. Also, the original recipe called for peeling and seeding the tomatoes, which I thought was ridiculous.

Rice Salad Primavera

1 cup basmati rice
1 8oz pkg baked flavored tofu, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced
1 small yellow squash, diced
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil

1) Bring rice and 2 cups water to a boil in covered saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and has absorbed all water. Cool. Transfer to large bowl.
2) Stir tofu, tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, cucumber and squash into rice.
3) Whisk together vinegar and mustard in small bowl. Whisk in oil until mixture forms smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
4) Stir vinaigrette mixture into rice mixture. Chill well before serving.

Review: Mike made this for me. Bulgur was used to reduce the carb count and my intent was to substitute zucchini for cucumber (I don't like cucumber), but Mike didn't know that and just omitted the ingredient. Bummer. But, this was really yummy and had a great flavor.

Springtime Pasta Primavera

12 oz farfalle pasta
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup haricots verts (thin tender green beans), ends trimmed
1/2 cup thin asparagus tips and stalks, sliced in 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh peas
1/2 cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 seeded and diced ripe plum tomatoes
2 Tbs chopped chives

1) In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until just tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2) Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and quickly saute the vegetables until just tender. Do not overcook. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half and cook to thicken the sauce, 5 minutes. Season well with pepper. Toss in the drained pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with diced tomatoes and chives. Serve immediately.

Review: There is no way I was going to find haricot verts in Idaho. But, the local farmer's market provided us with great fresh green beans. This dish calls for odd amounts of things, like a half cup of mushrooms. I plan on later this week designing a new recipe using the rest of the box of mushrooms, and the rest of the bunch of asparagus. That being said, I thought this was pretty tasty. It was a good blend of veggies and an easy white sauce. What more could you ask for?

Rice & Corn Cakes With Spicy Black Beans

1 cup instant brown rice
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 cup salsa

1) Cook rice with the amount of water called for on the package directions, adding scallions, garlic and thyme to the water. Remove from heat and stir in corn, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Let stand for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.
2) Whisk eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the rice mixture and mash with a potato masher until the mixture holds together (it will be fairly soft), about 1 minute. Shape the mixture into 8 patties.
3) Heat 2 tsp oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully transfer 4 patties to the pan with a spatula and cook until browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add the remaining 2 tsp oil and repeat with the remaining 4 patties.
4) Meanwhile, combine beans and salsa in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. To serve, divide the beans among 4 plates and top with 2 patties each.

Review: Mmmmm. I think cumin might have been a good addition to these patties. I used bulgur, to reduce the carb count. I also reduced the scallions, as the recipe originally called for 6 scallions. That's just way too much. I had put off making this recipe for quite some time, as I thought it looked too difficult. However, it was fairly easy.