Surprisingly Delicious Use-Up-All-The-Zucchini Spaghetti

It is the beginning of June. Already we have a glut of zucchini. I harvested these from our Eight-Ball zucchini plant over the last couple of days, and there's a lot more coming. I am always on the lookout for zucchini recipes.

This recipe I picked up on my travels in Sorrento, Italy. I am not a huge zucchini lover, and when we made it in my cooking class at Mami Camilla's, I was doubtful I would like it much. But there's magic in Italian cooking. This recipe is so simple: zucchini, olive oil, parmesan, basil, salt, pepper, but the product is much more than the sum of its parts. Cooking the zucchini down until it is a soft, saucy mush brings out the natural buttery, nuttiness of the squash. Good parmesan, pecorino, and basil elevate this dish to a summer favorite. And, best of all, it is a fantastic answer to the gardener's dilemma of, "What to do with all that squash?" This sauce is best with fresh pasta, but dried will do.

Surprisingly Delicious Use-Up-All-The-Zucchini Spaghetti

6-7 medium zucchini, sliced in thin coins
a fearless pour of good olive oil
salt and black pepper, be generous
a large handful grated parmesan reggiano
a smaller handful grated pecorino romano
a small bunch basil leaves, chopped or sliced
1 pound spaghetti

Put a large pot of water on to boil.
Put a saute pan on medium heat, and add a good pour of olive oil. You want to cover the bottom of the pan, probably half a cup or so.
Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and add to the hot oil. Salt generously so the water will come out and evaporate off. Fry the zucchini until soft and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
When the water is boiling, salt the water generously, add the pasta and follow the package instructions.
While things are cooking, grate the cheeses and chop the basil.
When the spaghetti is al dente, reserve a mug full of pasta water, then drain.
Add the spaghetti, cheese, and basil to the saute pan with the zucchini. Toss well. Add pasta water to create a creamy sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.


Buon appetito! 

Linked to: From the Farm Blog Hop, Independence Days Challenge, Tuned-In Tuesday Blog Hop

Yoghurt love

Yogurt is not something I've ever thought much about. I enjoy it, from time to time, with granola and berries or on top of something spicy instead of sour cream. I usually have a plain, whole-milk yogurt on hand; the baby likes it and it's useful and tasty.

But all that changed recently when I met Noosa Yoghurt. It is thick but velvety, sweet and tangy, indulgent but healthful. It is perfect, flavorful, and impossibly delicious. My husband and I were enjoying the mango flavor for a late-night snack and wondering how it could possibly be made better. It is too good to sully with granola and fruit. We thought for a moment, smacking our lips and licking our spoons. "This would be so good in a crepe," I said. And the next day we did just that.

Noosa Yoghurt Crepe 

Mix up your favorite crepe batter and cook up some crepes.
Spread with Noosa yoghurt.
Fold in half, then in quarters.
Eat while still hot.

Moroccan Kale and Squash over Couscous

I often have kale and winter squash on hand this time of year. I make a really yummy pasta dish with roasted squash, kale, bacon, and parmesan. We were hungry for that tonight, but we are eating pretty much vegan right now, and I didn't think my usual dish would come together very well without a cured pork product and parmesan reggiano.


But I thought Moroccan spices* and the tartness from dried fruit would tie the flavors together nicely. And they did. This recipe is vegan and very nutritious. And our baby liked it.

 *I use a Moroccan spice blend called ras el hanut, which is available at my grocery store from Spicely Organic Spices. If you can't find it, you can make your own; there are plenty of recipes for it online.

Moroccan kale and roasted squash over couscous

1 butternut squash
1 onion, sliced into half-moons
2 cloves garlic
a large pinch saffron, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon ras al hanut
1 cinnamon stick
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
1 15oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 handful dried cranberries
1 cup couscous
a handful shelled pistaschios

Peel the butternut squash, chop into bite size pieces, toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast in the oven at 425F for about half and hour, until soft and the flavor deepened.

Meanwhile, start the onion softening in olive oil in a saute pan. When it is quite soft and a little brown, add the garlic and ras al hanut. When fragrant, add the kale and give it a quick saute. Add the tomaotes, chick peas, cinnamon stick, saffron and the soaking liquid, and dried cranberries. Stir in the roasted squash. Bring to a simmer, cover and turn the heat to low.

Bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 cup couscous and a bit of salt. Stir, cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

To serve, dish couscous and top with the kale mixture. Top with pistaschios, a drizzle of olive oil and extra cranberries, if desired.

Mushroom Immunity Soup

Our baby is 10 months old. I stopped pumping for him; he just gets formula now. I'm surprised that I don't feel sad, only relieved. I always thought that we would nurse for as long as we both wanted to... but I thought it would be longer than 5 months! If there is another baby, maybe we will nurse til it's 3.

He also gets big boy food. I make most of it myself. He loves prunes, yogurt, avocado, and spinach. Today he had curried cauliflower and sweet potato for breakfast.

I think a lot about food as medicine and I've been reading about alternative nutrition. I'd like to get deeper into ayurveda and Chinese medicine. We're doing a plant-based diet for awhile for health reasons--and I'd like to lose 10 pounds-- it feels really good to eat beans, lentils, grains and greens every day. This kind of food gives deep nourishment.

Usually I get colds in the winter. Usually, by this time of year, I'd had at least a few. Not this year. I think it's my mushroom immunity soup. I try to put as many superfoods as possible into this pot, and I feel it. I feel more robust and vibrant than ever before.
 

Mushroom Immunity Soup

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion
1 jalapeno
8 ounces shitakes and/or other medicinal mushrooms
1 generous tablespoon fresh ginger
several cloves garlic
sea vegetables, kale, or other hearty green
fresh miso (kept in the refrigerated section)
rice noodles
fresh-squeezed lemon juice
cilatro, basil, or other fresh herb of your choice

Finely chop the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger and soften in coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over meduim heat. Rinse the shitakes, chop off the woody stems and put the stems in a large measuring cup or bowl and cover with a few cups of hot water to steep. Chop the mushrooms and add to the pot to brown. When softened, after 10 minutes or so, strain the stems from the mushroom water and add the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil for another 10 minutes. Add the greens and cook til tender. Put another small pot of water on to boil.

When you're ready to eat, cook the rice noodles in the separate pot of water until al dente. Put a tablespoon of fresh miso paste in the bottom of your bowl, add soup and stir to combine. Add the rice noodles; they will finish cooking in the bowl. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh herbs, and hot sauce if desired.


I wish you and yours good health this season.


This post is linked to the Tuned-In Tuesday Blog Hop.

Quick n easy turkey n dumplings

I have a confession to make. A big, shameful secret. I will deny it like crazy in mixed company, or in San Francisco. Ready? Here it is. As much as I love whole foods and hippie food, and local organic food, and greens from the garden, and brown rice and brown bread,  I love processed food nearly as much. Oreos, Cheeze-its, hot dogs, mac n cheese from a box, McDonald's... it must be the msg that makes me go crazy sometimes. (I remember learning in 7th grade home ec. that MSG is a psychoactive white powder, just like cocaine, only you can buy MSG in the spice aisle. So don't blame me! The Twinkies made me do it!)

 This is the best thing you can make with food from packages, and it tastes especially good on a day when you're under the weather. The magic ingredients are: cream of chicken soup, a rotisserie chicken, frozen peas and carrots, and a roll of refrigerated biscuit dough. Dump it all in a pot, walk away and watch an episode of Gossip Girl, (affiliate link) and when you come back, voila! lots of delicious, creamy, doughy, salty, tender chicken and dumplings. Or, if it happens to be 3 days after Thanksgiving, turkey and dumplings.

After all the busyness and excitement of the last 2 weeks or so, my honey and I are both fighting off bugs. He sent me to the market for supplies and a powerful urge hit for some yummy, processed comfort food. This is a good way to use up some of that leftover turkey in the fridge, anyway, and this was an awesome meal for our budget since the soup was on sale for $.99, the veggies for $1.50, and the biscuits for $1.50. Makes 4 hearty servings.

Quick and Easy Turkey and Dumplings
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can whole milk
1 can water
1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
2 cups cooked turkey meat, chopped
1/2 a roll refrigerated biscuit dough
salt and black pepper

If you have an onion and some leftover celery like I did, and are not too under the weather, go ahead and chop them up and soften in some butter in your favorite sauce pan or dutch oven. Or you may omit this step.

Pour in the can of cream of chicken soup, fill the can with milk and add to the pan, fill the can with water and add. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add half the bag of frozen veggies and the turkey meat. Allow to heat through. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Drop dumpling-size pieces of biscuit dough on top of the soup, cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper again. I think this dish needs quite a bit of fresh black pepper and a hot toddy to wash it down.

I hope you feel better soon.

The best chocolate chip cookie EVAR

I know chocolate chip cookies. I've made many times my share of chocolate chip cookies. In high school, my brother and I liked to make them in the middle of the night. Then when I went off to college, on visits home my brother and his friends begged for chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is in my head like a chant: sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla. The start of so many wonderful things.

The cookies we made last night were seriously the best cookies EVAR. I was teaching my honey how to make them, and he must've taken more care than I do anymore. These cookies are dense, chewy with a sugary, crispy edge, chocolaty, salty, delicious. 

This is exactly what we did.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie EVAR

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
extra salt

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes a few minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture in 3 parts. Do not beat the dough too hard.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop cookies by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake at 350F for 12 minutes, until golden.
Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks.

Super naughty garlic bread

Do you ever have one of those days where you wake up and you're in the mood to cook some Italian-American food? Something like baked rigatoni, with a heavy sauce and lots of cheese? And if you're going to all that trouble, you might as well go all out, right? So you pop a bottle of red, put some silly Italian music from Dean Martin on, and get out the sauce pan.

Don't forget the garlic bread. You should make it before you make the salad. You will be very popular with your friends. And it's such a simple secret.

Super Naughty Garlic Bread

1 loaf good bread
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
several cloves minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons honey
salt generously

Preheat oven to 400F.
Slice the bread, but don't cut all the way through.
Mix the butter, garlic, honey, and salt in a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. I like it quite sweet and garlicky.
Tuck the butter mixture into the sliced loaf. Be generous.
Wrap in tinfoil and place in the oven at the same time you put your pasta in the water. When it's time to eat the garlic bread will be crusty on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, and the garlic will have lost its raw bite.

Celebration Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers

Maybe we were just happy that the race was called for Obama right as the pasta finished cooking, and the baby was sleeping, and the kitchen was light and cozy, but dinner was really yummy last night. (This confluence of events does not happen often these days.)

The baby had a busy day yesterday: a trip to the polls, then brunch, then he and I went to the market. Maybe I'm weird that I like doing the grocery shopping. I really enjoy it! My schedule allows me to go to a nice store, in the off-peak hours, and I have a sweet baby who loves to be worn in the ergo and look at all the food and people. So when we got home he was tired and hungry, ripe for being nursed down so the grown-ups could have a peaceful dinner. We really need to remember that babies are like puppies and need to be taken out and tired out each day.

This is a recipe I've been doing for years, tweaking it a little each time. Last night it was pretty much perfect. The most important thing is not to rush the onions and peppers. You want to let them carmelize a bit to really develop the sweetness. That tames the tomatoes and gives the whole thing a hearty depth of flavor.

 Celebration Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers
 
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, sliced in half moons
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 bag baby spinach leaves
a few tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
a generous handful grated parmesan

Heat a heavy bottomed saute pan until pretty darn hot, and brown the sausage. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Before the pan cools, add some olive oil and the onions and heat on medium-high until they just begin to brown. Add the bell peppers, season generously with salt and pepper, and heat until they barely begin to wilt, and turn the heat to low. Let them melt together until very soft, at least 30 minutes. Longer here is better. Use this time to make salad, load the dishwasher, drink wine, mingle with your dinner guest, set the table, or hush a crying baby.

Deglaze the pan with a glug of red wine, scraping up all that yummy browned sausage bits. Add the can of tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Put the pot of pasta water on to boil. Allow the sauce to simmer at least 20 minutes, until very thick and saucy. Taste and adjust seasonings. I contemplated adding some herbs here, but it didn't need it. The sauce should be very tangy and sweet. It should feel full and round on the tongue. If it doesn't, add salt and cook longer.

When the pasta water is boiling, add the rigatoni and cook until al dente. At this time, add the spinach to the sauce and allow to wilt. Add the browned sausage and allow to heat through. Just before the pasta finishes cooking, turn off the heat and add a few tablespoons heavy cream. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings again.

Reserve some pasta water and then drain the pasta. Return it to the pot. Pour the sauce on top, add the generous handful parmesan, some pasta water to loosen the sauce, and toss.

Dish up. Serve with extra parmesan and/or a drizzle of olive oil.

Curried brussels sprouts with pasta and browned butter

These are the last of the carrots and bell peppers from the garden, and the first of the peas. Our summer garden failed miserably this year; over the weekend we pulled out the sad tomato plants, amended the soil with compost, and planted fall crops: more peas and carrots, lettuces, radishes, chard. The peas and kale we planted a month or so ago are thriving; I'm hopeful this winter garden will do better. 

Here is a simple fall dinner for you. We had pasta, but this might be better with brown rice or quinoa. The warm curry spices play off the sweet carrots and bitter brussels sprouts, and the browned butter marries it all together with nutty, fragrant, buttery goodness. I'd like to experiment with curry and brown butter more this fall.

Curried Brussels Sprouts with Pasta and Browned Butter

Preheat the oven to 400F. Clean and halve brussels sprouts and place in a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Coarsely chop carrots and potatoes and add to the dish with the brussels sprouts. Toss the veggies with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a dusting of curry powder and put in the oven for about 40 minutes, until tender. 

Meanwhile, put on the pasta water to boil. We used rotini. Rigatoni, bowties, penne, or any of the bite-size shapes would be good too. While the pasta cooks, put a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and carefully heat until brown. You need to keep a close eye on it, or it will burn and you will be sad.

Drain the pasta, put it back in the pot, add the roasted veggies, browned butter, a handful of parmesan and toss. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Baby-growing Lactation cookie

These are not the prettiest cookies. They are brown and lumpy and they spread out in the oven so they look like they want to be crispy lace cookies, but they are only crispy on the outside, and inside they are soft and chewy and texturous. That's not a word, but it should be.

I started making these occasionally when I was pregnant and had a sweet tooth; these are good for breastfeeding mamas, too! I don't keep sweets in the house, except for homemade ones, sometimes, and then I try to make them count nutritionally. These have all the sugar and butter of a normal cookie, but they have more protein, fiber, iron, and good fats than their regular, white-flour cousins. So there's no need to feel too guilty.

This is a very forgiving recipe, if you can even call it that. I generally toss in whatever nuts, dried fruits, and flours I have on hand. Consider this a template and make them yours.

Baby-Growing Lactation Cookie 

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 3/4 cup good quality granola or oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease your baking sheet or line them with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, or by hand, cream together sugars and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla and mix.

In a seperate bowl, stir together the flours, granola or oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients and combine.

Stir in the raisins, almonds, and chocolate chips (or other add-ins of your choice). Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets. I like to sprinkle some coarse salt over the top before sliding in the oven. Bake 10-12 minutes. I get about 3 dozen cookies.

Dark Plum and Spice Cake

I'm feeling sad, irritable and generally discontent. Our babe has been in and out of the hospital, the tomato plants aren't bearing fruit and I can't catch up with the clutter around here. I don't see enough of my friends and I haven't done any summer baking or preserving. I could stand to get a lot more exercise. I might get laid off.

But, our babe is 4 months old, a happy, cooing, kicking, smiley guy. My man and I spend quite a bit of time dancing in the kitchen, teasing each other, swatting each other, smooching. The summer is warm and predictably sunny, even if my mood is not.

Fall is in the air today, and I have five plums softening on the counter. Is there anything better for lifting one's spirits than handling ripe stone fruit in August? Might as well make a plum cake.

 This is inspired by Molly's plum cake at Orangette and what I had in the pantry. This cake is dense and moist but not heavy; the tartness of the plums plays nicely with the molasses and cinnamon. The next time I make it (and I will be making another one of these), I will play up the spice cake. Molly suggests quartering the plums and dropping them in at the end, but I wanted to display the fruit upside-down cake style.

Dark Plum and Spice Cake

5 plums
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pinches salt
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup agave & maple syrup
2 T honey
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Halve and pit the plums. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. Arrange the plums cut side down in the baking dish and set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

In a saucepan over low heat, stir the molasses, syrups, honey and butter until melted. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Measure 1 cup milk and whisk in the 2 eggs. (I use my pyrex liquid measuring cup for this and save myself a dirty bowl.)

Add the butter/sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the milk and eggs and stir until a loose batter forms. Pour over the plums arranged in the pan.

I followed Molly's instructions precisely here:
Bake for 35 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake 10-15 minutes more. The cake will still look soft, but that's ok. Turn the oven off, remove the foil, and leave the cake in there for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool in the pan for 20 minutes, and then I turned the cake out so the plums are on the top.

It doesn't need it, but this cake could be dressed up with some loose whipped cream.

PS Have you seen those Italian cooking plums at the market? I'm intrigued, although I don't think I've ever seen them used in real life or in a recipe. I imagine they are good with lamb... what do you like to do with them?