Sneaky Neighbors

Do you live in a trustworthy neighborhood?

Is it safe to leave your doors unlocked and your windows open?

Even on August 8th?

What is August 8th, you ask?

It's "National Sneak a Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day."

Damn sneaky neighbors.

If you have been a victim, I have your remedy.

Check out the wide variety of Zucchini Recipes that I have already shared here on the blog...

Or, try something new: Shredded Zucchini and Corn.

This side dish is adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. It is a quick and appetizing way to use not only the bounty of the zucchini harvest, but also delicious sweet corn and chives. Grilling steaks? Frying up some fish? Roasting a chicken? Shredded Zucchini and Corn can sneak onto the plate beside any of these.

Shredded Zucchini and Corn

(adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 small zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry

3 medium ears sweet corn, kernels cut from cob

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Shred zucchini with a box grater or in a food processor.
Wrap shredded zucchini in paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking and stirring, being careful not to burn.
Add the zucchini and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. (Serves 4)

Frittatas for Mama

Oh my! I seem to have fallen far, far behind with updates of my South Dakota Magazine submissions. Did you catch the Mini Zucchini Frittatas that I shared for Mother's Day?

The zucchini plants in my garden have little 3-inch baby zucchinis growing from their blossoms. Soon, I should be able to make these little egg bites again. You should, too. They are delish.

Mini Zucchini Frittatas - Frittatas for Mama

54 Degrees and Light Rain

A good blogger would be sharing something to inspire you for Memorial Day and the unofficial kick-off of summer.

I am not a good blogger.

My mind is stuck in 54 degrees and light rain. Those are my current weather conditions. Therefore, I am not craving homemade popsicles, salads for potlucks, or grilled hunks of meat. I want comfort food.

Gray days do this to me. My lawn is mowed; vibrant, blooming flowers are potted; the garden is planted; I have some colorful new Adirondack chairs for the patio; there is a brand new bag of charcoal for the grill. But, I just want to curl up on the sofa with a quilt and devour a plate of stick-to-your-ribs coziness.

Cod with Corn Gravy and Sour Cream and Chive Potatoes

(adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray)

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

3 sprigs thyme

3 ears fresh corn, cut from cob

1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

4 cod filets (or any firm white fish)

In a large pot of salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil.
Cook until tender, 12-15 minutes.
Drain and return to dry pot.
Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet.
Add the bacon and cook until crisp.
Remove from pan and drain on paper toweling.
Add the onion, celery to the bacon drippings, and cook until tender.
Add the corn and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly to coat the veggies, for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, milk, and thyme.
Stir to incorporate the floured vegetables.
Simmer until gravy is thickened and slightly reduced.
Stir in the bacon.
Mash the sour cream and chives into the potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and cook until golden, turning once.
Serve the cod topped with the corn gravy and potatoes on the side. (Serves 4)

On The Lighter Side

The sun is shining! The sun is shining! The sun is shining!

There is beautiful, blue sky behind puffy, white clouds. 

The majority of the snow from earlier in the week is melted away. 

It is windy as heck, but it still feels like Spring.

I am happy. Very happy.

Until I think about my winter weight gain (or is it a year-round weight gain?) and how nothing that I own for Spring and Summer fits. That isn't happy. Not at all.

It is time to take advantage of this sun and have some fun moving outside. 

It is time to lighten up a little while still enjoying fabulous meals. 

Filling up with healthy, whole grains and vegetables, fruits, and lean protiens.

Taking advantage of fresh (fresh veggies...fresh fruits...fresh air) and making an effort toward good choices (the Cadbury Eggs are still not winning).

Bulgur and Edamame Salad

(adapted from Cooking Light)

2 cups cooked bulgur, prepared according to package directions

1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons chives, snipped

4 tablespoons green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare bulgur according to package directions. (My Hodgson Mill bulgur brought water to boil, added bulgur, and simmered.)
Cook edamame in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.
Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a serving bowl.
Add the herbs to the dressing.
Add edamame, tomatoes, and bulgur to the dressing.
Toss well.
Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
(Salad keeps well for a week of easy lunches...just squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over each serving to brighten the flavors. Also, may consider only adding tomatoes to the daily serving, as they tend to get mushy when refrigerated.) (Serves 6)

Heaven

Those are chives. In my garden. Peeking up through the soil and screaming that IT. IS. FINALLY. SPRING

Finding those little green sprouts in my garden is heaven for me. I am so happy that I could...I don't know...sing? dance? pee my pants? Probably. How about if I just show my heavenly happiness by whipping up some of my most favoritest eggs in the whole world? This is a food/recipe/cooking blog, after all.

I love, love, love a good poached egg. Runny yolk is king, but The Original Pancake House (not IHOP; never IHOP; their pancakes are crumbly) won me over with a simple scrambled egg that I now crave. It isn't always on the menu, but sometimes, if you ask the staff nicely (and they have the cream cheese on hand...yes, CREAM CHEESE; doesn't that sound great?), you can still order them. And now, thanks to me sharing my extreme happiness, you won't have to wait until you are at The Original Pancake House and on your best behavior to get some Heavenly Scrambled Eggs. 

Heavenly Scrambled Eggs

(inspired by eggs eaten at The Original Pancake House and adapted from Alton Brown's Scrambled Egg technique)

2 eggs

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream (whole milk or half & half will work, but I prefer the cream)

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter (optional...I DON'T use it with a non-stick pan)

1-2 ounces of cream cheese, cut into 1cm cubes

freshly snipped chives

In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and cream with a fork or whisk.
In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat until it bubbles OR just heat the non-stick skillet to medium-low without the butter...I seriously never use butter unless the pan isn't non-stick.
You NEED the pan to be hot before you add the eggs.
Add a little salt to the egg mixture, then pour into pan, stirring slowly with a heat resistant rubber spatula.
As soon as curds begin to form, add the cream cheese cubes and sprinkle in the chives.
Increase heat to high and instead of stirring, use the spatula to fold the eggs over themselves.
As soon as the cream cheese begins to melt (it won't all melt...there will be pockets of tangy, creamy goodness) and the eggs aren't liquidy, remove from the heat and serve.
Season with fresh black pepper and garnish with additional fresh chives, if desired.
I do recommend that you heed Alton's warning: "Remember: if they look done in the pan, they'll be over-done on the plate." (Serves 1...or 2, if you are better at sharing than I am)