Weekend Reviews: 8/12 - 8/14

[SueK]

This weekend I made two new ones, and one repeat.

Shredded Zucchini Frittata w/Parmesan: A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen
We really enjoyed this one. Very easy to throw together and a good way to use up extra zucchini. Leftovers were good reheated as well.

Red Curry-Lime Chicken Wings: Bobby Flay, from the new issue of F & W
I had high hopes for this one, but was dissapointed. You're to roast the wings in olive oil and then put them in the sauce once they're done cooking. The sauce had a paste-like consistency and was pretty sinus-clearing. Once the hot wings hit it, it liquified and so didn't adhere to the wings at all. I ended up using it as a dipping sauce, but it lost a lot of its "oopmh".

My repeat:
Calabacitas Soup: Posted by Cindi (KCSoccer) last summer.
Another great way to use up yellow squash and zucchini. DD1 loves this soup, even though she isn't a great veggie eater.
Here is the recipe since I'm sure a search won't find it.

Calabacitas Soup (Cheesy Zucchini, Corn & Green Chile Soup)

Recipe By : Cindi (KCSoccer)
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups & Stews Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 medium jalapeno chile pepper -- seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano -- Mexican
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
29 ounces chicken broth -- 2 - 14.5 oz. cans
10 ounces canned tomatoes with green chilies -- undrained
2 medium zucchini -- diced
2 medium yellow squash -- diced
2 each corn on the cob -- remove kernels from cob
4 ounces green chilies -- canned, diced, undrained
5 ounces Velveeta Light -- cubed, about 3/4 cup
3 ounces Light cream cheese -- cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: sliced green onions & chopped cilantro -- optional

In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté the onion until tender. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook 1 minute longer. Add the zucchini and corn and cook an additional 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and green chilies. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until squash is barely tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in Velveeta and cream cheese; stir until cheeses are melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and top with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro, if desired.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 236 Calories; 11g Fat (42.2% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 1326mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
************************************************** *

Looking forward to everyone elses's reviews!

[SweetSueDonym]

I tried three new recipes this weekend, and two are repeaters:

Zucchini Chips, from CL Aug 05: My family loved them. 4-year-old gobbled them, and husband only half jokingly asked me to go make another batch. This was a keeper.

Salmon Roasted in Foil from Everyday Italian: We liked it, and it was easy to prepare, but I don't know that it's special enough to nudge out some of our favorite cl salmon recipes. I did open the packets and finish off the fish with a short trip under the broiler, which I thought made them more visually appealing.

Lemon Spaghetti, also from Giada: We liked this. It's too intense to be a main dish, at least for me, but it's a nice change of pace for a side.

[MISSINDI]

Three new recipes for me this weekend:

Gourmet Chicken Pizza
Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza
Cheesy Spinach & Beer Dip

The crew liked the chicken pizza best, I loved the Goat Cheese one. Dip was good, but would change the cheese. No bombs

[erin elizabeth]

We had two new recipes this weekend.

Broiled Shrimp Over Black Bean and Corn Salad CL 4/00 CLBB donleyk
Yum! A recipe to use up lots of veggies--I used corn I cut off the cob instead of canned corn and we grilled the shrimp on skewers. We love this kind of salad.

Green Bean and Grape Tomato Salad with Kalamata Vinaigrette BA 7/01
This was good, too, and a different choice for a salad. It looked much better than I thought it would (the dressing was very dark) and everyone at the reunion tried it. The vinaigrette reminded me of a tapenade a friend makes.

[swquilts]

I made a few new ones this weekend. DH's cousin and wife were visiting.

Tipsy Chicken - Weber Big Book of Grilling- Not bad, but you can't go wrong with a bourbon/maply syrup marinade! This turned out very moist. It could have marinated a bit longer.

Jonathan's Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Salad w/Fresh Mozzerella - Fresh Every Day(Rather wordy titles) This was very good and not heavy at all. I could have used another mushroom or 2 (used 3). DH didn't care for the fact I left the skins on, but they were fresh off the plant and weren't tough at all.

Breaded Brussels Sprouts - Allrecipes.com

Thai Crab Cakes - CL Complete Waaa...had to use shrimp when we found out our Dungeness crabs had gone over to the dark side in the freezer. I guess they don't keep long at all. Not a bad recipe, IMHO it could have used a jalapeno or serrano chile in it to "Thai" it up. I used 1 1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs (my first time making them, how easy!!) and they were still a bit goopy. I even had them sit in the fridge for a bit after I formed them. I served these with the recommended Cilantro Peanut Sauce and that stuff is GREAT!!! (but I forgot the cilantro... )

A fun cooking weekend finally!

[Terrytx]

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Bell Pepper Sandwiches-CL-7/05-we loved these. Fairly easy to put together.

Jalapeno Cheeseburgers with Bacon and Grilled Onions-BA-7/05-We went to whole way on this one, bacon Spicy Ranch Sauce (though I did use reduced fat mayo and sour cream and only made 1/2 recipe of it) and the Worcestershire-Coffee Glaze. I did caramelized onions instead of grilling them. This was excellent. A really great burger

Creamy Southwestern Potato Salad-BA-7/05-had this with the burgers and it was also excellent. I just wish avocados didn't turn brown, cause the leftovers look yucky.

[jabelt]

Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
from Summer in Santa Fe posted by KAnn

Made this as a welcome home meal for DH who had spent the week in CA. He's a blue cheese lover and thought they were very good. I only like blue cheese in very small amounts so these were a little much for me.

Garden Couscous Salad
from Betty Crocker posted by pilgrim719

A light & refreshing way to use summer zucchini. Very easy side, perfect for weeknight meals.

[Kristal]

Busy weekend for me with lots of new recipes!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Fresh Every Day
One of my favorite combinations. I'm embarrassed to admit we've almost polished off the whole batch.

Spinach & Orange Salad w Pine Nuts & Raisins Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
This was a very pretty salad and was very easy to prepare. I found the dressing to be a little bit bitter; I'm sure this would be better in the winter months when oranges are at their sweetest.

Leek & Corn Veloute with Rock Shrimp Secrets of Success: Insider Tips & Recipes from San Francisco's Best Restaurants
We absolutely loved this soup, but it was very rich. And I used half-and-half instead of heavy cream, and reduced the amount significantly. Next time I would lighten this recipe even more by cutting some of the butter. Snipped fresh chives on top might be nice, too.

Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Avocado, Roasted Corn & Grape Tomatoes CLBB Charisse/ Fresh Every Day
Perfect summertime salad that's as delicious as it is beautiful. The dressing was lemony and light and chock full of fresh herbs.

Crab Cakes with Cajun Aioli Fresh Every Day
Another winner from this great cookbook. The homemade cajun aioli was wonderful on these. I even made my own bread crumbs to make them as "fresh" tasting as possible. They looked just like the picture in the book and tasted even better!

Parmesan Crusted Portobellos Boy Gets Grill
This is a simple recipe: grilled portobello mushrooms, melted parmesan, fresh thyme, a drizzle of truffle oil. If you like the components, you'll like the recipe. We loved it!

Barbecued Mahimahi with Yellow Pepper-Cilantro Pesto Grilling for Life
I didn't have ancho chile powder or chile de arbol powder, so I used a combination of regular chile powder and chipotle chiile powder. The way I made it, the dry rub ended up having a nice smokiness and quite amount of heat to it. The yellow pepper-cilantro pesto was a nice foil for the spicy fish, although DH preferred the mahimahi without it.

Othellos Williams-Sonoma: Chocolate
These are intensely chocolately cookies stuffed to the brim with macadamia nuts. They have just a small amount of flour, so they are very soft and fudgy in the middle. Next time I would bake them for a minute or two longer as they are almost too soft to eat. But they are very delicious, especially if you like the combination of dark chocolate and nuts.

[cocoa'smom]

Only one new recipe:

Barbecued Pork Chops - CL 3/00 - this was fantastic and very easy. Just make a sauce with brown sugar, ketchup, worcestershire & soy sauce, baste pork chops & broil. My 10 yr. old DS groaned when I told him we were having pork chops for dinner. After one bite he said "this is really good!" and actually had seconds (very unusual for him). MY DH said to put this on permanent rotation.

[linsleyd]

Made Tyler Florences lasagna and it was excellent. The only variation was that I accidently bought the noodles that you don't boil.
Otherwise, it's a rich lasagna that doesn't fall apart and ooze all over the place (pet peeve)!!

1 pound dried lasagna noodles
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
6 ounces tomato paste, (1 can)
30 ounces ricotta cheese, (2 containers)
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups tomato sauce, prepared
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grated Parmesan and mozzarella, for topping

Cook the lasagna noodles in plenty of boiling salted water until pliable and barely tender, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles thoroughly, coat with olive oil keep them moist and easy to work with.
Coat a large skillet with olive oil. Saute over medium heat, onion, garlic and herbs. Cook 5 minutes. Brown beef and sausage until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat into a small container and discard. Stir in the tomato paste completely. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parsley and oregano. Stir in beaten eggs. Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the lasagna: Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each end of the pan with a lasagna noodle. This forms a collar that holds in the corners. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the pasta. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spread to the edges with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top of the ricotta. Top with a ladle full of tomato sauce, spread evenly. Repeat with the next layer of noodles, meat, cheeses and sauce. Top last layer with noodles, sauce and shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Tap the pan to force out air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let lasagna rest for 30 minutes so the noodles will settle and cut easily. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

[MISSINDI]

Only one new recipe:

Barbecued Pork Chops - CL 3/00 - this was fantastic and very easy. Just make a sauce with brown sugar, ketchup, worcestershire & soy sauce, baste pork chops & broil. My 10 yr. old DS groaned when I told him we were having pork chops for dinner. After one bite he said "this is really good!" and actually had seconds (very unusual for him). MY DH said to put this on permanent rotation.

I'm off to go look this one up. DH loves pork chops, me not so much. Trying to find one we both like.

[AvrilH]

Upside down peach cake - Ontario fruit association; I am still in search of the perfect peach cake. It is DS#1's fave summer dessert. THis was OK, but not great.

Lemon - herb chicken Aug.05 - this was good, but I was irritated that I ran out of propane and had to finish roasting the chickens in the oven! Argh. It was going to be my first grilled-whole-chicken success. I need a natural gas grill.

Alton's chewy chocolate chip cookies Our family's official favorite. It was cool on Saturday, so the boys and I indulged. As did dh - all the leftover dough for later this week is gone!

Blueberry marinated pork tenderloin with blueberry salsa BB - this was quite good, but not amazing. It looked fabulous on the plate though. I was wondering if cooking the salsa into more of a chutney would give it a richer blueberry flavour? It will stay on the list for August next year.

Zuchini chips Aug 05 - Sigh. Only the adults liked these (well, MIL didn't LIKE them but she ate them , but she's not really my target for pleasing, anyway!). I was so hoping the kids would like them, but no dice. They went to the fridge for sugar snap peas and ranch dressing instead.

[helios7]

Jonathan's Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Salad w/Fresh Mozzerella - Fresh Every Day(Rather wordy titles) This was very good and not heavy at all. I could have used another mushroom or 2 (used 3). DH didn't care for the fact I left the skins on, but they were fresh off the plant and weren't tough at all.

swquilts....

I would love this recipe if you get a chance. It sounds fantastic. Several of my favorite flavors. Or if its already posted and someone can direct me to a lin, I would appreciate it. I'm still struggling with the search function!

Thanks.

[swquilts]

Helios - I'm at work so I can't post it until tonight. Maybe someone else with the book handy might see this and post it. If not, I'll do it tonight.

[lisas3575]

Susan, I'd love to see that recipe too. I tried a Google search and didn't turn it up.

Avril, CL had a pretty good peach upside down cake a couple of summers ago if you're looking for something light:

Peach Upside-Down Cake

The sugar and fruit juice tossed with the peaches create a caramelized glaze as the cake bakes.


3 cups thinly sliced peeled peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Cooking spray
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 1/4 cups vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt
6 tablespoons fat-free caramel sundae syrup, warmed

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray.

Place 2/3 cup sugar and next 4 ingredients (2/3 cup sugar through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes). Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.

Spoon batter over peach mixture in pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Place a plate upside down on top of cake, and invert onto plate. Serve warm with frozen yogurt and the caramel syrup.

Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 1 cake piece, 1/4 cup frozen yogurt, and 2 teaspoons caramel syrup)

CALORIES 307(18% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 3.6g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 6.1g; CHOLESTEROL 39mg; CALCIUM 153mg; SODIUM 307mg; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 57.3g
Cooking Light, AUGUST 2001

My weekend reviews:
Grace's Coleslaw: CLBB. Very good. I made it with the broccoslaw stuff and put in some halved red seedless grapes. A repeater.

Fall off the bone baby back ribs: Fresh from Foster's Market cookbook (sorry, I forgot who posted it here). Got good reviews from the meat eaters last night. I loved how easy they were, with the exception of getting the membrane off. I used a bottled sauce-- DH doesn't like spicy and I'm having to cut some corners these days.

Indian Corn Casserole: CL 5 Star. I've made and enjoyed this a bunch of times before, but last night it was kind of icky. For some reason the flour never incorportated into the casserole and it was really dry overall. I wish I'd used about half of the flour called for and increased the salt. I also prefer this dish when I don't get lazy-- the corn husks add something to the dish and when I use my FP to grate the zucchini it just kind of disappears in the dish.

[zackaboo]

I tried a lot of new things this weekend - most of them very good to excellent:

Spiced Zucchini Bars with Cranberries - CLBB (pilgrim) - We loved these! It was a great flavor combination and a great way to sneak zucchini past my 3 year old.

Classic Steak House Rubbed Filet Mignon - CL - A real winner for us (who don't eat steak very often). It is a very simple rub but it really goes well with an already flavorful filet mignon.

Balsamic Strawberries with Whipped Mascarpone Cheese - epicurious - This was the winner of the weekdnd. The strawberries that I got on their own weren't that great but served like this they were fabulous. I have always loved balsamic vinegar but this is the first sweet reduction that I have made of it. I will definitely repeat this one.

Summer Corn Salad - CLBB (dgeevanson) - Excellent as well. This was made even better because of the great new olive oil that I added to it and the very sweet summer corn.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips - Everyday Italian - Nothing too out of the ordinary for white bean dip but it was very tasty and very garlicky, which we love.

Four Flavor Popcorn Shrimp - Quick Grill Artsist - A yummy way to cook shrimp on the grill...very easy as well.

Individual Toffee, Pecan, and Peach Crisps - I pulled this off of the BB last year (I don't know who posted) and have been waiting to have good peaches to try it. We got some great peaches this weekend and I pulled this recipe out. It was very good. The chocolate toffee is a surprising ingredient with what is otherwise just a peach crisp, but we enjoyed it.

Flatbread with Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Rosemary and Fontina - CL - We liked this one but I was disappointed that the rosemary flavor got lost in it. If I make again I will definitely increase the amount of rosemary that I use.

[colleency]

Chocolate Gelato was the only new recipe here. It was tasty, sort of like a very deep chocolate pudding that had been frozen.

[MusicMom]

Colleen,

Where did you get the recipe for your Chocolate Gelato? We've been on a hunt for gelato recipes since DS returned from Italy.

Vivian

[Sami]

I made two new dishes.

Pesto Turkey Tenderloin, August CL. I had pesto frozen from last summer so this dish could not have been easier or better. I slathered the pesto on the tenderloins and grilled them. Then after I sliced them, I slathered them with fresh pesto. A winner.

Strawberry Almond Crumble, July CL. I had only 1 cup of strawberries so I added sliced peaches and marinated the fruit in drambui. Turned out fine and I think you could use any fruit and the liquor you wanted.


Sami

[colleency]

Colleen,

Where did you get the recipe for your Chocolate Gelato? We've been on a hunt for gelato recipes since DS returned from Italy.

Vivian

I probably got it off this board, but I don't have my notes with me, so I'd have to check at home. I've never been to Italy, but I find that gelato recipes are not only easier to make, they have bolder, brighter flavors. Here's the recipe:

CHOCOLATE GELATO

1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 T sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Scant 1/8 teaspoon salt
3.5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Bring 1 cup milk just to a boil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. While milk is heating, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and 2 T (cold) milk in a bowl until smooth, then whisk into boiling milk and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Boil, whisking frequently, 3 minutes (mixture will be very thick). Remove from heat.
Bring remaining 6 T (cold) milk just to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Pour hot milk over chocolate in a bowl and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir into cornstarch-milk mixture and force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool slightly, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming, then cover surface with wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.
Freeze mixture in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until hardened, about 3 hours. Let soften 5 minutes before serving.

Here's one for Blueberry Gelato. I think I like this one even better:

Wild Blueberry Gelato, "Cooking Light, JULY 2001"

1 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 T blueberry jam
2 T cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1.5 large egg yolks
1 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 10 minutes. Cool. Use a stick blender to blend blueberries, if desired.
-In a large bowl, Beat the sugar and the egg yolks with a whisk until thick and pale (about 5 minutes). Heat the milk over medium-high heat in a small, heavy saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan, stirring frequently (do not boil). Add one-third hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add to remaining hot milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture coats back of a spoon (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in blueberry mixture, and cool completely. Stir in juice.
-Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I got this one here, but again, I'm not sure who posted it:

Strawberry-Buttermilk Gelato

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
5 cups quartered strawberries (about 4 pints)
2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a large bowl; cool completely.
Place strawberries in a blender, and process until smooth. Add strawberry purée and buttermilk to sugar syrup; stir to combine.

Pour the strawberry mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Yield: 8 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)

And here's a good ice that I got here, too. (Yay! I recorded who posted it!):
Key Lime Ice, Eating Well, posted by Chocolate Rose, WW=2/ 1/2 cup, 117 calories

1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
1/3 cup bottled Key-lime juice or fresh lime juice (I used fresh key lime.)
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt


1. Combine sugar, lime zest and lime juice in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour or overnight.

2. Add yogurt to the lime mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. (Alternatively, freeze mixture in a shallow metal pan until solid, about 6 hours. Break into chunks and process in a food processor until smooth.)

3. Serve immediately or transfer to a storage container and let harden in the freezer for 1 to 11/2 hours. Serve in chilled dishes Makes 8 servings, 1/2 cup each. It's festive scooped into hollowed-out lime or lemon halves; freeze until ready to serve."

[pilgrim719]

I tried a lot of new things this weekend - most of them very good to excellent:

Spiced Zucchini Bars with Cranberries - CLBB (pilgrim) - We loved these! It was a great flavor combination and a great way to sneak zucchini past my 3 year old.

I'm so glad you liked them! I just made another recipe (review to follow) out of that cookbook this weekend, also using zucchini, if you're looking for more ways to pull one over on your poor, innocent, unsuspecting toddler.

I'm late to the party today, but here's my weekend recap:

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies, One Smart Cookie -- Another winning zucchini recipe from this cookbook! These are very rich and chocolatey, and not light-tasting or rubbery or anything people fear of lowfat baked goods. They're not a crackly-topped sort of brownie, but aren't too cakey either, more dense/cakey with a bit of chew. Excellent frozen!!

Zucchini Lasagna, Family Circle 4/20/04 -- A year after my mother sent me this, I finally made it, and it was tasty! A bit more involved for someone who doesn't like to cook, but nothing complicated to make at all. I like how the zucchini was roasted, resulting in a non-watery final product. I also enjoyed the different textures in it -- zucchini, pureed cottage cheese mixture, ground turkey, and melted cheesy top. Leftovers are good, too!

Zesty Zucchini Cubes, CL 10/96 -- Sweet, spicy, and has a nice little kick. Cool and refreshing snack on a hot day.

Kari

[zackaboo]

I'm so glad you liked them! I just made another recipe (review to follow) out of that cookbook this weekend, also using zucchini, if you're looking for more ways to pull one over on your poor, innocent, unsuspecting toddler.

I'm late to the party today, but here's my weekend recap:

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies, One Smart Cookie -- Another winning zucchini recipe from this cookbook! These are very rich and chocolatey, and not light-tasting or rubbery or anything people fear of lowfat baked goods. They're not a crackly-topped sort of brownie, but aren't too cakey either, more dense/cakey with a bit of chew. Excellent frozen!!

Wow...you really must have a lot of zucchini to use up! I would love to see this recipe as well if you don't mind posting. Honestly it is not just my toddler that I am trying to sneak zucchini to...it is my husband as well. He professes to hate all things involving squash. But he sure loved those Spiced Zucchini Bars! Thanks for sharing...

[pilgrim719]

Here's the recipe, zackaboo. Hope your family likes this one, too!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars
from "One Smart Cookie"

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 packed cup grated raw, unpeeled zucchini (1 medium)
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg egg white, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the egg mixture and the zucchini to the flour mixture and stir by hand until almost combined. Add chocolate chips and stir just until blended. Pour into an 8"x8" pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are springy to the touch but the middle is still slightly soft - a slight indentation should be left when touched. Do not overbake. Cool in the pan on a wire rack or eat them warm from the pan.

Makes 12 brownies.

Per brownie: 177 cals, 5.9g fat (1.7g sat, 3.3g monounsat, 0.6g polyunsat), 30.8g carbs, 18.8mg chol, 126.7mg sod, 2.5g fib, 28% cals from fat

[zackaboo]

That was fast Pilgrim! Thanks so much. I think I have all of the ingredients on hand so I might just try this one out this week. So outside of these great zucchini recipes, what do you think of this cookbook?

[pilgrim719]

That was fast Pilgrim! Thanks so much. I think I have all of the ingredients on hand so I might just try this one out this week. So outside of these great zucchini recipes, what do you think of this cookbook?

I like it a lot so far! I've only made 6 or so recipes from it, but other than one that was just good (not bad, just not as good as the other recipes I've tried), all have been excellent! Nothing has tasted like a typical lowfat baked good. Even the Chewy Butterscotch Bars came out dense, chewy, with crisp edges and crackly, shiny tops. I was surprised! A couple other great ones that jump to mind were Chocolate Hazelnut Squares and Peanut Brittle Squares.

Kari

[bobmark226]

So, do I tell you about the house first, or do my weekend reviews? Weekend reviews it is, but be forewarned that because I worked out of books and mags at Tony's, I don't have access to the recipes, which might be found on the web.

Maple-Black Pepper Glazed Chicken (F&W 2005 Annual) - I can't believe I lit the oven on a miserable hot day, but this was definitely worth it, and besides, I sat in the forested back yard to cool off while it was going. A pair of birds is given a long roast at a slow temperature, brushed with a maple-black pepper and butter glaze, then the oven is raised to very hot to give them a beautiful rich color. The simple combination of the syrup (I used a dark amber grade) and crushed black pepper is wonderful. A definite repeater, I liked that it's two small birds, which left us a whole one for the next day's lunch, too.

Blueberry-Grape Relish (EF - Aug. 2005) - A simple simmer of these two fruits makes for a wonderful topping for crostini and goat cheese (with an added drizzle of blueberry honey in my case), but it would also be terrific with simple chicken or pork dishes.

Cucumber Limeade (EF Aug 2005) A really refreshing summer cooler and very different, an English cucumber is peeled and pureed with ice and water, lime juice stirred in, served over more ice. My new favorite summer drink, now that I'm home and don't have to share, I plan to double it when I make it next!

Ice Wine Martini (F&W Annual 2005) - This is the best new drink I've had in years, but I won't be swilling it down because the ice wine is incredibly expensive. I'd never tasted it before, but for this recipe it's combined with ten green seedless grapes, pureed and strained, then shaken with vodka and ice wine. The result is a rich, very grapey taste with the intensity of a sherry or port or fortified wine. I could live on these, but YIKES!, I'd have to sign my paycheck over to drink it regularly!

Watermelon Cucumber Salad (EF - Aug 2005) - Yet another good and very simple, cooling summer salad, with just equal quantities of English cuke and melon combined, then tossed with salt, pepper and a hefty squeeze of lime. Tony'd never had a watermelon salad before and was impressed and I'm sure I'll do it again for quick fixes.

I know I did a couple more things, but right now my mind is going blank on me!

Bob

[swquilts]

Here's the salad:

Jonathan's Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

Serves 4 to 6

This salad is delicious served alongside a T-Bone steak or any grilled fish or chicken.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
15 basil leaves, cut into thin strips, divided
1 med eggplant (about 1 1/4 lb), sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
3 portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 lb), stems removed and caps wiped clean (I would add one more)
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella chees, cut into 1/4" cubes

1. Prepare red hot grill or heat grill pan over med high heat.
2. Stir the olive oil, vinegar, garlic and half the basil leaves together in a small bowl.
3. Place the eggplant and mushrooms on a baking sheet with sides and brush both sides with the olive oil mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Grill the eggplant for 3 to 4 min per side, depending on the heat of the fire or your pan, until it is tender and light golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temp.
5. Grill the mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until they have shrunk and wilted slightly, but are still firm.
6. Chop the eggplant and mushrooms into 1/2" pieces and place them in a large bowl. Add the cheese and the remaining basil, season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and toss gently to coat. Serve at room temp.

Note: I added a bit of the oil mixture when I tossed just because I had some left over.

[Andrea_2]

I tried to post my reviews yesterday, but then my 2 year old turned the computer off right as I finished typing. I guess that big colorful button is just too tempting! Lets try again...

Spicy Lamb Kebabs (CL 7/05) - These were really good, but due to some bad planning I had to make these earlier in the day and then reheat them later. They were a little dry when reheated and the mint that I had chopped up earlier to put on them had gone completely bad, so I should've waited to chop that up until the last minute. I tried a piece of the lamb right off the grill though, and really liked it!

Spaghetti with Peppery No-Cook Tomato Sauce (CL 7/05) - Yum! I really like this a lot! However, I used way less pasta (probably less than half the amount called for). It seems like some CL pasta recipes call for lots of pasta to dilute out some of the more fattening ingredients. So... the way I made it probably wasn't as healthy, but it was very delicious!

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken (501 Delicious Heart Healthy Recipes) - This was excellent too! Nothing like that nasty red sauce that some Chinese restaurants use. Very low-fat recipe, but with great taste and flavor.

[helios7]

Thank you swquilts! I'm putting the recipe into mastercook right now. It looks delicious.

I'm very intrigued by this cookbook - I don't usually buy "non-vegetarian cookbooks" (except for classics like the Barefoot Contessa, and Everyday Italian). Would you (or anyone else who has this cookbook - Fresh Every Day) say there are enough veggie friendly recipes to make it worth it for a vegetarian to purchase, or not?

I'm curious....

[MusicMom]

I probably got it off this board, but I don't have my notes with me, so I'd have to check at home. I've never been to Italy, but I find that gelato recipes are not only easier to make, they have bolder, brighter flavors.

Colleen-

Thanks very much! The strawberry looks especially good since I bought a huge box at Costco last night.

Vivian