Patty Pan Squash Casserole

This recipe was one that just came together in an attempt to use up a bunch of large patty pan squash and tomatoes that I had from our garden. Somehow, we always seem to end up with overgrown squash- both zucchini and patty pan. My husband grew up eating small patty pan squash that were steamed or boiled and then browned butter was put over it. I never tasted this squash until we married and began our own garden. The first couple I picked were small, but ever since then, we often seem to end up with ones that are so big. I tried peeling them in the beginning- ever try peeling such an irregular piece of vegetable? Well, I quickly decided that this was for the birds. Really, you don't need to peel them because the squash is quite firm and needs a longer cooking time. Anyways, I was not very impressed with my first patty pan cooking attempt and decided I preferred it better mixed in with other foods- much like I prefer zucchini and yellow summer squash.

If you  notice from the next picture, I used some pre-made ingredients that I keep on hand to make up something quick when I have not had time to cook ahead. Feel free to substitute your own homemade versions, if desired.

Serves: approximately 4-6

Ingredients:

• meat of choice- poultry, beef, sausage or lamb (I used sausage)
• 1 large patty pan squash, washed and sliced through the center and seeds removed, or may use a few smaller ones (may also use zucchini or other summer squash)
• 1-2 medium onions, chopped
• 4-5 medium mushrooms, or to taste
• potatoes- mashed (I used some dried potato flakes made up with garlic seasoning and butter)
• 1 box of stuffing mix (cornbread or savory herb, if available), prepared according to directions
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup- may use own recipe if you prefer, but do not dilute it- you need it thick
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
• carrots/celery, chopped- optional
• chopped parsley- 1 Tbsp if fresh or 2 tsp if dry (more or less to taste)

Directions:

1. In a large oven-proof pan, brown the meat and vegetables except the tomatoes, adding some oil if the meat is not releasing enough to keep everything from sticking. Season with salt/pepper or seasoned salt and parsley.  If there is much grease, may remove most of it when finished browning everything.

2. Cover and allow to cook until the squash is fork-tender. Add in the tomatoes and stir in the mushroom soup (undiluted) and allow to cook, covered, for about 3 more minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften.

3. Spread the prepared stuffing over top of the mixture.

4. Place under preheated broiler at 375 or 400 degrees F. for about 5-10 minutes- watching carefully to make sure it does not burn. You just want it to be lightly browned.

5. Serve over prepared mashed potatoes.

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Recipes For My Boys- Thursday's Treasures Wk 51

Chicken Vegetable Casserole

Usually I do not make many casseroles. I am the type to make more skillet dishes that do not require baking after cooking. However, this has become a favorite with our family recently and is a real comfort food. When our third child was born this past December, some friends and family were very nice to bring us meals. One of those meals was brought by my sister-in-law and is featured in this post. We really enjoyed this recipe and I decided to remake it using leftover cooked turkey. It really is a versatile casserole in which one might substitute a number of different or combination of vegetables, pasta instead of the potato, or fish instead of chicken or turkey. I also added a little chicken broth that I needed to use up. This recipe originally was from a Manor Brethren In Christ cookbook entitled Sharing His Goodness and was submitted by Christie Hunt. She noted that it was a recipe given to them after one of the babies was brought home from the hospital. This probably is also a recipe that one could make up in larger quantities and freeze part of it. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cup cooked chicken, cubed (or turkey or even fish)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (may substitute cream of celery or mushroom soup if desired, or if using fish)
• 4 potatoes, peeled, boiled and chunked
• 1 1/2 cups cooked carrots, or a mixture of other vegetables (I added some peas, as well as some onion and celery finely chopped)
• 1 sleeve of ritz crackers or other buttery crackers, crushed (may substitute bread crumbs and parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-3 quart baking dish. 
• Combine the sour cream, milk and cream soup (as well as broth if using it) together. Add in the chicken (meat), potatoes (or pasta) and vegetables. Mix together and put in the prepared baking dish. 
• Melt the butter and mix with the cracker crumbs or bread crumbs (and poppy seeds, if using them). Spread over top of the casserole . 
• Bake uncovered for approximately 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbly.

Stuffed Eggplant

Between our garden providing quite a few lovely eggplant this summer and my husband not being able to pass up some reduced eggplant in the produce aisle at our grocery store, we have had our share of eggplant to eat up. So I was thinking about some of the different ways to prepare this and was not having much success with anything that struck my fancy. While talking to my Iraqi friend, she mentioned that she will sometimes prepare eggplant stuffed with rice and meat. The light bulb went on inside my head, and I remembered that I had some leftover prepared Kasha (buckwheat) pilaf mixed with ground beef that would probably be wonderful inside the eggplant. I contemplated using some Turkish spice mixture I recently purchased, but noted that it had some cayenne pepper and was not sure how hot it would be. Since my children will not eat anything too hot, I decided to skip this and used some Greek seasoning, as well as some Za'atar seasoning mix to coat the inside of the eggplant.

I was very happy with the results, and my entire family seemed to really enjoy it, also. Note that I had prepared the buckwheat as on the box's instructions with beef broth instead of water and also had added some seasoned salt, as well as the chopped vegetables- carrots, celery, onion, garlic. The ground beef was cooked with seasoned salt and "Sofrito"- a blend of garlic, onion, green pepper and many other spices blended together. So both were already flavorful. Rice or other types of grain like quinoa or couscous would also be wonderful and would be best seasoned well as it is cooked.

Ingredients:

* 2-3 larger eggplants, cut in half and hollowed out, saving the inner flesh (I also used some yellow summer squash that I cut in half and removed the seeds)
* 2-3 cups buckwheat Kasha pilaf prepared or other types of cooked grains
* oil
* Greek seasoning blend- may use instead Italian herb blend, seasoned salt or oregano, garlic powder, parsley, pepper, thyme, marjoram
* Za'atar seasoning- contains sumac, thyme, sesame seeds and salt (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13inch pan and arrange eggplant or squash pieces in the pan. Chop any eggplant meat that was removed into chunks that will be placed on top at the end of preparation. Spread oil over the inside of the eggplant/squash and then begin seasoning them liberally with your desired seasonings/herbs. Mound up the Kasha or prepared grain over top of the eggplant or squash and place any extra into the pan around the eggplant. Put the chopped eggplant meat that has been tossed with some oil over top of the grain mixture and then sprinkle with more seasoning/seasoned salt. Grease/oil some aluminum foil and cover the pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes. It may require more or less time depending on the size and thickness of the eggplant. You may check occasionally after 25 minutes by pricking with a fork. When the eggplant is soft, it is finished baking.

Serves 4-6 people.  Is good with a salad and some flatbread.

**Buckwheat is not very popular in the U.S. but is loaded with fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamin and minerals. I was surprised to learn that it is not a grain but actually the fruit seed from a plant originating in Asia. It has a little stronger flavor but is really tasty when prepared using the whole or coarsely ground kernels. I prefer it best cooked with either beef or chicken broth and plenty of herbs/seasoned salt. Many people also use the buckwheat flour for pancakes or cook the whole kernels (groats) for a hot cereal. In some cultures, it is used to make noodles and is also cooked in soups.  Try google-ing buckwheat health benefits if you are interested in more information. You will find so much information and other ways the grain is used.

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Easy Spaghetti and Vegetables

I never tried making much spaghetti except the traditional tomato sauce spaghetti until a couple years ago. However, Rachael Ray inspired me to try making it different ways, and I learned from her shows how easy it is to make a simple sauce using some of the starchy pasta water. This is such an easy dish that can be changed up many different ways. Just about any vegetables would be good added, as well as cooked meat, if desired. This is filling, pretty healthy and quick to fix up. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

3/4 pound spaghetti or capellini or other pasta
1-2 cups canned chopped tomatoes with its juice
1 1/2 cups each of broccoli and cauliflower (or other frozen/fresh vegetables- I really like to use chopped spinach or other greens)
1  15 oz. can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cottage cheese
3 cups reserved pasta cooking water (approximately)
2-4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2-3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro/culantro (use lesser amount if using culantro)
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/4 -1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large cooking pot, boil spaghetti/pasta and vegetables in  well-salted water. When finished, drain vegetables and pasta, reserving the water. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and mix into the cooked pasta. Add in the pasta water until the proper sauce consistency is obtained (the pasta will soak up a lot of water, so feel free to make it a little more "wet" if not eating immediately).  Cream cheese (light) is also a great addition, in place of the cottage cheese. It also would be good with some crumbled bacon bits on top.

Serves approximately 6-8

Bacalaitos (Codfish Fritters)

This is a favorite Puerto Rican/Dominican food that I was introduced to a couple years ago. They are sold on the street by vendors (street food) and there are many variations. The Puerto Rican ones traditionally are made from flour, seasonings/herbs and garlic and the Dominican ones contain cornmeal, sugar and fewer herbs and vegetables. I have tried them different ways and most recently decided to make a version of my own. This recipe has 1/2 cornmeal and 1/2 flour, as well as onions, garlic, and I added some of my homemade sofrito. Usually salted codfish is soaked or boiled  and then shredded. However, if you cannot find this type, you can use other that is cooked. These are deep-fried and definitely not very figure-friendly -- my poor husband's diet is being tested since these are his favorite!

Ingredients:

1/4 pound salted codfish
3/4 cup flour (or use roughly 1/2 amount corn meal and 1/2 amount flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp (generous amount) seasoned salt (I use Adobo seasoned salt)
3/4 cup reserved fish broth from cooking the fish
1 garlic clove (more or less), finely minced
2 culantro leaves, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1- 1 1/2 packet sazón seasoning (I used culantro and achiote flavor)
few dashes of pepper
2-3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or may use 1 Tbsp dried parsley)
2 large spoonfuls of sofrito (blend of onion, garlic, green pepper, cilantro, parsley, cumin, oregano and more)
sugar (optional)- I find that the onions give it a slightly sweet flavor

Cut the fish into chunks and boil the fish in water for 15 minutes. Then remove and flake it- deboning it if you did not use boneless fish. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water. As it cools, begin mixing the dry ingredients together, followed by the remaining ingredients, except the fish and broth. Pour the broth slowly into the center and mix well to make a thick batter. Add in the bacalao and mix gently. Allow to set for about 5 minutes so the cornmeal can absorb a little moisture.  Bring a large amount of oil to approximately 350 degrees and then add large spoonfuls of batter into the oil. (I used a tall sided, narrow pot for cooking so I would not have to use so much oil and the fritters would be covered in the oil and float as they cooked. Therefore, I could only cook 2-3 at a time.) After dropping the batter into the oil, they may stick to the bottom, but allow them to cook there for about 1 1/2 minutes. Then take a spoon and carefully scrape across the bottom to dislodge them. By that time, they will float and probably are ready to turn over. They are finished when they are dark golden brown, but not too dark. Place on paper towels to drain. Allow to cool before eating as they will be VERY hot!        Makes 10 fritters.

They are like a chewy, mild fish flavored fritter. These may be served with a meal as part of the main course or as an appetizer.



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Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms- Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Iraqi-style Stuffed Zucchini

The Iraqi people love stuffed foods. My Iraqi friend served these to us but in a little different shape. She took the small zucchinis and cut them in half in the middle- keeping a cylinder- and scooped out the center- making each like a little vessel. I thought that was a little too labor-intensive and decided to just cut them lengthwise.

After the meat was browned, the center pulp was then chopped up and sprinkled on top of the meat mixture.

Serves approximately 6.
Ingredients:

6-8 small-medium zucchini squash, cut in half lengthwise and hollowed out
1/2 pound ground beef or lamb
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 - 3/4 tsp seasoned salt (I used Adobo with Cumin by Goya)
pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon*
1/2  tsp cumin *
1 Tbsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water (more or less)
paprika for garnish
olive oil

Directions:

• Prepare the zucchini; reserve the inside that has been removed. Lay down the zucchini in a baking dish face-up like a boat. Salt and lightly pepper the inside of the zucchini. 
• Sauté the meat, onion and garlic. Drain off the fat and then add the seasonings, paste and water. Put the meat mixture in the hollowed out parts of the zucchini. 
• Cut the reserved zucchini into chunks and toss with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Spoon the zucchini chunks over top of the meat. 
• Sprinkle zucchini again with seasoned salt lightly, followed by paprika over top of everything. (May also use a Arabic Seven Spice mix in the meat as well as sprinkling on top of the zucchini for a more authentic flavor.)
• Bake for approximately 1 hour at 400 degrees covered or until the fork pierces the zucchini easily. Remove cover/foil and bake for about 10-15 more minutes to dry up any excess juice. 
• Serve over rice or with flat bread.

*Note- I also used about 2 Tbsp of sofrito mixture (a Hispanic blend of onion, green pepper, garlic, and various herbs like cilantro, culantro, parsley, oregano, cumin- all ground up together) in with the meat and seasonings as it was prepared.  See my blog soon for a posting on how to make your own sofrito- great for flavoring/seasoning all types of dishes.

Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)

These really are the same as, or similar to, Swedish meatballs. They are great served with a white cream/sour cream-based gravy over top of egg noodles, potatoes (new or mashed or boiled) or rice. They also can be made up in quantity in advance and then frozen with good results. For a good gravy recipe- see http://www.twentymile.com/Cookbook/frikadeller.htm

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
3/4 - 1 cup milk
1/2 - 1 cup wheat germ or bread crumbs
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (or less)
dash of pepper (or a couple)
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp paprika
dash ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or food processor. Mix well. Mixture should be the consistency of drop cookies. Shape into 12-16 medium-sized meatballs. Place on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once. May also be fried, 10 minutes on a side, over medium heat.

Variation: try with ground beef and pork, or mix pork with pork sausage to equal 1 pound. If using sausage, omit the spices.

Recipe from Barbara Kautz in Whole Foods For The Whole Family La Leche League International Cookbook 1981.