spaghetti + summer squash = delicious!

Looking for something quick & healthy for dinner tonight?  Well my friends, you've come to the right place.  And did I mention the time involved would be minimal?  Add that one to the pro's.  Summer is winding down, and the last thing you want to do is waste lots of your precious play-time slaving away in the kitchen.  Am I right?  Of course I'm right.  So, don't let me take up any more of your time, either.  Take 20 minutes to make this dinner, and enjoy the bounteous fruits of your SLIM efforts.

Spaghetti with Summer Squash

A Get in the Kitch Original

Ingredients

12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small to medium zucchini squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 small to medium yellow summer squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces

6 oz. button mushrooms, brushed clean & quartered

Your favorite pasta sauce

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti as directed until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, saute vegetables in olive oil in a deep skillet until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Drain pasta, then pour it into the skillet with the vegetables.

4. Add your favorite pasta sauce, and gently toss the pasta and veggies to coat them.

5. Dish up & top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Stuffed Zucchini

Are your fridge drawers overflowing with squash like mine are?  We don't even have our own garden, and they're coming out of our ears!  We are pretty lucky people to have such wonderful friends/neighbors/family to share the fruits of their labors with us, huh!  I know.  Hopefully next year we will be able to pay it forward.  For now though, you have someone else's green thumb to thank for this tasty dinner.  I've seen zucchini stuffed with a variety of things - meat, rice, veggies, greens, etc. - so I figured I'd just use what I had.  That's the greatest thing about recipes like these (aside from the fact that they're easy & pretty quick!) - you can substitute almost anything you've got in your fridge for something I used that you might be out of (or can't stand the taste of).  So, get busy making those little zucchini boats and set sail with stuffed zucchini for dinner tonight!

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise & centers hollowed

1 1/2 c. cooked brown rice

1/3 c. sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 c. artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

1/3 c. button mushrooms, chopped

3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

garlic & onion powder to taste

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and place zucchini halves rounded side down on the tray.

2. Mix together all other ingredients & spoon the mixture into the hollows of each zucchini halve.  Be generous with the filling!

3. Bake 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees, or until cheese in filling is just starting to brown & zucchini is tender.

disappearing chocolate zucchini bread

Okay, so I've made this bread twice now, and both times I've managed to get pictures of it in the pan, but have had zero luck snapping a shot of a slice. You may wonder why, but after you taste it you'll completely understand. Is this the best bread I've ever had? Why, yes, I think it is! Seriously, if you like chocolate at all you are going to just be on cloud 9 the instant it touches your taste buds. And then, when you close your mouth and start to chew, your eyes are going to get really big and then kind of roll into the back of your head as that delicious yummy noise (you know the one, its kind of a moan/sigh) just escapes your mouth, past all the chocolaty goodness that is this bread. The term "eat your heart out" was made for foods like this! My suggestion: only let it cool a few minutes; and have a big glass of milk on hand. Your life just got a whole loaf of chocolate zucchini HEAVEN better. Don't thank me, just enjoy.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

From the Closet Cook

What is it w/ my breads sticking to my pan?!

Ingredients

1 c. zucchini, grated

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. oil

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1 egg

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. choc chips

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Directions

Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt, & egg.

Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa, cinnamon in another bowl.

Mix wet & dry ingredients.

Mix in nuts & chocolate chips.

Pour batter in greased 5 x 9 loaf pan.

bake in preheated 350 degree oven until toothpick comes out of center clean, ~50 minutes.

sKiLlet VeGgiE LaSaGnA

Right now I'm thinking two things: 1) that Hugh Jackman is way hotter than Hugh Grant, and 2) that this recipe is going knock your lasagna-loving socks off! I decided to put the movie 'Music and Lyrics' in while I blog instead of 'Australia'...you know, the one where Wolverine (the official "sexiest man alive") dumps a bucket of water over his half-naked body. What in the world was I thinking?! Whatever, I'm over it. Never mind. So, this is the first lasagna I've ever dared to make, and I'm not gonna lie, I only did it because the cook time is 30 minutes and it looked super easy. FYI it was easy, and it was an absolute HIT! The only lasagna I've ever really loved was the Stouffer's Vegetarian Lasagna from the freezer at the grocery store, and this one totally trumps that one. Also note, as I've mentioned before I'm not a fan of the chunky tomatoes, so the fact that this calls for you to puree them was a plus. You could definitely add chunks if you wanted to, though. Try this one, for sure - you'll be happy you did!

Skillet Veggie Lasagna

adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, diced

4 Tbsp chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, or 4 tsp dried

kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

1 c. ricotta cheese

1 large egg

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

6 sheets no-bake (oven-ready) lasagna noodles

1 carrot, peeled into ribbons

1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons

3 1/2 c. baby spinach

1/3 lb mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (or shredded)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, 1 min. Add tomatoes, 1 Tbsp herbs, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste; cook until saucy, ~5 min. Transfer to a blender & puree. Return 1 c. of sauce to skillet and reduce heat to low; reserve remaining sauce.

2. Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, remaining herbs, 1/2 tsp. salt, & pepper to taste in a bowl.

3. Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top; drizzle w/ olive oil & season w/ salt and pepper. cover w/ half of the spinach, half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella & 2-3 Tbsp of sauce. Repeat the layers, ending w/ noodles.

4. Top w/ the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover & simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20-25 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing. Garnish w/ more Parmesan & herbs.

hasselback potatoes w/ herbed sour cream & zucchini crisps with grilled salmon & tilapia

I was watching the Food Network Channel the other day, of course, and Sunny Anderson was making these potatoes. I'd never heard of them before, but I looooooove garlic so I had to make them ASAP. And I thought it would be perfect to pair them with the zucchini crisps I saw on the FN website! Just FYI, these crisps are probably our favorite zucchini side of all time...they'll definitely be a regular summer side from here on out! We don't usually mix fish, but we only had one left of each, so we shared...the salmon was my favorite. For me, this was the perfect summer Sunday dinner!

Zucchini Crisps

from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network Channel

Ingredients

cooking spray

2 medium zucchini (~1 lb. total)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 c. plain dry bread crumbs

1/8 tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula. Serve immediately.

Hasselback Potatoes w/ Herbed Sour Cream

from Sunny Anderson on the Food Network Channel

Ingredients

16 oz. red new potatoes

3-5 garlic cloves, sliced

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper

herbed sour cream: Mix the following ingredients

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, or 1 tsp dried

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

preheat oven to 400 degrees. using a wooden spoon as a cradle, place each potato in the spoon and make several parallel slits into each potato top making sure not to slice completely through. place 3 garlic slices between slits at the crown of each potato. toss in a medium bowl with butter and olive oil. place on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. bake until tops are crispy and potatoes are cooked through, about 1 hour. transfer to a platter and top with herbed sour cream.

.Paula's chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Paula Deen...there's not much I can say about this lady except how much I ADORE her! Other than my love of food and budding interest in cooking, she is the reason I started watching the Food Network Channel so much (and when I say so much, I mean that every time I sit down to watch TV, its always the first channel I check - I even look at their website everyday!). She is a freaking hoot, and she'll without a doubt make you laugh while she makes you drool over her food. She cooks mostly southern food, and in almost every dish I've seen her make she uses an insane amount of butter...not the healthiest, but right up there with the tastiest! Anyway, I don't have many pictures of this bread 1) because I didn't grease the pan well enough, so it got ripped apart, and 2) because we ate it pretty dang fast! It's FANTASTIC - the orange zest gives it a little tang that I'm sure you'll love...we did!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

by Paula Deen of the Food Network Channel

Ingredients

3 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. grated zucchini

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. pecans, chopped

1 Tbsp. orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease 2 9x5 loaf pans. sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices. in a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. add sugar and continue beating until well blended. stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, & orange zest. stir in sifted ingredients & pour into loaf pans. bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out of the middle clean. remove loaves from the pans and cool.

corny mango salmon & zucchini and summer squash gratin

I was watching the Food Network the other day, as I often do, and Sunny Anderson made this salmon recipe on her show 'Cooking For Real' that made me drool! I immediately went to the computer to look it up, and tonight we had it for dinner. It was DIVINE! Definitely the best salmon recipe I've tried so far. There is a sweet and salty taste to it that just makes your head spin! And I really enjoyed the crusty part of it, too. She served it with a zucchini and summer squash hash, but I decided to make one of our new faves from Prudy (a.k.a. Prudence Pennywise), zucchini and summer squash gratin that she adapted from none other than the Food Network.

Corny Mango Salmon

Ingredients

1 c. mango nectar

1 mango, diced

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 6-oz. center cut salmon fillets

black pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

Directions

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring mango & nectar to a boil. As mango breaks down, pres down on it with a fork to mash it. Continue until mango cooks down to a chunky puree, about 15 minutes. Remove 1/2 for serving - other half for dredging. On large plate, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, & salt. Preheat large skillet. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Brush glaze over salmon, then dredge in cornmeal mixture. Add oil & butter to skillet. Over high heat, sear salmon with cornmeal coating until golden, ~6-8 minutes for medium-rare. Flip halfway through to cook other side.

Zucchini & Summer Squash Gratin

adapted from Prudence Pennywise

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp. salt1 med. zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch.

1 med. summer squash, sliced 1/4 inch.

2 Tbsp. chopped basil, or 2 tsp dried

1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

In microwave & oven-safe medium baking dish or loaf pan, combine olive oil & garlic. Add onion, salt zucchini & squash, toss to coat with oil. Pat down into pan. Preheat broiler (if you want a crunchy top). Cover baking dish with plastic wrap & microwave ~6 minutes, or until veggies are cooked through. Sprinkle with basil & cheese, pass under broiler briefly to melt cheese.