Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry

It is harvest season and that means zucchini, lots and lots of zucchini (although oddly enough I haven’t had as much this year as in the pasts, and I have actually had to buy zucchini this summer)!  I love zucchini just grilled on the bbq but as the weather cools I am looking for other ways to use up the yummy veggies as well.  On pinterest I came across instructions for making zucchini noodles - very easy with a mandoline or the right peeler!

I made the zucchini noodles and let them sit to lose some of the water while I chopped the remaining veggies.

Stir Fry with Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:
1-2 zucchinis
Red Pepper
Yellow Pepper
1 - 2 stalks celery
Onion
Bean Sprouts (optional)

Sauce of your choosing (I used a little lime juice and pepper).

Directions:
1. Using a mandoline or peeler make zucchini into small noodles and discard the seeds.
2. Sprinkle the zucchini noodles with a little salt and lay on paper towel to drain.
3. Slice the peppers, onion and celery.
4. In a fry pan or wok with ½ to 1 tbsp oil, cook the vegetables until tender.
5. Press the “noodles” into the paper towel to remove the water on the surface.
6. Add the noodles, bean sprouts and sauce to the fry pan.  Cook until warm.
7. Enjoy!

Reviews:
This was a great dinner with lots of veggies.  You could easily add in some chicken or pork to add more protein or use it as a side dish for supper.  I am looking forward to trying this out again - maybe with a spicier sauce!

As a side - when using lime juice (out of the container - bad I know) and pepper as a sauce, make sure the top of the lime juice is on tight before turning it upside over your dinner....

Grilled Squash - Zucchini and Pattipan

I love summer and being able to break out the grill to go with all the fresh produce from the garden and the farmer’s markets.  I love grilled vegetables and we eat a fair amount of different grilled veggies during the summer depending on what is in season and fresh.  My current obsession is green beans and squash, yum!  They are simple to make and don’t heat up the stove or require me to be in the warm kitchen when I can be sitting on the deck with a glass of iced tea as I cook supper!

Ingredients:
2-3 patty pan squash (quartered)
2-3 small zucchini squash (sliced, 1.5 inch thick)
1-2 tbsp olive oil (just enough for a light coating on the veggies)
Salt and pepper

Directions,
1. In a bowl combine the squash, oil, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat the squash in oil and seasonings.
2. On a grill heated to medium high, place squash in a veggie basket on medium heat.
3. Gill for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your squash).  Stir occasionally.
The squash should be soft and warm when done but still have some firmness left ( I am not a fan of mushy squash, so I like mine a little more on the firm side).
4. Enjoy

Reviews:
I love how simply this is for those busy summer evenings.  That and it is a nice fresh light vegetable side perfect for eating outside.  These have even got my husband, who normally does not like squash, eating zucchini and liking it!  He even ate the extra I made (hoping to have some for my lunch the next day) along with his regular portion for supper!

Mixed Greens with Apple Vinaigrette

I love the mixed green salad at Earls, it is apple in my salad! Yum! The dressing is tangy and sweet all at once. I can’t get to Earls for lunch very often (or my wallet would really hate me) so I needed to make this at home. I think I have come up with a pretty decent copy.

Ingredients:
Candied Pecans (from Suzie the foodie)
¼ cup pecans
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar

Apple cider Vinaigrette (epicurious)
½ cup unfiltered apple juice (I used homemade, but you can buy this)
1 tsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Salad
Lettuce (mixed greens work best, but I just use what I have in the fridge) (2 - 3 cups for single serving)
Feta Cheese (1 tbsp for single serving)
1 Apple (I use a gala as that is what we usually have in the house, but a tarter apple would be great)

Directions:
1. In a pot mix together the pecans, water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and heat until most of the syrup is gone (don’t forget to stir!) This takes about 10 minutes. Spread on a pan to cool. (This can be done days ahead of time and stored in a container ready to top your salads).
2. In a jar/container mix together the juice, honey, olive oil and vinegar. Shake until well combined.
3. Rip the lettuce and toss in a bowl. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, candied pecans (step 1) and thinly sliced apples. Pour 1 to 2 tsps of dressing over the salad and toss.

Reviews: I really enjoy this salad, it is delicious and perfect for summer. It isn’t exactly the same as the Earl’s salad but it is a good imitation.

Quick Cheesy Pasta

I was short on time making supper one night and needed something to go with our grilled chicken. I had no pasta sauce of any kind in the house and so decided to try something for a creamy cheesy side. It took only minutes and turned out great.

Ingredients:
Pasta
¼ cup milk (I used 1%)
2 Laughing cow light cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning.

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions.
2. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Over low heat add the milk, cheese and seasoning.
3. Stir the pasta until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated.
4. Serve and enjoy.

Reviews:
This turned out great! It was quick and easy, but oh so creamy and delicious. You would never guess that I made it with light ingredients.

Mustard Potatoes

First let me apologize for the long break - end of term and thesis writing took over my life for a while. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel now, and have a little time to get back to actually writing down the recipes I have been trying. So here we go:

We were having salmon for dinner (well I was having chicken) and O had mentioned that he wanted potatoes with it for supper. I knew that there was some mustard going on the fish, so I figured I would put some on the potatoes as well. After a quick search I found a recipe that sounded great and had some good reviews. I modified the recipe a little (I refuse to do shopping trips for 1 item). The end result was delicious and went great with the fish.

Ingredients:
3 Large potatoes (5 med-regular potatoes)
¼ cup grainy dijion mustard
1 tbsp safflower oil (or any vegetable oil)
½ tbsp lemon juice
dash of salt

Directions:
1.Peel the potatoes if you wish, and cut them into small cubes/chunks.
2.Mix the mustard, oil, lemon juice and salt. Pour over the potatoes and toss to coat.
3.Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 425F for 20 minutes.
4.Stir the potatoes around and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and tender.

Quick "Asian" Noodles

I wanted something to go with the beef and broccoli I was making, and while in the grocery store I checked out the selection of asian noodles – they had the fresh Shanghi noodles ( a soft, thick yellow coloured noodle) on sale and decided to try it. My mother used to cook with them once in a while and I remembered they were pretty good, and there was a recipe on the back of the package. I combined it with a recipe from Steamy Kitchen (15 min Asian noodles).

Quick Noodles

1 lb “fresh” Asian noodles (refrigerated section, with other asian foods)
2 stalks green onion, cut in small slices/rings
1 carrot, thinly sliced or shredded
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon sherry
2 tablespoon cooking oil (canola or vegetable)

Directions:
1.In a hot frypan or walk heat the oil and add the carrots and green onions, and fry until tender.
2.While veggies fry mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sherry together.
3.When veggies are almost done add in the noodles (cooked if the package says to cook them first, but these just needed to be heated) and mix with the veggies. Cover the sauce and cook until heated.
4.Enjoy!


Reviews:
These were pretty yummy, and they were ready I about 10 min or so. They paired great with the beef and broccoli.

The noodles I used:

Italian Potatoes

I love potatoes with a meal but after eating them at least 3 times a week for 18 years, you get a little tired of the same old mashed and baked potatoes. Well, one night upon realizing that Hubby had a hockey game that we had to leave for in just over an hour and I hadn't even decided what to make for supper yet - I was in need of something quick and simple.

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 medium Unpeeled potatoes, chopped into cubes
1 to 2 tbps olive oil (the recipe called for 2 but I found I didn't need that much)
1 pkg zesty italian seasoning ( I used 2 -3 tablespoons of Club House One Step Seasonings - Italiano)


HOW TO:
1. Place chopped potatoes into a sealable bag (like a large ziploc) and drizzle with oil. Shake until they are coated.
2. Sprinkle seasoning over the potatoes, seal bag and shake until coated. You can adjust the amount of seasoning you would like to add, just make sure they are all a little coated with seasoning.
3. Dump the potatoes into a shallow pan so that they form a single layer and bake for 30 minutes at 400F. Then remove from the oven, stir and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until they are browned.

REVIEWS:
These were delicious and so easy to make! Hubby loved them and couldn't stop eating them - so much for leftovers.