If you have zucchini coming out of your ears, we have posted some good ideas here and here. This cake is one of my favorite ways to use up bountiful summer zucchini.
The recipe in Saveur magazine a few years back but when I pulled the recipe from my stack of recipes to post, I realized to my horror that there was no date or issue reference on the page! Luckily they have an amazing website and low and behold the recipe was right there.
I added 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips to the recipe which I highly recommend. Dusted with powdered sugar and served with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries is a great way to enjoy this as a dressed up dessert.
Otherwise it a great snacking cake. A simple glaze of chocolate ganache would also be lovely. My kids snarfed up this cake and had no idea there was zucchini in it.
This set of recipes is in the January/February issue of Hannaford fresh. I am especially excited because the Spicy Scallop and Snow Pea Stir Fry made the cover! January is sometimes a challenging month for cooking and eating - resolutions abound and budgets can be tight after the holidays.
All of the recipes featured in the article can be made in under 30 minutes, are full of healthy veggies and will keep some dollars in your wallet. Maverick and I LOVE the Moo Shu Tofu while Marco is partial to the Sesame Beef.
If you are really pressed for time, give precooked rice a try along with your stir fry. Chopsticks are optional.
Hannaford offers a really cool, interactive feature with its magazine, click here to thumb through the current issue with the click of a mouse. There are lots of fantastic recipes in this month’s issue, check out flavorista Julie’s Fast & Healthy Broccoli Soup on page 12.
Part of what makes having a food blog so much fun is not only sharing our recipes but also featuring people, businesses and products we love. The Organic Dish is one of my Boulder faves.
When I first heard about Beckie’s business I was really intrigued. Making partially prepared meals that are easy, creative and healthy is not what you might think. Oh, did I mention her business is zero waste? She also features locally grown meat, vegetables and gluten-free pasta from Pasta Bozza. I have been so impressed by Beckie’s creativity as well as her commitment to our community and the environment. We have all enjoyed some outstanding meals from the Organic Dish.
Beckie’s green pea "hummus" is the perfect schmootz for spring and summer but now I make it whenever I entertain as it’s easy to adapt to other flavors and it is so beautiful.
Place all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Stacy’s Pita Crips, Triscuit Thin Crisps, Mary Gone Crackers or sliced red bell peppers and cucumbers and celery.
As we are in seasonal transition, it is decidedly colder here in Colorado. My tastes have been for heartier fare. Here is a recipe to excite you about broccoli. As luck would have it, broccoli is the one vegetable that my most finicky eater likes. Of course the other two only "tolerate" it. This dinner was a huge hit with all three!
I highly recommend that you serve this on a ridged pasta, like rotini. We enjoyed it on wide fettuccine egg noodles. My favorite boxed pasta, Barilla Plus, adds to the "stealth health" appeal that this dinner has for moms.
This pesto could also be easily worked into a warm pasta salad with some white beans, lots of freshly chopped parsley and a splash of red wine vinegar.
Pasta with Broccoli "Pesto"
1 (14.5-oz.) box Barilla Plus Pasta
1 lb. steamed broccoli
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
Juice from 1/2 large lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese (or Parmesan)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, more to taste
Put your pasta water on to boil. Set up your steamer and steam the broccoli.
Saute the diced onion in a little olive oil until soft. Place the still warm, steamed broccoli in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic clove and onion. Pulse until evenly chopped. Add the pasta water, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to combine. Transfer this mixture to a small mixing bowl. Stir cheese and olive oil into the mixture until evenly blended.
Once the pasta is cooked, place it in a warmed bowl and add the "pesto" and stir well. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Offer additional ground pepper and salt.
Recipe Note: To make this dinner gluten-free, substitute your favorite gluten-free pasta or toss the pesto with 1 lb. of oven roasted potatoes.
I will openly say that there are few bottled salad dressings that I like. The whole category of bottled salad dressings happens to be a pet peeve. Most are too sweet and just not well balanced. The ones I do like are far too expensive and are sold in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle. So why bother buying them?
Making a vinaigrette is not that hard and it’s far cheaper than store-bought. That said, there is a place for store-bought dressings, mostly in marinades: My father swears by Newsman’s Own Balsamic marinated chicken, and Annie’s Shitake dressing is really good on pork. Cindy’s Kitchen All Natural Dressings are fantastic but expensive.
In any event, I will share some of my most loved vinaigrettes over the next few months. Make these and you will not want to buy pre-made dressing again. If we haven’t given you enough reasons to buy an immersion blender, they are also great for making vinaigrettes like this!
Beet Vinaigrette
1 medium sized beet (yellow beets work well too), diced
1 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (use white wine, or white balsamic vinegar if using yellow beets)
1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed is best
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced shallots (or 1 small clove of garlic)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place the first 3 ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup (watch the pan carefully after about 10 minutes.) Allow to cool.
Add the remaining ingredients and then with the immersion blender, puree. This dressing is very good at room temperature but will last in the refrigerator for a week. It’s wonderful on mache, arugala and baby mixed greens.
The salad pictured was made with mache, cucumbers, shaved fennel, some left over chicken meat and feta cheese. It was restaurant-quality: crunchy, salty, balanced and brightly flavored!
Chia seeds are one of my favorite stealth health ingredients. Also known asSalvia hispanica, it has a great nutritional profile and is flavor neutral. Unlike flax, it does not oxidize and you don’t have to grind it to reap its nutritional benefits. Keep your eyes out for chia as I predict you will be seeing it in many new product introductions this year.
Brown Rice Syrup is a low glycemic sweetener meaning that it is a great source of energy as it is released slowly into the body providing prolonged energy instead of a spike and crash which is what pure sucrose does. You could also use agave syrup and get similar results.
By all means try this recipe and when you feel comfortable, make up your own variations. Get your kids involved too!
These happen to be gluten-free but oats would be a logical addition. Just lower the amount of brown rice crisps by 1/2 a cup and add oats. As you get more comfortable making granola bars, try using sunflower butter, almond butter and even hazelnut butter. There is no limit to the combinations that you can create.
One final note: I use my food processor to get the dried fruits and nuts chopped. I start with the fruits and pulse it together, then add the nuts.
Chocolate Chip Cherry Yummy Bars
1 1/2 cups brown rice crisps
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup currants or raisins (I used currants because they are smaller)
3/4 cup chia seeds (or flax seeds)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (I like Lundberg’s)
Place all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a bowl and mix with your hands until well blended. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan and spray lightly with a pan coating. Add the brown rice syrup and bring up almost to a boil. Add the peanut butter and stir well until evenly blended. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are well coated.
Now add the mini chips and quickly place onto prepared cookie sheet. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll or press with your hands until the mixture fits into the pan and is evenly distributed.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes to an hour. Using the parchment, lift the whole mixture out of the baking pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into your desired size. This recipe should make 12 bars depending on how big or small you make them.
