Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin - can be made Vegan!

It's that over abundance of zucchini and Summer squash time of year.  This is a great side dish to use some of that veggie!  Hearty and tasty!  The recipe below is my full recipe, but the pictures show it cut in half.To make this you will need:
2 Tbs. olive oil

2 medium onions (14 oz. total), thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

8 plum tomatoes, cut in 1/4 inch slices

2 zucchini cut in 1/4 inch slices

2 yellow summer squash, cut in 1/4 inch slices

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (Vegan - Omit)

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, ground

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1.)  In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until limp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low if they're browning too quickly. Add the garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes Spread the onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2-qt. shallow gratin dish.
2.)  Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the tomato slices on a shallow plate to drain for a few minutes and then discard the collected juices. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini and squash slices with 1-1/2 Tbs. of the olive oil, the thyme, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt.  Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish. Next, lay a row of zucchini, overlapping the tomatoes by two-thirds, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with a row of squash, and then repeat rows, until the gratin is full.
Season lightly with pepper and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Drizzle the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil over all. Combine the cheese with the remaining 1 Tbs. thyme and the cracker crumbs.  Sprinkle this over the whole gratin. Cook until well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 min. before serving.
    

Grilled Ginger-Peanut Tenderloin with Smoky Sweet Potato Salad

This is a great new easy grillin' recipe.  Please note that in the posting, I am giving you the full recipe.  My pictures show the recipe cut in half as there was just the two of us.  It was really a different and delicious take on pork and potato salad.  To make the tenderloin you will need:
2 (16 ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon smooth natural peanut butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.)  In a large resealable plastic bag,  mix together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, peanut butter, garlic, curry powder, ginger, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Add in the tenderloins, press air out of bag, seal, and refrigerate overnight.

2.)  Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. 

3.)  Use a paper towel to pat any excess marinade from the pork; allow to sit at room temperature while the grill is heating. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook pork 3 minutes on each side (on all four sides) for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The pork will be done when it is no longer pink inside and has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Remove from the grill and cover meat loosely with a foil tent. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
 

Smoky Sweet Potato Salad

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped

green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons apple cider

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.)  Add the sweet potatoes to a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool in a colander.

Once the potatoes are cool, transfer to a large serving bowl and add the onion, red pepper, and green onions.
2.)  In a separate bowl, add the mayonnaise, apple cider, smoked paprika, cumin and salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk to combine, pour over the potatoes and thoroughly mix. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavors to meld.

 

Spicy Chicken and Corn Chowder - Can be made Vegan

It's summer and it's corn time.  This is our favorite summer corn chowder!  It has some heat and is hearty.  Control the heat with the jalapeno.  I seeded it and removed the ribs.   I paired it with my spoon rolls.  It's a very filling and satisfying!  Enjoy!

1/2 pound of bacon, sliced in 1-inch strips (Vegan - Smart Bacon)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 large russet, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

4 ears of corn, kernels removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 sprigs fresh thyme 

2 cups milk (Vegan - Soy Milk)

3 cups chicken broth 

2 cups shredded rotisserie cooked chicken (Vegan - Morning Star Chicken Strips)

 

 

1.)  In a large saucepan  over medium heat cook bacon until crispy and all fat has rendered out. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.

2.)  Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat, add onion, jalapeno, potato, red pepper, corn, salt and pepper and saute for about 10 minutes. Add thyme. 

3.)  In a blender or using an immersion blender, puree half the mixture and add back to the pan. Add milk, chicken broth, and chicken and let simmer for about 20 minutes. 
4.)  Transfer to serving bowls and enjoy!

Chesapeake Chicken

Can you tell I love stuffed chicken recipes?  I discovered this dish while I was down in Chesapeake Beach working at my daughter's bakery.  I reviewed multiple versions on this dish and this was my final compilation.  I used imperial sauce on top (recipe follows).  To make this you will need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 lb. lump crab meat (Chesapeake Bay blue crab meat is preferred)
1/3 cup butter crackers (like Ritz)
3 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
3 green onions finely chopped
 1 egg
1/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon lime (or lemon) juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoon butter, melted
1.)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.)  In a bowl mix together the crackers, parsley, green onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard powder, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
3.)  Create a pocket in each chicken breast by using a sharp knife to create a half moon slit that spans from the top to midway through the chicken breast.  With a teaspoon, stuff each chicken breast with a generous amount of the crab filling.
4.)  Spray your baking pan with Pam.  On a paper plate, combine the Old Bay and flour.  Roll each stuffed breast in this mixture.  Place in the baking dish and pour the melted butter over the stuffed breasts.  Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes spooning the sauce over the breasts.  Serve with imperial sauce.

Imperial Sauce
1 whole(s) egg beaten

2 cup(s) mayonnaise

2 teaspoon(s) dijon mustard

1 teaspoon(s) Old Bay Seasoning

2 tablespoon(s) dry sherry

1.)  Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat through.

 

 

Saffron Orzo with Asparagus and Prosciutto - Can be made Vegan

This is a very light and flavorful dish.  Great dish for a hot summer night because it's easy and gets you out of a hot kitchen fast!  Similar to risotto, but so much easier!  To make this dish you will need:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (Vegan - Earth Balance)

2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips (Vegan - Smart Bacon)

1 1/4 cups orzo (about 8 ounces)

3 cups low-salt chicken broth (Vegan - Vegetable broth)

1/2 teaspoon (loosely packed) saffron threads, crushed

1 pound slender asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Vegan - omit)

 

 

1.)  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and sauté until almost crisp, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

2.)  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over high heat. Add orzo; stir 1 minute. Add broth and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until orzo begins to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

3.)  Add asparagus; cover and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in prosciutto and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

 

Grilled Stuffed Chicken

This is the best of all worlds.  Stuffing with bacon in it and grilled chicken covered with a wine herb gravy.  It truly doesn't get much better than this!  To make this you will need:
Stuffing:
2 tablespoons butter (or your choice)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1/2 bag of Pepperidge Farm Herb stuffing mix
hot water
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Olive Oil Pam
Minced thyme, rosemary, sage
Salt and pepper
Gravy:
2 tablespoons of butter (or your choice)
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup of water
1 package of McCormick's brown gravy
1.)  To make the stuffing, sauté the onion in the butter with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage.  Add a cup of hot water.  Add the stuffing and mix.  If needed add more water, a little bit at a time.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Let it cool until you can handle it.
2.)  Heat grill to medium.  Create a pocket in each of the chicken breasts by making a slice in the side center of the breast.  Slowly cut being careful to keep the breast whole.  Add the crumbled bacon to the stuffing and stuff 1/4 of the stuffing into each breast.  Spray each breast with Pam and sprinkle with the herb mixture.  Grill for approximately 15 minutes on each side.  The stuffing will try to seep out towards the end.  Just use a spatula to push it back in.
3.)  While the chicken is cooking, make the gravy.  Saute the onions and herbs in the butter.  Add the wine.  Cook it for a few minutes to cook down the wine.  Add the water and the gravy mix.  Bring to a simmer once it's thickened, keep it on low until ready to serve.
4.)  Plate the chicken and spoon some gravy on top, enjoy!

Balsamic BBQ sauce

I saw this recipe posted by Giada De Laurentis and had to try it.  It's so good and different, I decided to share it with you all.  It'll be great to have for the 4th of July!  It's truly worth the minimal effort!  To make this BBQ sauce you will need:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.