The weather was beautiful, 70 and sunny this past weekend, plus, we were trying at all costs to not leave the house in order to avoid the college town graduation weekend mayhem.  It was the perfect time to pull the grill out from its Winter slumber.  And this time, I was determined to learn to use this myself.  No longer will our grill be the strict domain of those possessing Y chromosomes.  Its just another cooktop, thus, it is my domain!  I think Greg was a bit relieved.  He felt quite a lot of pressure being the man-who-must-control-the-flames even though he really doesn’t feel comfortable at all cooking.

And while outside we get to enjoy our deck and all of our lovely herbs.

We started off grilling season with an absolutely classic Summer meal.  Rib-eye steaks, fresh corn on the cob, and fresh from the Farmer’s Market asparagus.  The steak and asparagus was done on the grill, the corn I did inside.  I know, I know…you can grill corn and its yummy, but I just didn’t want to deal with 3 things on the grill that all cook at different temperatures.  Can you blame me?

We preheated the grill to a ripping hot 450 degrees, then Greg scrubbed down the grates with a steel brush.  That’s how you clean a grill, and it was gleaming and ready for the food.

I put the steaks (seasoned only with a LOT of salt and pepper) on the hot open flames while I put the asparagus (tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper) over hot flames, but atop a finer grilling grate that we bought for cooking vegetables.

While the steak and asparagus were cooking (I allowed the 3 minutes on the first side), I started the corn boiling.  I used the following method for the corn:  Cook in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and allow the corn to sit in the hot water with the lid ON for 5 more minutes.  And let me just say, the corn was perfectly cooked.  Too bad I can’t say that about the rest of the meal.

Turns out I had the heat set way too high, the steaks got a bit overdone, but not ruined.  Some of the asparagus was a bit, um, charred.  I only had to discard a few pieces.  However, even though the asparagus was more than done on the outside, some of the thicker pieces were underdone on the inside.  Oh well, live and learn, right?

I’d say for my first go around, the meal turned out well, and it really was quite delicious.  Now all we need is a set of deck furniture so we can actually enjoy our grilled food where it was meant to be enjoyed.  Outside, under the warm sunshine.  Happy Summer Grilling!!

This meal has been on the docket for quite a while, but I got kind of out of the cooking mood earlier this week.  I’m kind of glad it waited until tonight because it turned out to be the perfect night for a warm, comforting meal.  I’m not sure if you heard, but Kansas got about 37 inches of rain tonight.  OK, I exaggerate, but we got almost 5, and that’s a LOT.  This kind of downpour requires creamy, starchy, comforty food.

It also gave me the perfect opportunity to test out the new rice cooking method I’ve been excited about trying.  I’ve admitted before that I absolutely stink at making rice.  STINK.  I just can’t get it right.  So when I read this post about preparing rice in the oven, I thought, Perfect!  A fool-proof method!  Well, just leave it to this fool to screw it up.  To much liquid I’m presuming.  But luckily, the casserole preparation saved my somewhat wet rice.  And no-one will ever know…

I would classify this dish as relatively simple, but it does have a lot of ingredients so it takes a bit of preparation.  Once you get the rice in the oven, shred some cheese, steam some broccoli, saute a cut-up chicken breast with an onion, smoosh some crackers and…you got all that??  I know, it sounds ridiculous, but its not too terrible, I promise.

OK, so like I said, shred some cheese and smoosh some crackers (or make your husband do it with his giant paws).

And get the broccoli going.  I chop it up into large chunks, then once its steamed, chop it into little chunks.  And just because I’m always saying we don’t eat enough green stuff…look at this green stuff!

And cut the chicken into bite sized chunks.  I just used one chicken breast because its apparently from the largest chicken in the world.  I mean seriously, this thing was at least a D-cup.

And last but not least, the sauce to hold it all together.  Sure I could have probably made a proper white sauce, but its Friday night and haven’t I done enough prep work for this casserole already?  Greg snapped a photo of me in all of my shameful glory.  Opening a can of condensed soup.  Well, you know what? It makes the casserole taste good, so who cares darn it!

So once everything is prepped, just dump it all together, stir it up, and top it with the crushed crackers (or breadcrumbs).  I just combined it all in the dutch oven I used to cook the rice.

Bake for 20 minutes, then serve it up!  A big steaming bowl of this casserole, a good TV show and a thunderstorm.  Could you ask for a better Friday night?  OK, could you ask for a better Friday night if you’re totally old and lame like me?

Prep Ranking: #2 – Weeknight Fare
Tastiness Grade: 8/10, a little bland, but totally yummy and comforting!

Recipe after the jump.  Enjoy on a rainy night with your favorite show!

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole (serves 4-6)

Oven Rice, adapted from The Wednesday Chef

1.5 cups Rice (I used some plain-old Uncle Ben’s medium grained white rice, but the original recipe calls for long-grained rice)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Butter (or a combination of both)
~2-2 1/4 cups Chicken Stock (or water)
1/2 tsp salt – if you use Chicken Stock, omit the salt

In a heavy, oven safe pot (with a tight fitting lid), heat the oil/butter over medium heat and then add the rice.  Stir the rice and cook over medium-high heat until slightly translucent and “nutty” smelling.  Add the water/chicken stock and heat until boiling.  Stir once, then put the lid on and transfer the pot to an oven, preheated to 350F.  Cook for 13 minutes.  Remove the pot from the oven, but do not remove the lid.  Let sit on the counter for 5 minutes.  Then, remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking…prepare the rest of the ingredients:

1 large or 2 medium Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 medium Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 large crown Broccoli, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup shredded Cheese, I used a combo of Cheddar and Monteray Jack
1 can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
about 1/3 of a sleeve (~8-10) buttery crackers, crushed in a zip-top bag

In a skillet, saute the chicken and onion in the olive oil.  Salt and pepper lightly.  Do NOT add too much salt, remember that the cheese, condensed soup and cracker crumbs all contain salt too!  It isn’t crucial to cook the chicken all the way through as it will bake in the oven later.

Separately, steam the broccoli.  Once its just fork tender, chop it into small chunks.

Once the rice is done and fluffed, add the sauteed chicken and onion, the steamed broccoli, the shredded cheese, and the condensed soup.  Stir together to thoroughly mix all the ingredients.  Smooth out the top, then sprinkle the crushed cracker crumbs over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350F.

]]> http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/15/chicken-broccoli-and-rice-casserolemmmm-comforty/feed/ 0 http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/12/buffalo-turkey-burgers/ http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/12/buffalo-turkey-burgers/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 00:22:48 +0000 Becky http://doctordomestic.com/?p=585

To be completely honest, this is take #2 of Buffalo Turkey Burgers.  The first attempt was not very tasty and I didn’t really think it worthy of publishing. They weren’t a catastrophy, just nothing to write home about.  Turns out, the less work I actually do, the better!

My first attempt at these was ruined by my home-made “buffalo wing sauce”.  I’ve heard over and over – buffalo wing sauce is just hot sauce and butter.  Hot sauce and butter…simple, no?  Well, it didn’t work so well in practice.  I tried my favorite Cholula in equal parts with butter.  It didn’t taste…bad…but it just wasn’t right.  And somehow, even with all that spiciness, it imparted nearly no flavor to the burgers.  So although they didn’t taste bad, they just weren’t very good.

I promised myself I’d pick up some real buffalo wing-sauce next time we went to our favorite local (OK, nation-wide) hot-wing restaurant.  Can you guess where its from?  I’ll never tell.  And to my delight, it isn’t actually full of sugar or high-fructose-corn-syrup as I’d feared.  Just sodium, to be expected.

The burgers are very simple, I didn’t fancy them up with a lot of ingredients.  I used grated onion to get strong onion flavor without crispy chunks of onion in the burger.  The other main flavoring, as it traditionally accompanies buffalo wings, is blue cheese.  Gosh we love blue cheese around here!

Once the burgers are done, just top them with as much wing sauce as your mouth can handle.  This can of course be done with a grilled chicken breast to make an at-home version of these “spicy chicken sandwiches” like the ones my husband frequently pays about $7 for at restaurants.

And because I’ve been feeling SOOOO guilty about the lack of anything green on our plates, I made a side of roasted asparagus.  Is it bad that I’m already sick of steamed asparagus this year?  I love roasted asparagus.  Simply roast it at 450F for about 15 minutes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just turn them once about half-way through cooking.

And the verdict on Buffalo Turkey Burgers take #2?  Delicious.  Definitely a keeper!

Prep Ranking: #2 – Weeknight Fare
Tastiness Grade: 9/10

Buffalo Turkey Burgers (4 burgers)

1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles (I prefer Gorganzola, its easy to find)
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
olive oil for cooking
Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce, your favorite brand, as much as you’d like!

Combine the turkey, blue cheese crumbles, onion, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.  Mix thouroughly and form into 4 patties.  Try to get the cheese to the interior of the burger as much as possible so it doesn’t melt out or burn.  Saute over medium heat in a drizzle of olive oil.  It will take 6-8 minutes per side.

Once burgers are cooked, place on a hearty bun and drizzle with as much buffalo wing sauce as you’d like.  Top with lettuce and/or an onion slice.

I came upon this recipe from “Pithy and Cleaver” in my handy Google Reader and decided immediately I had to try it.  I just looked so simple and good!  And who can’t use another recipe for chicken?

This weekend at the farmer’s market I happened to stop by a booth that was selling fresh, natural chicken.  Normally I wouldn’t buy chicken like this strictly because of the price.  We just don’t have the budget to splurge on local, organic meat.  Although I’ve read enough books to make me quite leery of mass produced meat, but if that’s what you can afford, that’s what you can afford.  So I splurged and got the chicken.  And for 4 nice chicken thighs it was a bit over $7.  If you put that in the context of how much we’d spend going out to eat, pretty much anywhere, even fast food, we’d spend more than that for a meal for 2.  So all in all, not a bad buy.

The recipe itself is quite light, so you shouldn’t feel bad about using chicken with the skin still on.  The sauce consists of citrus juice, zest, honey and some spices.

The recipe only calls for the zest of the orange, not the lime.  But I didn’t notice that until after I’d made the sauce.  Oh well, it certainly didn’t hurt anything!  Simply coat the chicken with the sauce in an oven-safe baking dish.  Bake 35-45 minutes at 425F, until the meat is done.  Unfortunately I think I overcooked mine.  Its way to easy to overcook chicken!

I really can’t cook meat without my probe thermometer anymore.  Be sure to take your chicken’s temperature before you dig in.  Cook to ~165-170F.  You may read that you should cook chicken to 180F.  That’s applicable if you’d also like to be able to use your chicken to floss your teeth with after dinner.

I just served it up with a side of mashed potatoes.  I asked Greg if he wanted some steamed broccoli on the side.  Why do I even ask that?  Do I enjoy seeing that look of disgust on my husband’s face?  I just get to feeling so guilty about the lack of green veggies on our plates.  I may just start photo-shopping in a serving of broccoli here and there to give the appearance that we’re not such terrible people.

Click the above link for the recipe.

Prep Ranking: #2 – Weeknight Fare
Tastiness Grade: 7.5/10 – great flavor, a bit over done and not a lot of meat on the chicken thighs!

This is kind of a “clean out the fridge/freezer” type of week.  So it finally occurred to me to use up the rest of a top round steak I left in the freezer (from the last time I made this recipe).  And because I also have leftover corn tortillas, cheddar cheese and some cilantro growing on my deck…hello tacos!

The recipe for the shredded beef is another one from my “$7 a Meal Slow Cooker Cookbook“.  I’ve mentioned it before, but I really like this cookbook because I love turning super cheap meat into mouth-watering meals!  The only bad thing about this meal is that I had to start it before work in the morning.

*Warning…I’m about to divulge something rather ugly about myself* I am actually what people may consider a morning person.  I’ve been labeled this for a number of reasons, one of which is that I choose to get up earlier than absolutely necessary to be able to sit around, watch inane morning talk-shows and drink my coffee for an hour before work.  I also have been known to sing to my husband and kitties in the morning “Good Morning, Good Morning”, you know, from “Singing in the Rain”?  I know, you’re rolling your eyes at me right now.  Just admit it Becky…MORNING PERSON!

That being said, even I find it difficult to handle raw beef and minced garlic in the morning.  Something about it just kind of turns my stomach.  However, when you come home from a long day at work to the smell of slow cooked meat it is all worth it!

Meat before cooking

The first step is to put your hunk of steak, a chopped onion, minced garlic, and water in the slow-cooker.  Set the crockpot on Low and go to work for 8 hours.  Alternatively, if you are living the life I aspire to – go back to bed, then wake up in a few hours, watch some bad reality shows on Bravo, have a leisurely work-out at the gym, read a magazine, take a nap – and then deal with the cooked meat.

Meat after cooking

When you get home from work (or wake up from your afternoon nap),take the meat and onions out of the slow-cooker and move it to a bowl for shredding.  Add whatever salsa you like best, I like tomatillo salsa with this recipe, so I am using some of my Roasted Tomatillo Salsa I had in the fridge.  Once the meat is shredded up with the salsa, the rest of the recipe is up to your taco preferences.

As I mentioned, I had some cheese (jack and cheddar), corn tortillas and cilantro sitting around.  I know, you’re thinking “But Becky, where’s the lettuce?”  Eh, who cares.  I really didn’t find it necessary to make a trip to the grocery store for lettuce.  Cilantro is green and leafy, so it works for me!  Of course you can also add tomatoes, avocado, taco sauce…oh the possibilities.

Did I mention that I’m using home-grown produce for the first time this year?  Exciting!

Of course you can use store-bought crunchy tacos, or flour tortillas, or your hands…I used corn tortillas, which I prefer to brush lightly with oil and warm up in a small skillet.  It just takes a few seconds on each side and they’re good to go.

Tortilla Prep

You could certainly also use this meat in burritos or enchiladas if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

Without Hot Sauce?

or With Hot Sauce?

I like mine a bit spicier and the meat itself is not so spicy.  Adding a dash of your favorite hot-sauce will liven things up!  Alternatively, you could throw a chopped Jalapeno in with the meat as it cooks, that would probably give it just enough heat to make things a bit more interesting.

Prep Ranking: #3 – Slow Cook, Minimal Effort
Tastiness Grade: 9/10 (could be a little spicier)

Recipe after the jump.

Shredded Beef Tacos (serves 4)
adapted from “$7 a Meal Slow Cooker Cookbooks” by Linda Larson

3/4 lb beef top round steak
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 diced jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup salsa

Add-Ons:
lettuce
shredded cheese (Monteray Jack and/or Cheddar)
tomato, chopped and seeded
sour cream
cilantro
hot sauce
avocado

Tortillas or taco shells (10-12)

Preparation of the meat:
Place beef, onion, jalapeno and garlic in a 3-4 quart slow cooker, then pour water over everything.  Cook on low 8-10 hours (I find that 6-8 is the more realistic range) until beef is very tender and easily shredded.

Transfer the beef and vegetables from the slow cooker to a bowl.  Shred with 2 forks, then stir in the salsa.  If you prefer the meat to be very hot when served, it may be necessary to microwave it for ~1 minute, as the salsa will cool down the meat.

Preparation of corn tortillas:
Using a pastry brush, apply a thin coating of light (e.g. canola) oil to each side of the tortilla.  Place in a non-stick skillet pre-heated over medium heat.  Cook for 10-15 seconds on each side.  Prepare the taco immediately after the tortilla is removed from the oven as it will cool and get crunchy quickly.

Once the meat and tortillas are prepared, assemble the tacos any old way you want to!

]]> http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/07/slow-cooker-shredded-beef-tacos/feed/ 0 http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/04/rhubarb-sauce/ http://doctordomestic.com/2009/05/04/rhubarb-sauce/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 13:38:59 +0000 Becky http://doctordomestic.com/?p=517 Rhubarb sauce is one of my favorite summer treats.  I’m always on the lookout for rhubarb, and I was lucky enough to find some beautiful rhubarb at the local Farmer’s Market this weekend.  I bought a couple pounds of it.  I was shopping with a friend and she questioned what I was going to do with it.  Many people don’t even know what the heck rhubarb is let alone what to do with it!  Of course you can put it with strawberries in jam or pie or something like that.  However, I really love rhubarb on its own made into sauce.  I describe this sauce as the consistency of applesauce, but with rhubarb instead of apples.

Just trim the ends and leaves from the rhubarb and wash it gently.  Then chop it up like you would celery, into about 1/2 inch slices.

Just add water, about 1 cup for 2 lbs of chopped rhubarb.  Bring the rhubarb and water to a boil, then stir in the sugar.  You can’t be shy with the sugar here because rhubarb alone is very tart.  For this amount of rhubarb, use 1.5-3 cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you like it).  Start on the low end of the sugar, then taste as you go and sweeten to your liking.  Also, don’t forget to add a pinch of salt, it brings out all of the flavors.

Simmer it over medium-low heat until it has reduced and thickened to the desired consistency.  I like it still a bit runny, about the consistency of applesauce.  And remember, it’ll thicken more when it cools.

Distribute to sturdy storage containers and store in either the fridge or freezer.  It keeps well frozen for several months.

So go ahead and try some rhubarb this year!  I think its truly delicious!

A more concise recipe:

Rhubarb Sauce

2 lb Rhubarb (can be made with much more, just adjust water and sugar accordingly)
1/5-3 cups granulated Sugar, depending on taste and tartness of the rhubarb
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

Trim and slice the rhubarb into 1/2 inch half-moon slices.  Place sliced rhubarb and water in a stainless steel or non-stick sauce-pan.  Bring to a low boil over medium heat.  Add the salt and sugar.  With the sugar, start with 1.5 cups, stir in and allow the sugar to melt.  Continue to cook over medium-low so that it is simmering and the excess water is steaming off.  Cook until it is at a thicker consistency, about the thickness of applesauce, this could take up to 30 minutes or so.  Taste throughout the cooking process, allowing it to cool for a minute before tasting (this will allow for more accurate tasting, as well as saving your mouth from severe burns).

Once the sauce is at the desired thickness and sweetness, remove from heat and transfer to storage containers.  Sauce may be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

I came upon the recipe that inspired this in my latest “Cooking Light” magazine issue. Indeed it may not be quite the “lightest” dinner ever.  Chicken – good, herbs – good, goat cheese – eh…But you know what?  Goat cheese is certainly better than stuffing it with cheddar or fontina (which I have done and loved), so if you want a stuffed chicken breast, this probably is still on the “light” side.  And hey, speaking of “light side”, I did have a light side dish.  What’s healthier than steamed asparagus?

I started this dish by digging out my seldom used and under appreciated Cuisinart mini-prep.  It has become the ugly step-child of the kitchen ever since its big brother entered the picture.  Nonetheless, it works extremely well for small applications like this.  Here, I have combined a few fresh basil leaves, some thyme, black pepper, and about 2 oz plain goat cheese.

Blitz it up with a tiny bit of olive oil to make it slightly more pliable.

Herbed Goat Cheese

Then move on to prepping the chicken.  I used boneless skinless chicken breasts which I then butterflied and pounded out.

Pounded Chicken

A small cast-iron skillet is the perfect meat-pounder if you don’t own a “real” meat pounder.  Its flat, heavy, and has a large surface area.  Just don’t forget the plastic wrap!

Cast-Iron Meat Pounder

Once the chicken is evenly flattened, spread the goat cheese mixture on in an even, thin layer.  Cover only 1/2 or 1/3 of the chicken so that you can fold it over to cover the cheese.

Folded over Chicken

Try to make sure that not too much cheese is going to melt out, although so melting is inevitable.  Luckily, the cheese doesn’t burn if it melts out, just gets oozy.

And after all that fussiness, I needed a super simple side-dish!  Have I ever mentioned how much I love my Farberware Steamer Pot?  I do, I love it.

Steamed Asparagus

And that’s all folks.  It turned out to be too much food, the chicken was very filling!

Perfect Springtime Dinner

Prep Ranking: #2 – Weeknight Fare
Tastiness Grade: 6/10 – the flavor was delicious, however, the chicken was a bit tough by the time it was cooked.

Simple recipe after the break.

Herb Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts* (enough for 2-4, depending on appetite!)

2 large or 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 oz plain goat cheese
5-6 large basil leaves (or several smaller ones)
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1-2 tsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
salt
olive oil for sauteing (about 1 Tbsp)

In a small food processor, combine the basil, thyme*, goat cheese and 1-2 tsp olive oil.  Blend into a smooth paste-like mixture.  Set aside. (Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, chop the herbs finely, then just stir them into the cheese and olive oil until it is smooth.)

To prepare the chicken breasts, trim them to remove any excess fat.  Butterfly them – cut parallel to the cutting board, but do not cut into 2 pieces.  Once they are butterflied, cover with a sheet of plastic-wrap.  Pound until they are ~1/2 thick and evenly thick all the way through.

Spread the herb and goat cheese mixture over one half or one third of the chicken breast, in a way so you can fold over the other half to enclose the cheese.

Put the folded chicken breasts into a non-stick saute pan with olive oil pre-heated over medium heat.  Cook until browned on each side and cooked through.  You may want to use a lid to cover the pan to heat the chicken through before the outside burns.

*Whatever herbs you like can be added or substituted.  Fresh oregano, rosemary, parsely, or even cilantro would be great as well.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband just got his wisdom teeth out.  He’s doing fine, sipping down Instant Breakfasts like a champ, however, he’s still off solid foods for at least one more day.  So he told me to go ahead and make a meal that I love that he doesn’t.  I immediately decided on my Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta.  I made this one up about a year ago after the raging success of the Summer Squash Spaghetti.  However, the reviews of my new recipe brought me back down to earth and reminded me that I couldn’t just pass any old veggie/pasta dish by my husband and expect him to love it.  I did NOT have carte blanche with noodles and vegetables.

However, I thought the dish was delicious.  Before trying this, I had never experienced the wonders of roasting broccoli and cauliflower.  It is amazing the transformation these vegetables undergo when roasted.  They get slightly brown and caramelized, sweet, nutty, so delicious!

Want to see that transformation close up? Here you go.

Now I know what you’re thinking.  THEY’RE BURNED!!! You MESSED UP!!  But I promise you, dear readers, they are not burned.  They don’t taste burned, they taste delicious!  This is what you want – would I lie to you?  Never.

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

I pair the roasted vegetables with a vinagrette made with lemon juice and zest, thyme, rosemary, and olive oil.  The lemony brightness goes beautifully with the nutty roasted vegetables.

Zesty!

This is one of the few dishes where I actually prefer whole wheat pasta.  I know I should eat it all the time.  High protein, high fiber, blah blah blah.  But I just don’t like the flavor or texture of it with traditional red or white sauces.  But with this dish, it works perfectly.

So if you’re up for another vegetarian pasta dish, give this one a whirl, especially if you have never tried roasted broccoli and cauliflower.

Dinner for One

Prep Ranking: #2 – Weeknight Fare
Tastiness Grade: 8.5/10

Get the recipe after the break:

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta with Lemon Herb Vinaigrette (3-4 servings)

1 small head broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets
1 small head cauliflower (or half a larger head), cut into medium sized florets
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper

3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
2 tsp fresh Thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh Rosemary, chopped finely
1 clove Garlic, grated or finely minced
1/2 tsp Salt
several grinds Black Pepper

1/2 lb whole wheat Penne (or more for more servings), cooked to preferred doneness
grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to coat the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper.  Spread out on a large baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened and have taken on a bit of brownness on the edges.

Once roasted, transfer the vegetables to a large cutting board and chop through so the vegetable pieces are smaller.  I don’t prefer to chop them finely before they are roasted because they would take up more oil and burn quickly.

While the vegetables are roasting, assemble the ingredients for the vinaigrette.  Whisk thoroughly to combine.

Once the pasta and vegetables are done, in a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta and vinaigrette, then stir in the chopped roasted vegetables.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Summer Squash Spaghetti

I know its not quite summer yet, but I feel like I need to start getting warmed up for the months of non-stop zucchini production by getting reacquainted with making my old summer standby- Summer Squash Spaghetti.  I made this up while I was living in Tucson out of laziness and the desire to add more vegetables to my diet.

When I moved back to be in Kansas with my husband, I didn’t figure that he’d go for a dish like this.  One time for dinner, I was at a total loss for what to make and he told me to just make something I would have made for myself in Tucson.  So I made us up a pan of the squash spaghetti and guess what…he actually liked it…a lot!  I know, I know, I was just as shocked as you are.  I thought I’d have to trick him into eating this many vegetables in one sitting by covering them in melted cheese and sprinkles, but to my utter delight, this has become a meal he frequently requests!

Just tonight as I was making dinner, he came by and said that he had been looking forward to this specific meal since we haven’t had it in a long time.  See?  It warmed my heart to hear such praise for a vegetarian dish, heavy on the vegetables.

This recipe is super simple, its all about the ingredients.

The Veggies

The Pasta

Add in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese, and that’s literally all there is, folks.

Cooking Veggies

Saute the vegetables in a good helping of olive oil – its the only “sauce” there is, so you can’t skimp too much – and add a generous pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.  I like to saute them over fairly high heat so the squash and onions get slightly browned and carmelized.  The garlic is grated in a little later so it won’t burn.  You can finely mince the garlic, but I find the micro-plane the perfect tool for grating it down.

Adding the Garlic

Cooked Veggies

Once the veggies are done, simply pile them atop some cooked spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan.  You can of course use whatever pasta your little heart desires.  I’ve tried it with whole wheat Penne and thought it was good, but the Mister isn’t so hot on the whole wheat pasta.

Veggie Pasta for Two

Prep Ranking: #1 – Make on the Fly (it takes about 15 minutes start to finish)
Tastiness Grade: 8/10

Simple recipe after the jump.

Summer Squash Spaghetti (enought for 2 large servings…just add more pasta and veggies for more servings)

1 Zucchini, cut into half moons, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
1/2 Yellow Squash, cut into half moons, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
1/2 Medium Onion, sliced
2 small or 1 large clove Garlic, grated or finely minced
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Enough Spaghetti for 2 servings
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan.  Add the onions, zucchini and yellow squash.  Saute for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.  Add a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.  The pepper is an important seasoning in this dish, so add enough to really taste it.  After about 5 minutes, grate in the garlic and continue to saute over medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.  The veggies are done when they are softened and slightly browned.

A tip to achieve browning is to let the veggies sit without fussing with them too much.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to desired doneness.

Put the cooked veggies on top of the pasta and mix together to coat the pasta with the oil.  Top with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Pulled Pork

I pulled out the slow cooker once again.  I think its the best way to make a meal with a big ‘wow-factor’ with the least effort.  I’ve fallen hard for my slow cooker.  Since I’ve discovered the wonders of slow cooking, my new favorite food is probably any meat that has cooked for 8 hours and has the ability to melt on your tongue.   It is truly amazing how a cheap cut of meat can turn into the most mouth watering treat when you let it cook for 8 hours at low heat with a bit of seasoning.

I started the pork last night, letting it sit coated in the dry spice rub overnight.  I know its not exactly in the tradition of K.C. bbq (which is more sauce-based), but I really like the flavor of meats cooked with dry rub.  I found a recipe for a spice rub mix, originally published in Cook’s Illustrated.  I of course made my own alterations to it.  Here’s what I ended up with.

BBQ Dry Rub Mix, enough for a 3-4lb pork shoulder

1 Tbsp Chili Powder (medium hot)
2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
1/2 Tbsp ground Corriander
1/2 Tbsp ground Cumin
1/2 Tbsp ground White Pepper
1/2 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Allspice
2 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp White Sugar

Combine everything in a gallon sized ziploc.  Once the spices are mixed, add the pork roast to the bag and either using your hands or smooshing it around in the bag, thoroughly coat the pork with the rub.  Let it sit in your fridge overnight.  Yes, you must plan ahead for this one.  But oh, is it worth it!

Spice Rub

There's a roast in there, I swear

The next morning, transfer the roast to a 5-6qt slow cooker.  I cut mine into a couple of big hunks, but this probably wasn’t necessary.  Add 1/4 cup water to get the juices going and cook on low for about 8 hours.  When time’s close to being up, give it a poke with a fork.  If it disintegrates under slight pressure from a fork – its done!  The pork should be absolutely falling apart.

Cooked Pork

Transfer it to a bowl or a plate and commense shredding.  Remove any big hunks of fat (duh).  I added back about 1/2 cup of the juice from the crock pot.  It added moisture and a lot of flavor to the meat.

Shredded Pork

The shredded pork is wonderful eaten on its own or simply on hamburger buns, which is how we enjoyed it tonight.  I also made potato salad for the side (straight from Betty Crocker, tried and true).

Potato Salad

And for full disclosure, I also made a chocolate cake tonight.  The decadence of it all.  It was a very belated birthday cake for my husband.  He requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  With all of the other food I was preparing today, I asked him if it’d be OK for me to use a box mix.  He said – of course.  I then asked if I could use store bought frosting.  Once again – fine.  So I went to the store to buy the box mix and frosting.  However, when I picked up the frosting and checked out the (scary) nutrition label, I noticed that it actually still had trans-fats. A lot of trans-fat.  Can you believe that?  I just couldn’t bring myself to make a cake for my husband that was chalk-full of trans-fats.  So I bought the box mix and made chocolate buttercream frosting from scratch.  Delicious.

For the Pulled Pork:
Prep Ranking: #3 – Slow Cook, Minimal Effort
Tastiness Grade: 10/10 – I could eat this all day long