Mango Salsa Recipes

Last week at this time I was complaining about the heat and humidity. Temperatures were up into the mid-90’s and then it rained. And rained. We received almost 4” of rain in about 2 ½ days. The hygrometer in the house indicated that the humidity inside was over 90%. Miserable wasn’t quite a strong enough description of those few days. I ran out of bread but, there being no way on earth I would have turned on the oven to bake (heck, I was boiling pasta in the microwave), I bought a loaf. Not too bad, but when the temperatures come down later this week, into the mid-70’s, I will be baking again. And that store-bought bread will fortify the ducks at the lake house.

And I must again sing the praises of air conditioning. After 23 years of sweltering in the upstairs bedroom, it was absolute heaven to close the doors, turn on the unit, and sleep without becoming drenched. Of course, we opted for an inexpensive unit and it is quite loud (Frigidaire model FAA087P7A, sold exclusively at Lowe’s). Fortunately, after a couple of nights of frequent waking, we have become accustomed to the noise and are now considering if we should return it and spend 50% more to get a quieter model. On one hand, it was only $135, we only use it when we absolutely have to, and it’s an incredibly heavy thing to lug around. On the other hand, it sounds like a vacuum cleaner! The “cheap hand” is winning out so far…

In my last post, I gave some recipes which I had tried on guests and were successful. I’ll continue in that manner.

Served along with the vegetable kebabs previously mentioned, I made grilled salmon with a mango salsa. There are a million recipes out there for mango salsa, but I have 2 favorites and one was very enthusiastically received by our guests (the other one is darn good, too, so I will post that as well). Both are great with grilled salmon, and the second, containing cucumber, is also excellent accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish.

This was one of the easiest main dishes I have made for guests ever. The salmon was just rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and grilled. The easy to make mango salsa, containing fresh pineapple and banana as well, gave it a delicious tropical flavor. Jack was surprised at the amount of fish I was cooking, and the amount of mango salsa in the bowl, but there was nothing was left. :)

Now, freshly squeezed lime juice and orange juice are essential in this. I have subbed the not-from-concentrate orange juice sold in bottles in the dairy section of the grocery store and it’s okay but juicing a fresh orange (and only half an orange, really, since the recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of oj) makes a difference.

Tropical Mango Salsa

2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

1 teaspoon fresh lime zest

1 or 2 small hot chilies (jalapeno, habanero, Serrano, or Scotch Bonnet if you’re feeling really adventurous), seeded and minced

1 cup fresh diced pineapple (about ½” dice)

1 cup diced mango (about ½” dice)

1 large diced banana; peel, cut lengthwise into quarters (which is easier done if you cut the banana crosswise in half first), then slice these quarters into ½” pieces

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

Mix first 7 ingredients in a large bowl (this can be prepared ahead of time). Fold in the pineapple and mango. Gently fold in banana. Sprinkle with mint. Serve within an hour.

And here’s the other mango salsa recipe. You can sub small, hot chilies for the hot sauce. I like trying different flavors of hot sauce and, this time, used a ginger-peach hot sauce which added a great flavor. I’ve also used cantaloupe instead of the mango with excellent results

Mango Cucumber Salsa

4 servings

3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice

½- ¾ teaspoon hot sauce

pinch kosher salt

1 ½ cup diced mango (about ½” dice)

¾ cup peeled, diced cucumber (about ¼” dice)

¾ cup diced red bell pepper (about ¼” dice)

¼ cup minced red onion

Mix first three ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours (bring to room temp before using, and I would add the onion just prior to serving in this case).

Now, you may notice that there are no photos to go with these entertaining recipes. I have a difficult enough time trying to get everything on the table without having to take time to photograph. :) However, because I like to add photos in here (seems a little static otherwise) here is a pic of my husband’s recent handiwork in completing the patio at the lake house. He really put forth effort to have it ready for the first batch of guests, and it looks wonderful.

We have just completed a marathon of entertaining in the past 2 months. I was able to keep to my “guests every other weekend only” rule, but even entertaining twice a month has its toll. I’m tired! Okay, it may also be the heat and the 95% humidity as well. I do love to have friends over for a meal or for a weekend. I enjoy the planning, the preparation, the anticipation of good food and great company. But I love the cooking. I adore being in the kitchen for a few days, working from a schedule, trying new recipes. My back aches and my feet hurt afterward, but it is just so much fun. In total contrast to what I have read (“don’t use new recipes on company, stick with tried-and-true dishes”), I always try out new recipes on my guests. I believe that I have gotten to the point where I am able to analyze the ingredients and “tweak” to make the final dish more flavorful, spicier, less fattening, etc. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable process. And, of course, there’s The Moment. It’s that time when all of the food is on the table, the wine glasses are filled, the candles (or torches) lit, and my friends are laughing and talking and I just want to save that moment. Hold it forever.

The “every other weekend” rule came about so I don’t kill myself trying to do everything, all of the time. After a weekend of entertaining, the guests leave and I start to clean up. The kitchen, at this point, is the least of the problem. There is cleaning the guest rooms, scrubbing the bathrooms, vacuuming the rooms where we have congregated (and ate!). A couple of days of this, after all of the preparation and also cooking and clean-up while our guests are actually in the house, and I crash. I need at least one day and possibly two. Energize. Extra yoga, extra stretching, extra exercise. And, most importantly, extra sleep! And, because I always cook too much, we have wonderful leftovers to eat for those couple of days while I regroup. It’s like a reward for all of my efforts and I take full advantage. Then it’s back to weeding and watering the vegetable garden and flower beds, house chores, etc. Until I realize that I have to begin planning for the next event. I need that break between guests, no matter how very much I enjoy having them.

We had friends for dinner this past Saturday and now there’s nothing on my
plate for two more weeks. So I now have time to update my blog and get caught up on correspondence that I have allowed to slide over the past 5-6 weeks.

I have planned to post only standout recipes here, but I’m going through my notes and many of them were great and I want to share. This is going to take a while… :)

I don’t know if I mentioned this in any previous posts, but we have a house on a lake an hour away from the farm. It’s beautiful and rather secluded and we enjoy entertaining there during the summer.

Our first large group of guests arrived in early July for a long weekend. This year, I asked each couple to bring some contributions to the meals. I am a control freak and this was a decidedly adventurous experiment for me. However, everything turned out wonderfully and I’m going to have to expand on this concept in the future. I also accepted help in the kitchen. That was a biggie, too. I have a few friends who get together and cook or bake with me occasionally, but we’ve been doing this for several years and I was uncertain about the expertise of my other friends. For example, for this lake house gathering, Tammy offered several times to help and I took her up on her kind offer. For dinner one evening, I asked her to slice zucchini that would be threaded on skewers and grilled. She asked how thick the slices should be and I took my knife and showed her. “About ¾ of an inch” I said. I turned away for a second to grab my kitchen ruler (heaven help me, I measure things!) and when I turned back she was happily chopping away. One inch slices. Inch-and-a quarter slices. My mouth dropped open and I saw my husband gesturing to me from the other side of the counter. “Let it go!” he mouthed. I did. I slipped the ruler back into the drawer. And it was fine. I also said nothing about the irregular chunks of eggplant and red pepper. I accepted a wine refill and thought “who cares, it will still taste good.”. And it did!

The Old Dog can be taught New Tricks!!!

Anyway, one meal was a great pasta dish taken from Cuisine at Home magazine called BLT Pasta. Actually, it should be called BST Pasta, since the lettuce in it is actually spinach, but who cares about details (ME!!!!). With this pasta, I asked Tammy to bring a salad that would be dressed with a blueberry vinaigrette which I had been experimenting with. She prepared a wonderful salad of butter lettuce, spring greens, pear, blueberry, pine nuts, and goat cheese. It was sensational with that dressing.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Blueberry Vinaigrette

Recipe By : Vicci

Servings : 24

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1/2 medium shallot

1 large garlic clove

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar -- I prefer white balsamic, although a very good, mild dark

balsamic will be very good, too

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cup olive oil

With the food processor running, drop in the shallot and garlic clove and mince finely. Stop the processor and add the next 5 ingredients (sugar through vinegar). Process until well blended. Add the blueberries and pulse until they are very well chopped. With the processor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream and process until the mixture is smooth.

Transfer mixture to a large bottle and chill overnight to meld flavors.

This will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Yield:

"2 cups"

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Per serving: 68 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (87% calories from fat); trace Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 75mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

The pasta was delicious. Although I doubled the recipe (to make “8 servings”), it barely served 6 of us. I use turkey bacon instead of the regular and can’t imagine it being that much different. The smoky bacon flavor was very dominant. I also used more spinach than is called for, and subbed whole wheat linguine for the bucatini pasta.

* Exported from MasterCook *

BLT Pasta

Servings : 4

Preparation Time :40:00

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 large garlic cloves

2 cups bread cubes -- take from a nice, dense loaf of French or Italian bread

1 tablespoon olive oil -- divided

4 pieces turkey bacon

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup thinly sliced leeks

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

8 ounces whole wheat linguine

3 cups fresh spinach -- sliced into 1" wide strips

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Mince the garlic in a food processor, then add the cubed bread and process until coarse crumbs. Heat one teaspoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the bread crumbs. Toast until golden, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, sauté the turkey bacon in a medium skillet until done. Drain on paper towels, and slice crosswise into 1/4" wide strips.

Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet and caramelize the tomatoes and sugar over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add leeks and sauté until they are wilted, about 3 more minutes. Add the wine and stir, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Carefully scoop 1/3 cup of the boiling water from the pasta pot and add to the tomato mixture along with the broth, vinegar, and pepper flakes. Simmer until the mixture is reduced by about 1/3 (5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta. Add the spinach leaves to the tomato sauce, then dump the hot linguine into the skillet and toss until the spinach is wilted. Sprinkle in the bacon pieces and toss a couple of more times. Divide onto 4 serving plates and sprinkle each serving with garlic bread crumbs.

Source:

"adapted from Cuisine at Home June 2007"

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Per serving: 361 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat (2 saturated); (23% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 12mg Cholesterol; 548mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Can also use dry white wine and white balsamic vinegar for a subtle variation in taste.

Another standout recipe for this weekend was vegetable kebabs. Now, not ordinarily an exciting side dish, these were made special but the vinaigrette which was brushed onto the kebabs as they cooked, then drizzled over the veggies prior to serving.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Vegetable Kebabs

Servings: 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar -- preferably white

1 small garlic clove -- minced

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound zucchini -- small are best; cut crosswise into 3/4" slices

5 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt -- divided

2/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -- divided

1 1/2 pounds baby eggplant -- cut crosswise into 3/4" slices

2 large red bell peppers -- cut into 1 1/2" pieces

3/4 pound cherry tomatoes

1 large sweet onion -- cut into 1 1/2" pieces

Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 1 hour, or use metal skewers

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Thread on skewers.

In the same bowl, repeat the process with the eggplant, then the peppers, then the cherry tomatoes, then the onion. With each, use 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Thread each kind of vegetable on separate skewers (this will make the veggies cook more evenly since tomatoes take less time to cook than onion, red peppers take less time to cook than eggplant, etc.).

At this point, after the vegetables are skewered, they can be placed on a tray, covered with plastic, and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.

Prepare the grill (medium-hot charcoal or moderate, about 350 degrees, for a gas grill)

Spray the skewers lightly with cooking spray, then grill the kebabs, turning once, until tender. Brush kebabs with vinaigrette once during cooking. Transfer cooked vegetables from the skewers to a platter and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

Source:

"adapted from Gourmet magazine August 2006"

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Per serving: 116 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (72% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 330mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : I usually quadruple the vinaigrette to use for other meals (grilling vegetables, chicken, fish, etc). It keeps in the refrigerator for a month.

This is all I can manage for today. :) Hopefully more soon!

Zucchini "Pizza"?!?!

I'm desperately trying to keep up with the zucchini which my garden has been (over) producing. Tonight's great idea was a zucchini crust for our regular Sunday night pizza. I did an internet search but nothing seemed to appeal, so I just went out into the kitchen and played around. First I took the biggest zucchini remaining in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator and weighed it. 2 pounds. I shredded then spun it dry in the washing machine (I go through this rather unusual technique in an earlier post). To bind the zucchini, I added a few eggs, then spiced it up and, at the last minute, threw in some grated cheese. I "baked" this on the grill then, after the crust was firm, added pesto, sliced onion and tomatoes, and mozzarella. Jack said it best. "It is not pizza by any stretch of the imagination, but it's delicious!".

Seriously, I sometimes wonder if he is humoring me. How can everything be good? Or maybe he keeps his standards low just for moments like this... Anyway, he is right. It was darn flavorful, but not pizza.





Zucchini "Pizza Crust"

1 whole large egg
2 large egg whites
2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced very finely
1 large pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
2 ounces grated Asiago
2 pounds zucchini, grated and spun (!)

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add garlic through cheese and mix well. Knead in the zucchini with your hands. Pat into a large, well-greased pizza pan.


Now, I used the outdoor grill to bake this (I haven't used our oven in weeks because of the heat). I let the grill come up to 350, then quickly placed the pan on the grids and shut the lid. I allowed this to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the crust looked "set" and not wet anywhere. You want the eggs to cook! I removed it from the grill, spread 2 tablespoons pesto, sprinkled 4 ounces of light mozzarella, a half very thinly sliced onion, a large sliced tomato. The I placed it back on the grill, closed the lid, and baked until the cheese was melted and bubbly (about another 4 minutes). Allow to sit for a couple of minutes before cutting.




I know that I've been complaining about the plethora of zucchini, but I really am enjoying this since I rarely buy it at any other time of the year. I've already started a few plants for a fall crop. :) Now if those tomatoes would just hurry up...

No recipe, but a dinner failure!

Today was an absolutely exceptional summer day. I remember these from when I was a kid—warm but not hot, low humidity, sunny. It seems as though during the past 10 -15 years or so the weather has been so much warmer, so much more humid, not very enjoyable at all. We took full advantage of this and tried to catch up on the yardwork that has been slipping due to the excessive heat. After 6 hours of trimming, weeding, pulling grapevines out of trees, etc. we called it a day. I was hesitant to go inside though, and decided to make a wood fire in our fire pit to grill burgers for dinner.

Of course, the pile o’ zucchini on the kitchen counter needed to be considered. Last night we had grilled zucchini as a side dish. I also made 4 loaves of Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (that’s a recipe in progress). In the days before, I had made zucchini pancakes, zucchini parmesan, and fried zucchini. What the heck, maybe I could get away with adding shredded zucchini to the turkey burgers.

Let me say right now that, although the photos would be hilarious, there are none. Sometimes it’s not a good idea good to document experiments.

I was certain that these would be great. In addition to the grated zucchini, I also added minced garlic, chopped chipotle pepper, Mexican oregano, salt & pepper. To bind, I stirred in a beaten egg. The mixture seemed a little soft, so I added some dry bread crumbs. Still soft, but workable. I started the fire then formed the burgers.

When the wood burned down to red-hot glowing pieces, I placed the grid over the fire and sprayed the burgers with some cooking spray. I slid the spatula under the first turkey burger, flipped it over onto the grid. No problem. The meat sagged between the grids a little, but I figured that I could deal with it and added the next two burgers. Then I went in the house to put together a salsa for the topping.

A few minutes later I went to check the burgers and found that they were so soft that they had almost totally sagged into the spaces between the grids. No way could I flip these, and the fire was scorching the meat. I ran in the house and grabbed my heaviest oven mitt and a large platter. I picked up the grid and flipped it over, hoping that the burgers would land nicely on the platter. No dice. They stuck. I set the platter on the patio stone, took my spatula, and scraped. Lovely. Burnt to a crisp on one side, raw on the other. Medium-rare turkey burgers, anyone?! Not knowing what else to do, I put whatever remained of these burgers back on the grid and placed it over the fire. Immediately, the meat again sagged through the grids. I went into the kitchen.

Jack chose that minute to appear behind me and ask when dinner would be served. I muttered that we’d have to order a pizza because dinner was inedible. He asked what happened, so I did what anyone would do—I snapped for him to go and see for himself. And he did.

Okay, for the guys reading this, if a similar situation ever happens in your domestic situation, DO NOT LAUGH.

Ah, the Queen was not in a good mood.

Jack, seeing my face, said that he was sure that they could be salvaged so he took a plate out and scraped the burgers onto it. “They’re not done”, he said unnecessarily, “but maybe they can be finished in the microwave?” Right. I removed some of the carbon deposits, covered the plate with waxed paper, and microwaved. I removed the burgers and Jack smelled them. A little burnt, he decided, but they probably would be good.

I have to admit, this man will try anything…

To counter the carcinogens with antioxidants, I poured us each a Saranac Pomegranate Wheat beer.

Darn if these stupid zucchini turkey burgers weren’t really good! Or was it that we had been working outside all day and it had been 7 hours since lunch? Who knows. I don’t think that this recipe will be tossed, though. I just have to do a little better with the zucchini. I was in a hurry, so instead of removing the excess moisture in the washer spin-cycle, I thought it would be enough to press it against a strainer. Not a good idea. So I will try it again, and I have confidence (mostly) that it will be better. Actually, it couldn’t get too much worse!

But for now, how can I add zucchini to tomorrow’s breakfast? I just picked 5 more!

If anyone is familiar with the painting Christina's World, you may see the similarity with this photo which I took yesterday. I call it Spooky's World. :)

I have to add that this was before Jack mowed...

Stuffed Zucchini (Baseball Bats!)

We were away from our farm for a few days and, even though there was no rain while we were gone, the zucchini in our garden grew. And grew. Those that were 2-3” long when we left blew up to 10-12” within 5 days. Jack calls these creatures "baseball bats". Thus begins the Zucchini Season. I rarely buy this vegetable the rest of the year, when it’s $1.79+ per pound, because we certainly get our fill in July, August, and September!

An amusing side note. 23 summers ago we had just been in this house for 6 months or so and I wanted to plant a garden. I had never really planted a garden before, even though my parents and both sets of grandparents had lovely, big gardens. I wasn’t much for the outdoor life and, really, helping my Dad by pulling weeds wouldn’t have been much fun. I would probably sweat and have to wash my hair again, my hands would get dirty—nope, not for me! I’ll help Mom in the kitchen, instead, thank you. Then. Well, it seemed as though a garden was just something that had to be done, if we lived on this farm with all of this land. Our neighbor came over and tilled a 25’ x 50’ plot (yes, huge—but I didn’t know that!) and I planted. My darling new husband mentioned that he just loved zucchini so I did what I thought I should do, I planted zucchini. That summer, 27 (yes, that’s twenty-seven!) plants thrived. How was I to know what would happen when the zucchini plants started to produce? Or how fast the zucchini would grow?! I mentioned what I planted to my Mom and wondered why she laughed so hard. The Year of Zucchini had begun.

I did my best to keep up. I would go to work and find recipes that well-meaning friends left on my desk. I would take shopping bags full of zucchini and these nice people would buy them for 25¢ a pound then lug them to their homes on a bus. As summer wore on, I began to lose my enthusiasm. Jack insisted that we use it all, so I experimented. I made pickles, although neither of us even like pickles. I shredded and froze gallon-sized bags for winter. I baked zucchini cakes, muffins, breads, pancakes. I made pizza with a shredded-zucchini crust (bad move, I remember it even now). We had entire dinners of sautéed, broiled, stuffed zucchini and not for just a couple of days a week! Finally, I had enough. I began to wait until Jack was engrossed in a tv program, would go outside in the dark, fill a wheelbarrow with the vegetable monsters, and wheel them behind the barn where I dumped them over the side of the hill. I remember how afraid I was to go back there without a light, but I didn’t want my new hubby to notice what I was doing (wasting food!!!).

Needless to say, the following summer I planted 2 zucchini plants. Which was fine, enough for us and for a few friends who asked for some. Until one Saturday Jack was clearing brush behind the barn while I was working in the garden and at one point he came up to the house. Come with me, he said, you have to see this. I followed him, having no idea what I had to see (hoping it was a bunch of baby raccoons playing or whatever) and we got to the edge of the hill. My heart sank. There, growing up the hill, down the hill, and covering every square inch of probably a couple of hundred square feet, were zucchini plants. With huge zucchini, most of which had been nibbled by the resident wildlife. Jack looked at me and said “where do you think these came from?”. I took a deep breath, ready to admit to my wanton wastefulness of the previous August, and he continued. “The previous owners must have had another garden back here!”. Yep. That was it!

This year, I have 5 plants. I had planted 6 in pots from seed and was going to plant the best 3 in the garden but 5 looked equally good. But 5 are a long way from 27! I should be able to keep up. :)

I made zucchini pancakes as a side with dinner last night (still working on that recipe), but for lunch today I made a pretty good stuffed zucchini. Leave out the ground turkey and add more cheese for a vegetarian dish.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Stuffed Baseball Bats

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1/2 cup basmati rice -- (raw measure); cooked as directed

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 pound zucchini

6 ounces lean ground turkey

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 large garlic clove -- minced

3/4 cup chopped tomato

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper -- to taste, or more if desired

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 1/2 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese -- shredded; divided

Prepare rice and keep warm.

Split zucchini in half lengthwise and place on cutting board cut side facing up. With a small paring knife, make a 1/4" deep guideline about 1/2" from the edge of the zucchini, going around the surface of the entire zucchini. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, making the walls of the zucchini no less than 1/4" thick. Slice the larger seeds from the pieces scooped out, dice the remainder, and set aside.

In a large covered casserole that will hold both halves, pour about 1/3 cup of water then add the zucchini, cut side up. Cover and microwave until just tender (about 4 minutes at 80% power). Carefully remove from the dish (set aside the dish and the water for cooking the stuffed zucchini). Place the zucchini, cut side down, on a few paper towels. Set aside.

In a skillet brown the ground turkey in olive oil until it's just begins to lose its pink color. Add the onion and reserved chopped zucchini and continue to cook until the onion is almost tender, then add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water, stir, season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste, then add the oregano and fold in the rice. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the cheddar and mix the rest into the rice mixture.

Stuff each half with the rice mixture, pressing down into the zucchini and rounding the top, then flattening a bit. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place back into the casserole, cover, and microwave for a couple of minutes, or until heated through.

Optional: after this step, the stuffed zucchini can be placed on a broiler-safe pan and set under a broiler for 30 seconds or so until the cheese melts and browns a bit.

Serve while warm.

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Per serving: 432 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat; (27% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 59mg Cholesterol; 238mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : This makes 2 main dish or 4 side servings

I may forget to mention this in subsequent posts, but when you use shredded zucchini in a recipe it should be as dry as possible (especially for baked goods- the excess juice makes the batter very sticky). My favorite method of achieving this, which is unique but very effective, is to use the washing machine on its spin cycle. Seriously. Take a large kitchen towel (white cotton is best, I love a “flour sack” for this) and dump the shredded zucchini in the center. Fold the towel tightly around the zucchini and secure with at least one safety pin. You don’t want to have to clean small zucchini shreds out of the washing machine! Place the bundle in the machine against an outer wall (I don’t think that front-loading machines will be a good idea for this particular application), close the lid, and spin dry for a couple of minutes. Remove the towel carefully from the washer and voila! Dry zucchini shreds!

An additional note. I usually don’t take the spin cycle to the very end. After removing the zucchini I will add a half-bucket of water and allow it to spin the greenish zucchini juices totally out of the machine with the remainder of the cycle. I keep one towel especially for this use and don’t mind the green tint to it, but you may want to presoak the towel in a weak chlorine bleach/ hot water mixture to remove the green stains from the towel.

Enough for now-- Heloise out!!! :)

Mexican Pasta Salad

It has been a busy 3 weeks, but I’m back now, no longer AWOL. Thanks for all of the messages asking where I was. At a Fourth of July barbeque I recently met someone (hi, Sherry!) who had read my blog because a mutual friend (hi, Karla!!) mentioned it. I’m still really surprised that anyone would bother reading my ramblings, let alone enjoy it! A really cool feeling, it is. Thanks, guys! :)

And at this Fourth of July gathering where I met Sherry, I brought a Mexican Pasta Salad as my contribution. Karla asked that I get it in writing, so here it is.

This was a really good pasta salad, whole wheat rotini and assorted veggies and black beans tossed with lime-chipotle vinaigrette. I’m going to prepare it with chicken next weekend for a light lunch. Perfect summer fare! Remember to adjust the ground chipotle according to your taste preferences.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mexican Pasta Salad

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 10

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

------------------------------------------------------

10 ounces whole wheat pasta -- rotini, penne, medium shells, etc.

2 large bell peppers -- colored preferred, cut into ½” pieces

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon powdered chipotle pepper -- (adjust to taste by starting out with 1/4 teaspoon,

I used a little less than 1/2 teaspoon)

2 large garlic clove -- crushed

3/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano -- crumbled (can sub regular Greek oregano)

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

2 medium carrots -- shredded

9 ounces cooked black beans -- (a 14 ounce can, drained)

Prepare these prior to serving:

4 whole green onions -- white and part of green tops; chopped

2 medium tomatoes -- 1/2" dice

2 large avocados -- pitted and peeled; chopped into 1/2" pieces and tossed with Fruit

Fresh to prevent darkening

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add bell pepper pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. Bring the water back to a boil and add pasta. Do not overcook. Drain pasta, rinse, and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Cool slightly. Drain pepper pieces and blot dry with a towel; set both pasta and peppers aside.

Prepare dressing by whisking together the next 6 ingredients (olive oil through cumin). Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the bell peppers, carrots, and black beans. Add pasta and toss with dressing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Just before serving, add green onions, tomatoes, and avocado cubes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, if desired.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 284 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat; 1g Saturated Fat (41% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium; 7g fiber

Food Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Side-sized servings indicated.

Make this more of a main dish by adding crumbled queso fresco cheese or shredded cheddar, and shredded cooked chicken breast can also be added.

The hot weather has put a serious damper on my baking. Our house is not air-conditioned so I do a lot of grilling and microwaving in the summer but hardly any baking. Several weeks ago I tried waking at 5am to get some “necessary” baking done. On Saturday, I accomplished 2 loaves of 5-grain bread, a dozen sandwich rolls, and 24 blueberry muffins before I needed to shut off the oven. On Sunday (I slept in until 6 that day) I made 2 more loaves of 5-grain and a loaf of banana-blueberry bread. It wasn’t the best time to bake, I found. Instead of getting it all accomplished before the weather outside became too hot to have the oven going, this only succeeded in making the entire first floor uncomfortably warm for the rest of the day. Plus, I was half-asleep and was going at only half-speed anyway (despite numerous cups of strong coffee). I’m surprised, and impressed, that I remembered to add the yeast.

A couple of days ago I realized that our bread supply was again running low and looking at the weather forecast, all I saw were hot days ahead. I am definitely not a morning person, so I decided to try baking in the evening.

Yesterday gave me a perfect opportunity. It reached 88˚ and Jack helped me lay down mulch until he had to leave to play tennis with a friend later in the afternoon (nuts, yes, but I think that the main attraction for this were the beers afterward!). I finished with the mulching (amazingly, 22 bags just for one flower bed), did a partial-water change in the goldfish pond, then onto the dough. By 10:30 I had made 4 loaves of 5-grain and 2 of whole-wheat banana-chocolate chip bread, plus I mixed pizza dough and placed in the refrigerator to rise for dinner Sunday. I hate doing this but I left one of the kitchen windows open overnight, and by the next morning it was a cool 75˚ in there.

There was a price to be paid for this industriousness, though. After spending the day weeding, laying paper in the flower bed, hauling bags of mulch, dumping the mulch and spreading it; then trimming the water lilies in the pond (easier to do when the water level is low); then spending the evening on my feet baking and washing dishes, well, let’s just say that my back was not happy at all. It was a very restless night, even with the mega-ibuprofen which I took before going to bed. I had planned an easy day of staying inside, out of the 94˚ heat and doing easy things like catching up on correspondence and flipping through that ever-growing pile of magazines on the kitchen table, but my plans never seem to work out exactly as I hope. Laundry needed to be done, so there are 3 loads hanging on the line outside drying. I watered some of the flowers around the house that looked wilted. I bought 15 pounds of wild salmon the other day (it was on sale!), so that had to be all portioned and wrapped in foil and labeled. I still smell salmon on my hands, even after washing with lemon juice. But now the rest of the day is mine!!! I swear, I’m going to lie in that darn hammock today.

Other items of note since I’ve been “gone”:

Sam Adam’s Cherry Wheat beer is incredible! I’m not a huge beer fan, but this was different and delicious. Perfect for a hot summer day. Hmmm, enjoyed while lying in a hammock, perhaps?

There is a tiny hummingbird nest in the huge maple tree at the side of the house, and it’s just outside of a window. Mom Bird is either on her nest (which, according to a book I have, is comprised of soft vegetation and spider silk and contains 2 pea-sized eggs) or at the feeder. I have been giving her fresh nectar every 2-3 days. Last week I read in the newspaper that hummingbirds can become accustomed to people and, if they will allow you to, it’s possible to walk to the feeder while they are using it and place your extended finger under them as they sip. They will then actually use your finger as a perch! Our hummer is not as gregarious as those the author described. She sees us and flies quickly away. But maybe if we are persistent, we shall be rewarded.

Last weekend we went to an arts & heritage festival in a nearby town. It’s fairly huge and for once the weather was not hot and stifling or raining. We ambled through the booths (hundreds of them) but nothing really appealed to us-- except the food! The highlight was a stand operated by a berry farm. My favorite has always been the raspberry shortcake (homemade white cake split in half lengthwise, then a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, covered with fresh raspberry sauce, and then whipped cream). My summertime splurge! This year, though, Jack ordered the shortcake and I decided to try the chocolate fudge truffle cake with fresh raspberry sauce and whipped cream. It was rich and decadent and I practically cried when it was gone. This same stand also offers a wonderful-looking mixed berry pie (who is out in those fields picking all of these berries, I wonder?), but I don’t think that I can ever again order anything other than that truffle cake!

Look at this! Who doesn't want to just bury their face in either of these wonderful delights?!? I should have bought one to bring home... or the entire cake... I can't wait until next July!


Well, off to bed. No, the hammock wasn't used today (by the time I had the opportunity, it was in the sun). Tomorrow will be great fun-- a new deep-freeze is being delivered! Now that I have to wait another 51 weeks for that fudge truffle cake, I'll take my joy where I can find it... ;)

Grilled Chipotle Shrimp! And Coconut-Rum Birthday Cake

Again, my apologies. I haven’t been keeping up nearly as much with this blog as I should. But soon it will be too hot to do much of anything else but sit under the ceiling fan and type. Then I can get to some of the archived recipes.

One such recipe comes from last week—

It felt like a Caribbean evening—guacamole with tortilla chips and mango daiquiris for an appetizer, grilled chipotle shrimp over rice with grilled veggies for dinner. Ah, summer!

We love this shrimp recipe. It’s very simple and produces incredibly flavorful, spicy shrimp with a minimum of prep work. I threaded chunks of zucchini and onions, and grape tomatoes on skewers and grilled those as well. Add some steamed rice and—dinner!

Grilled Chipotle Shrimp

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped chipotles chilies canned in adobo (use some of the adobo sauce in that tablespoon, too)

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled & deveined

Mix the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, add shrimp, toss to coat. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for 1-3 hours.

Thread shrimp on skewers (leave a little bit of space between, no jamming them all together on a couple of skewers!). Grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, turning once.

Jack’s birthday was 9 days ago and that meant his favorite dishes for two birthday dinners (one earlier in the week, one on his “official” birthday). And, of course, two desserts! Birthday cake #1 was my favorite, and fairly easy as well—I call it Coconut Rum Cake. Here’s a photo. It looks like a chocolate-chip cake but those are pieces of chocolate frosting that clung to the face of the white cake. I should have brushed them off before photographing, but I was too busy eating…

First, I used a boxed white cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist). I used the egg whites and canola oil called for in the directions, but instead of 1¼ cups water, I measured 2/3 cup of coconut rum in a 2-cup measuring cup and filled to the 1¼ cup line with water. And I also added 1 teaspoon of coconut extract. This I baked in two 8” layer pans.

The frosting is by far the best chocolate buttercream I’ve ever made. Was it becauseI spiked the mixture with dark rum? In any case, if I knew that I was going to die tomorrow, I’d mix up a big bowl of this tonight and eat it all! Yes, there’s a lotta butter in there! But it was for a special occasion, so we threw caution to the wind.

Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

(source unknown)

¾ cup butter, softened

1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

3 ¾ cups sifted powdered sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

dash salt

⅓ cup lowfat half & half

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and melted chocolate with a hand mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Sift together powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with whipping cream until well-mixed (about 2 minutes). Stir in corn syrup and dark rum with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Makes about 3 cups; enough to frost a 9” layer cake or 18 cupcakes

(I used it to frost an 8” 2-layer cake and had enough left over to pipe decorations and, well, eat some…)

To assemble the cake, I brushed each layer with additional coconut rum before frosting. Of course I did that for the flavor, but I found that the loose crumbs seemed to be reduced to a minimum and the cake was so easy to frost.

I desperately want to make this cake again soon... ;)