D's Stuffed Zucchini Boats

On Monday, D and I took the kids blueberry picking (which I think I already mentioned), and we bought some terrific produce as well. Here's D's fantastically delicious recipe for using those delectable zucchinis we picked up!

You need:

4 small-sized zucchini
3-4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
5 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 links of sausage, casings removed
1 c. breadcrumbs
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Halve and hollow the zucchini, reserving the flesh. Blanch the "boats" for two minutes in boiling water and set aside to cool. Combine, in a small bowl, the diced tomatoes, 2 diced cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp. basil, 2 tbsp. parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature until ready to serve. Saute and brown the sausage. Chop the reserved zucchini flesh and add to the sausage. Cook until tender. Add the remaining basil, parsley, and garlic. When cooked, transfer to a large bowl. Add egg and breadcrumbs. Mix well and stuff "boats" with the filling. Grill 10-12 minutes until warmed through and browned on top. Remove from heat, top with tomato mixture and, if you like, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. SO GOOD!!!!

Smoky Chicken Corn Cakes

We went berry picking this morning with our favorite adventure family, and the farm also had a great selection of other types of fresh produce. Our little A really wanted to get some fresh corn, and I obliged, but I couldn't bring myself to eat corn on the cob AGAIN with dinner. I thought about an old recipe I had that used rotisserie chicken and frozen corn to make dinner corn cakes. I knew I had chicken breasts in the freezer, which I could simply grill and shred, so I improvised to make this delicious recipe with our fresh corn.

You need:
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded OR 1# grilled chicken breasts, shredded
1 tbsp. canned chipotle chiles, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
1 small red onion, sliced
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1/3 c. fresh cilantro (or 1 tbsp. dried), chopped
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 large eggs
1 c. ricotta cheese
4 ears of corn, husked and kernels removed (or 1 10oz. bag frozen corn)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 c. sour cream

Shred the chicken, discarding skin and bones (or simply shred boneless chicken breasts). In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, chipotle, lime juice, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, pepper, and the remaining salt. Stir in the eggs and ricotta until no lumps remain. Fold in the corn. Heat the oil on a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/4 c. batter onto the skillet and cook until golden brown and set on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Divide the cakes evenly and top with the chicken mixture. Top with sour cream. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks and Panzanella Salad

This is a really great recipe to make when you've got leftover fresh bread and you aren't interested in throwing it away (but it has lost it's delicious fresh taste). Most of the time, when I make this, I actually use the bags of baguette rounds, already sliced, from Wegmans and cut those into cubes. Anyway, t's another hot day today, so I wanted to make something light and yet filling for dinner. We can finally get outside to eat (the heat index has been so severe that we've been eating in the finished basement), and that means that it's time to grill again! This is a really easy meal that requires little indoor cooking. For those of you, like us, without central air conditioning, it means that you can actually enjoy cooking without risk of heat stroke. Wait, maybe that's just what happens when it's 98 degrees and you're 36 weeks pregnant!!

You need:

2 small boneless rib eye steaks
1/2 loaf of day old Italian bread, cut into cubes
1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
1 c. fresh basil, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pkg. escarole blend salad mix
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed


Preheat the oven to 350. Toast the bread cubes for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned but still soft inside. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let set at room temperature for 1 hour. Right before serving, add mozzarella and bread cubes. Toss to combine. Serve over salad mix.

Meanwhile, right before putting the finishing touches on the salad, grill the steaks until cooked to your liking, at least 8 minutes on each side (more if you like it well-cooked). Slice the cooked steaks. Serve sliced steak atop or on the side of the salad. Enjoy!