8-Ball Zucchini and a Quilt

 

At the farmers market 8-ball zucchini have turned up again. A few years ago I bought them for the first time, after I had learned how to prepare them. I found them the most delicious if you stuff them.

Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

First, cut off the tops of the zucchinis and hollow them out with a spoon. Put the zucchini guts in a bowl and add chopped tomato and onion.

Heat a skillet on medium high and brown some pancetta (the recipe says bacon, but I prefer diced pancetta). Add zucchini guts, tomato and onion and cook for 4 minutes or so.

Remove from heat and add bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon stuffing into zucchini and top with remaining cheese and the zucchini tops.

Place stuffed zucchini in a lightly greased baking pan or baking dish (the recipe says to pour water in the bottom of the pan which I don't do either). Bake for 40 minutes or until zucchini is softened. Enjoy.

The original recipe is available here. 

Since I am linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, I shouldn't forget about the art. Today, the art is not something that I created. Last Friday I met with my friend Liz - they had lost their home in the October 2017 fires and were only able to move into their rebuilt home last summer - and she gifted me with this gorgeous quilt she had made. She said that she always thought of me when she was working on it - because these are my colors! I was surprised and overwhelmed (in a good sense) about this wonderful, personal gift that she had put so much work in it.

This was also one of the first things I saw today (this week's prompt).

Meatless Week

A few weeks ago I felt we ate a lot of meat within seven days, so I decided to have an (almost) meatless week after that.

We started out with a broccoli macaroni cheese - this one contains pancetta, so it's not completely meatfree. 

You will notice that this was a very pasta heavy week - we simply love to eat pasta. Next was leftover spaghetti with spinach, bok choy and kale that I seasoned with cumin and ancho chili peppers.

On Rain's blog I found the recipe for cauliflower casserole. I love cauliflower and wanted to try this - it was very cheesy and simply delicious! However, next time I will probably change out the cheddar for gruyere; I have never been a particular fan of cheddar.

The creamy mushroom and leek pasta was a new dish for me, I had found the recipe in NYT Cooking. It was okay, but I will certainly change some things when I make it again.

It was time for one of our favorite dishes - crip gnocchi with brussels sprouts and brown butter. This is to die for and so much better than those boiled-to-death brussels sprouts of my childhood.

Farfalle with creamy mushroom sauce - I make this without any recipe, you don't really need one for this. In the morning I bought creminis from the mushroom guy at the farmers market; he has the best mushrooms in the area. I still had heavy cream, added some spices - done. Easy peasy.

Sunday is the day in the week when I don't cook. That's when the freezer offers the menu. This time it was Japanese style fried rice from Trader Joe's - I only sauteed the shrimp for that and added them at the end.

I'm linking up again to Kathy's Food Wednesdays.

 

T is for Tender-Crisp Gnocchi

 

The cooler season is the perfect time for enjoying brussels sprouts. I remember that as a child I didn't like this vegetable very much, mainly because my mom used to cook them in boiling water. They were mushy and that was the way my dad liked them and remembered them from his childhood. I am still surprised that my mom, who was a very good cook, made them this way and never tried a different approach. Because of this I always stayed away from brussels sprouts - until I came upon a recipe that I thought sounded too good to pass by. It has become a favorite in our household.

The recipe for the crisp gnocchi with brussels sprouts and brown butter comes from the cooking section of the New York Times, but of course I put my own twist to it.

These are the ingredients that you will need for my version:

1 pound brussels sprouts (give or take a few)
1 organic lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided in 3 TBSP and 1 TBSP)
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes (more if you like more heat)
18 oz shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
6 TBSP unsaltetd butter, cut into 6-8 pieces
freshly grated Parmesan (for serving)

Trim and halve the brussels sprouts. Peel thick strips of lemon zest and coarsely chop them.
In a large skillet (I use my cast iron pan), heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the brussels sprouts, season with 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper, then arrange them in an even layer, cut-side down.  Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top and cook without disturbing them until the brussels sprouts are well browned underneath, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the red-pepper flakes, stir and cook until the brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high. Break up any gnocchi that are stuck together, add them to the pan and cook, covered and undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, 2 to 4 minutes. Check after 2 minutes to avoid that the gnocchi burn which can easily happen if you're not careful.

Add the butter, season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. 

Cook, stirring, until the butter is golden and foaming, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the brussels sprouts until warmed through.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan - the cheese will quickly melt into the dish.

Enjoy this delicious dish with a glass of good pinot noir - my chosen drink for this week's T-post, hosted by the lovely Elizabeth of the Altered Book Lover. 

To all of you T gang people who celebrate it, I wish you a peaceful and blessed Christmas.

Chili Mac for Chilly Days

Our winter has been one of the wettest in recent years - which, on the one hand is good news as it puts an end to the four-year drought in most of our state. Today I read that nevertheless the California State Water Resources Control Board extended out state's emergency drought regulations at least until May which I think is very wise. On the other hand, so much rain has brought a lot of flooding and mud slides - and, of course, many gray and rather chilly days.

In order to beat the chill I cook chili - sort of. A couple years ago I found a recipe for this Southwest skillet chili mac, and it quickly has become a family favorite. The recipe says to put beef in it, and it certainly is delicious with it. However, since Kaefer has become a pescatarian and I also want to cut down on meat consumption, I have been re-thinking many of my recipes. This recipe is perfect for a filling vegetarian meal.

Here's what you need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid (14.5 oz)
• 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 can corn, drained (15.25 oz)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
• 1 1/2 c uncooked macaroni
• 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the oil over medium low heat in a large cast iron skillet, dutch oven or oven-safe saute pan.

Add the onions and peppers and cook until beginning to soften (about 4 minutes), then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, corn, beans and macaroni, mixing well.

Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the past is just tender.

Stir in half of the cheese, then sprinkle the rest on top and put it in the top third of your oven with the broiler on 400 F (200 C) and allow the cheese to brown. Then serve.

We like to eat tortilla chips with it, and - don't forget the wine!!!