Nut Crusted Salmon
2 servings
Ingredients
2 salmon filets, about 6 oz each
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, any type works
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon in one layer with vegetable oil.
Combine the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.
Season the salmon lightly with salt and pepper/ Place the salmon in the baking dish and spread the glaze over the salmon.
Combine the nuts and parsley and press the nit mixture on top of the salmon fillets.
Place into oven and bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Air-Fried Pattypan Squash
Ingredients
2 large pattypan squash
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup panko crumbs
1 egg
Directions
Place the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. The egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a second shallow bowl and the panko crumbs in a third.
Trim the tops and bottoms from the patty pan squash so they lay flat, then halve each squash. Cut each in half again for a total of 8 slices. Remove the seeds with a serrated spoon.
Dredge the squash in flour, then the egg wash, and finally in panko crumbs.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F then spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
Place the breaded sliced squash in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the squash with cooking spray. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the squash halfway through cooking, until the squash is golden brown and crispy.
Stuffed Cucumbers
Ingredients for 2 servings
Half a large cucumber peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
4 teaspoons stone bought or homemade spinach dill dip
Directions
Cut a thin slice off the top of the cucumber. Remove the seeds and salt lightly.
Spread the dip in the area where the seeds were removed. Place the cut-off slice on top. Chill in the refrigerator until serving time. Cut the cucumber in half to make 2 servings.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini or yellow squash
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in another large bowl until blended. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in squash and chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops.
Bake the loaves for 45 -50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto the rack and cool completely.
Italian Sesame Squash Yeast Bread
Dough Ingredients
1 yellow summer squash (8 oz, shredded)
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
Topping Ingredients
1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
Sesame seeds
Directions
Place shredded squash on a kitchen towel and squeeze out any liquid you can. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the remaining dough ingredients.
With the paddle attachment mix the ingredients until they gather around the paddle Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl and set aside to rise until doubled about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12″ long rope. Braid the three ropes, pinching each end to seal them together, and set the loaf onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap which has been oiled to prevent sticking. Set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour until the dough has almost doubled in volume and springs back slowly when poked.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes until golden brown. The interior temp should be about 190°F. Cool on a wire rack.
Banana Squash Quick Bread
2 loaves
Ingredients
2 cups mashed bananas
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated yellow squash
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Grease two 8″ x 4″ ” loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper fir to cover the bottom of the baking pans.,
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Blend well. Stir in squash until it is well blended into the egg mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the liquids until well mixed. Add cinnamon and bananas. Mix until well blended.
When completely mixed, divide into loaf pans,
Bake for 60 minutes or until the toothpick of the fork can be inserted and pulled out clean.
Cool in pan(s) for at least 5 minutes then you may remove.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
12 oz spaghetti, ( I used spinach spaghetti) broken in half
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced, and cut into matchsticks
1 medium yellow summer squash, ends trimmed, sliced, and cut into matchsticks
8 oz Small fresh mozzarella cheese balls (pearls)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add pasta, tossing to combine. Add broth. Heat, uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and transfer the spaghetti to an oiled baking dish.
To the skillet
Add remaining olive oil and heat. Add squash, tomatoes, onion, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and tender.
Pour the sauce over the spaghetti in the baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella balls over the spaghetti.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Serve in pasta bowls with crusty Italian bread.
Greek Spinach & Feta Pie (Spanakopita)
Ingredients
For the Spinach and Feta Filling
Three 10 oz frozen chopped spinach packages, thawed and well-drained
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs
7 oz quality feta cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
Freshly-ground black pepper
For the Pastry
1 16 oz package Fillo Dough {pasty sheets}, thawed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well combined.
Unroll the phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them between two very lightly damp kitchen cloths.
Prepare a 9½” X 13″ baking dish by brushing the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
To assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo (filo) letting them cover the sides of the dish as well as the bottom of the dish.
Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until half of the phyllo (fillo) is used.
Next, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo (fillo).
Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil. Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two at a time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets.
Brush the very top layer with olive oil.
Fold the sifted down on the top layer.
Brush well with olive oil.
Bake in the 325 degrees F heated oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo (fillo) crust is crisp and golden brown.
Remove from the oven. Let rest while you cook the lamb. Cut into squares to serve.
Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
For the lamb marinade:
5 garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, and rosemary
Juice and zest of one lemon
For the rack of lamb:
1 lamb rack, about 1 ½ lbs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup Italian-flavored Panko crumbs
Tzatziki Sauce, recipe below
Directions
Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock plastic bag.
Season the lamb all over with kosher salt and pepper.
Place the rack of lamb in the bag with the marinade. Seal the bag and move the lamb around in the bag to coat the lamb evenly. Let the lamb marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator if you have the time.
If you refrigerated the lamb, bring it to room temperature.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F and place an oven rack on the top ⅓ of the oven.
Arrange the lamb rack (bone side pointing up) in a foil-lined baking pan. Place the pan on the oven rack for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove it from the oven and turn the rack of lamb to the other side. Sprinkle with panko crumbs.
Return to the oven and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes depending on how you like your rack of lamb (rack of lamb is typically served rare or medium-rare, but you can also serve it medium).
To avoid overcooking the lamb, use an instant-read thermometer to determine if the lamb is done to your liking. For rare, the internal temperature should reach 125 degrees F and for medium-rare, it should read around 135 degrees F. Check and take it out of the oven 5 degrees before it reaches the temperature you are looking for. As the lamb rack rests, the temperature will rise.
Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the lamb about 10 minutes to rest (the temperature will rise and the lamb will continue to cook some more).
Cut the lamb chops in between the bones and arrange them on a platter and serve with the Tzatziki Sauce.
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely grated
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumber.
Toss the grated cucumbers with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Let drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Squeeze the salted cucumbers to extract any liquid.
In a mixing bowl, place the garlic with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and the remaining ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to develop.
Tomato Salad
Ingredients
2 cups grape tomatoes
¼ of a red onion sliced
¼ teaspoon Greek seasoning
2 tablespoons vinaigrette
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a serving bowl. Leave at room temperature until serving time.
Braised Pork Chops with Orange-Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
Flour
2 9-10 oz. 1-inch thick pork Chops
1/4 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Season chops with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour.
Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet with a cover over medium-high heat.
Brown chops, 3-4 minutes per side.
In a small bowl, stir together ginger root, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, mustard, and garlic.
Pour ginger mixture over chops. Simmer, covered,10 minutes. Place cooked chops on a serving plate; spoon the sauce over the pork to serve.
Honey- Baked Acorn Squash
Ingredients
1 small acorn squash
cut into 1-inch strips seeds removed
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the squash skin side down in a baking dish.
Sprinkle the squash with the cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and drizzle with the honey. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until browned at the edges and very tender when pierced with a fork.
Oven Fried Zucchini Sticks
Ingredients
Non-stick cooking spray
1 medium unpeeled zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Spray the cookie sheet with non-stick spray or use parchment paper.
Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and set aside.
Cut zucchini in quarters lengthwise, and cut spears in half or thirds. Put zucchini spears in a plastic bag, add oil, close the bag, and shake so the spears are lightly coated with oil.
Roll each spear in the breadcrumb mixture to coat lightly.
Arrange coated spears in a single layer on a prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned and crunchy.
I
ngredients
Ratatouille
1/2 cup chopped plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 medium zucchini, finely diced
1 small eggplant, peeled and finely diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Shells
1 box of jumbo pasta shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Sauce
2 cups Marinara Sauce mixed with 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a greased 9×13″ pan, combine garlic, onion, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Place the diced vegetables on top of the onion mixture, but do not combine. Drizzle with a little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about an hour, or until veggies are softened and beginning to brown slightly. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set them aside.
Cook the shells in boiling salted water for about 9 minutes, or until not quite done (you want them to finish cooking in the oven — that way they won’t be too floppy and overcooked). Drain and place on kitchen towels
In a mixing bowl combine, the stuffing ingredients and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the roasted vegetables.
Scoop a tablespoon or so of ricotta filling into each pasta shell. Place a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Oven Baked Fall Vegetables
Ingredients
2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled
1 small Acorn Squash
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Honey
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
Directions
Cover a large baking sheet or pan with foil. Preheat the oven to 425°F
Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Cut the bottom and tops of the acorn squash, then cut it in half. Remove the seeds with a spoon Cit the acorn squash into wedges, and add to the bowl.
Pour olive oil and salt onto the potatoes and acorn squash and mix well Add in the honey and cinnamon, and mix again.
Spread the rosemary leaves over the foil on the baking pan.
Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway during roasting. Bake until the potatoes and squash are tender. Serve with pork chops.
Chrispy Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
2 center-cut pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg
Olive oil cooking spray
Directions
Place crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Mix well.
Place the flour in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, whisk egg and mustard until combined.
Spray a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of the chop with crumb mixture, pressing gently so that the crumbs adhere to the chop. Transfer breaded chop to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chop.
After the vegetables have baked for 15 minutes, place the pork chops in the over,
Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chops registers 155 degrees, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the rack for 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe makes a spectacular and delicious loaf of bread.
Dough Ingredients
1 yellow summer squash (8 oz, shredded)
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
Topping Ingredients
1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
Sesame seeds
Directions
Place shredded squash on a kitchen towel and squeeze out any liquid you can. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the remaining dough ingredients.
With the paddle attachment mix the ingredients until they gather around the paddle Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl and set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12″ long rope. Braid the three ropes, pinching each end to seal together, and set the loaf onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap which has been oiled to prevent sticking. Set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour until the dough has almost doubled in volume and springs back slowly when poked.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown. The interior temp should be about 190°F. Cool on a wire rack.
Summer Squash Pie
Ingredients
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2-1/2 cups sliced zucchini (1/4 inch slices)
2-1/2 cups sliced yellow summer squash (1/4 inch slices)
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon Greek seasoning with salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400degrees F°
Fit the pastry into a pie pan and crimp the edges.
Spread the mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the pastry.
Mix the squash, and onion, with the Greek seasoning, egg, and milk. Pile into the pastry shell. It will look like you have too much but that is ok.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle the cheddar over the top of the pie and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
Serve with tomato slices dressed with Ranch dressing and
Air- Fried Mushroom Caps
Air Fryer Crispy Breaded Mushrooms
Ingredients
6=8 large cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Directions
Clean the mushrooms and remove any long stems.
Make 3 dipping stations: a plate for flour, salt, and pepper, a bowl for the egg and milk (whisked together), and a bowl for the breadcrumbs.
First coat the mushrooms in the flour. Then dip them in the egg mixture, shaking off any excess. Then roll them in the breadcrumbs. Complete the breading process for all the mushrooms.
Place the mushrooms on a tray. Spray evenly with oil.
Set the mushrooms in the air fryer basket, spaced out a bit. Air Fry at 400 degrees F (200C) for10-12 minutes, depending on your preferred level of crispiness, carefully shaking the basket at the halfway point.
