Parmesan Vegetable Side Dish

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large yellow onion, small diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 medium baking potato, thinly sliced
2 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a round pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium pan, heat olive oil. Once hot, add chopped onion and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Spread the onion and garlic mixture on the bottom of pan. Evenly arrange the sliced vegetables on top, alternating as you go. Once you get all the way around, continue layering to fill the middle until no open space remains.  Drizzle all over with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.

Serves 4, 131 calories per serving

Calabacitas

Calabacitas

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 large zucchini, diced
• 2 large yellow squash, diced
• 1 cup corn kernels, (frozen or canned, drained)
• 1-12 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp lime juice
• salt to taste

Heat oil. Saute onion. Add red pepper, zucchini, squash, red pepper flakes, and salt and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add corn and beans and cook until heated through.

Mom's Noodles and Butterballs

Noodles:

        6 egg yolks. 

        1  whole egg. 

        2 cups flour. 

        Salt. 

Place the flour and salt on the working surface. Mix eggs and pour into center of flour.  Mix together and knead dough until stiff and elastic. Wrap in plastic and allow to set for one hour. Roll out with rolling pin. Run through noodle machine to thin dough and cut noodles. Roll cut noodles into "nests" and allow them to dry.  Noodles can be stored in a zippered bag.

Butterballs:
        8 cups toasted breadcrumbs
        4 sticks salted butter (clarified and slightly browned)
        3 tsp allspice
        3 tsp salt
        13 x-lg whole eggs
        3 cups heavy cream (yes that much!)
Temper butter (cooled), Cream and eggs so it doesn't curdle (will look slightly curdled). Mix in dried, toasted bread crumbs. Form into balls about the size of a quarter, start with one and boil to see if it sticks together. Add milk to thin, flour if it is too wet or eggs if they need a binding agent.

Freeze overnight, then store in a zippered bag.  

To serve: Bring chicken broth to a boil and boil butterballs for about 5 minutes, or until they float.  Add noodles and cook for just a few minutes.  

Noodles and butter balls can be served as soup, or drained and placed into a casserole to be served as a side dish.

Wendy's Sweet Potato Casserole

2 lb sweet potatoes (mashed)

1/2 cup butter (melted)

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. orange juice

2 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup pecans (chopped)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp. butter (melted)

Lightly grease the slow cooker.  In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, 1/3 cup butter, sugar and brown sugar. 

Beat in orange juice, eggs, and milk. Transfer to the crock. 

Combine the pecans, 1/3 cup brown sugar, flour and 2 Tbsp butter and spread over the potatoes. 

Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours.

Wendy's personal notes:
I usually steam/bake and mash the sweet potatoes and make the mash mix in the crock pot the night before.  I also make the topping but store in a separate zippered bag.  Store the crock and topping bag in the fridge overnight, assemble in morning. Only needs to cook for 3-4 hours.

Parmesan Vegetable Side Dish

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large yellow onion, small diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 medium baking potato, thinly sliced
2 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a round pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium pan, heat olive oil. Once hot, add chopped onion and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Spread the onion and garlic mixture on the bottom of pan. Evenly arrange the sliced vegetables on top, alternating as you go. Once you get all the way around, continue layering to fill the middle until no open space remains.

Drizzle all over with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.

TIPS

The vegetables should be sliced into 1/8”-thick rounds. You can use a mandolin, just make sure the blade thickness is 1/8”, otherwise you may end up with too-thin slices.

Try to layer vegetable slices of the same diameter with each other, as this makes layering easier.

Adapted from The Blond Cook

Tostadas with Calabacitas, Black Beans and Queso Fresco

Calabacitas

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup zucchini, diced

1 cup yellow squash, diced

1 cup corn kernals

Several tablespoons of chopped green chilies
salt to taste

Heat oil. Saute onion. Add red pepper, zucchini, squash, and salt and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add corn and cook until heated through.

Tostadas

1 dozen Tostada shells

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup diced avocado

1 cup shredded lettuce

8 ounces queso fresco

½ cup cilantro, chopped

Salsa

Prepare Calabacitas.  Arrange other ingredients buffet style.  Make your own tostadas.

Dinner Tuesday

Hamburgers with the works

Quinoa Potato Croquettes

1 cup quinoa

2 cups broth

1 Tbsp butter 

½ tsp salt 

½ tsp cumin 

¼ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped

½ tsp oregano

2 cups mashed potatoes                                                       
2 eggs, beaten                                            

2 cups Panko Crumbs

Oil for deep frying  

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add quinoa and stir until the quinoa is slightly toasty.  Add broth, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano.  Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until quinoa is tender and fully cooked – approximately 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Stir mashed potatoes and quinoa mixture together with eggs and ½ cup Panko crumbs.  (It will be sticky) Place the rest of the Panko crumbs in a shallow dish and drop quinoa mixture into the dish by teaspoonfuls. Roll into balls fully coating the balls with crumbs.

Lower into hot oil and fry until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.  

Menu:  Dinner tonight - June 18

Rotisserie chicken (thank you for the gift, KS)

Potato Salad
3 lb. baby red potatoes, cooked until tender and quartered
5 boiled eggs, peeled
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
1/4 cup fresh snap peas, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
2 ribs celery, diced small
1/2 cup radishes, sliced thinly
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste.
Stir together and refrigerate.

Garlic Toast
6 slices Texas Toast
1/4 cup better, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped fine

Mix butter, garlic and parsley together.  Spread lightly on Texas Toast slices.  Broil in oven until toasty.

Potatoes and Glace

Glace dough:  1cup flour, 1 egg, 1/2teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 cup water
Preparation:  Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in water until almost done.  


Make glace dough. Bring another pan of water to boil. Drop by scant teaspoons into boiling water, dipping spoon into hot water so the dough won't stick. Cook only as many glace as will fit across the top of the pan, don't over crowd. Cook a few minutes until done (when they come to the top).  


Drain potatoes and mix with glace.

Roasted Asparagas

Ingredients:

• Fresh Asparagas
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Olive Oil
• Sesame Seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and trim asparagas. Place spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake approximately 15 minutes, until asparagas is crisp-tender. Serve immediately.

***This is also good on the grill.  Prepare in the same manner, then grill over hot grill for 5-6 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• Fresh Broccoli
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Olive Oil
• Sesame Seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and trim broccoli. Cut into spears. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake approximately 20 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender. Serve immediately.

Marilyn Sjaardema

Marilyn's Macaroni and Cheese

This is my favorite homemade  mac and cheese.  I have never cared for the powdery stuff, and the creamy stuff is usually too rubbery. 

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded and Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a medium saucepan, heat soup and milk over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni and pepper flakes. Stir in 1/2 of cheese.  Pour macaroni mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.  Drizzle butter over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Garlic and Cheese Orzo

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup (about a handful) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Ground black pepper

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat to boil the pasta. When the water reaches a bubble, season it with salt and drop the pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions then drain and reserve.

When the pasta is ready, place a large skillet over medium heat with the butter. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until aromatic and tender, about 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley to the pan, season with pepper and toss to thoroughly combine.

Rachael Ray

Bow-Tie Pasta with Peas

Ingredients

·         1 pound bow tie pasta

·         1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·         1 medium onion, finely chopped

·         2-3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

·         1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

·         3 tablespoons butter  

·         1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

·         1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Place a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

***Heads up: you need to reserve a ladle of starchy cooking water for pasta and peas just before draining.

 Drain Pasta.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook to tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the peas and butter to the skillet with the onions and garlic and heat the peas through. Add starchy cooking water and drained pasta. Turn off the heat, toss parsley and a couple of handfuls of cheese, season with salt and pepper.