Menu Plan Monday, 10/20 + Omelet Recipe

Deliciously cooler weather greets me each morning these days, and I couldn’t be more pleased!  I always look forward to this time of year.  Houston may be brutal in the summer, but I can’t imagine prettier weather than lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s.  Happiness itself.

Yesterday, my husband and I shared a morning date rather than our usual Friday night affair.  I got up and threw together an omelet, then we caught a morning movie matinee.  Breakfast turned out so well, I decided to share the recipe here.  That way I won’t forget how to make it.  We definitely want to have this one again and again.  (Menu plan follows the recipe)

 

Omelet with Kale, Tomatoes, and Goat Feta

(Please forgive the shoddy photo.  I promise it tastes better than it looks.)

6 eggs, preferably local and free-range (my omelet looks so yellow because the yolks are nearly orange)
salt and pepper
virgin, unrefined coconut oil

1 tablespoon butter (preferably cultured, grass-fed butter like Kerrygold)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
several leaves of kale, slivered (spinach, chard, or collards would work equally well)
handful of grape tomatoes, chopped
~2 ounces goat feta

Beat the eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

In a saute pan, melt butter over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Add kale and stir until wilted.  Toss in the tomatoes and cook until slightly softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn off the heat and stir in goat cheese.  Set aside to melt.

In whatever pan you use for omelets, heat the coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Pour in the eggs and allow to cook, turning once if possible.  Spread the filling on one half of the eggs and fold over.  Serve.

 

Monday
Breakfast: low-glycemic smoothie
Lunch: leftover taco salads (made with this GF seasoning recipe and this cilantro-avocado-lime dressing), tortilla soup, cultured veggies
Dinner: chicken curry (I’ll share the recipe on Tuesday for Kimi’s Nourishing Fall Carnival), veggies, green salad, cultured veggies

Tuesday
Breakfast: eggs and veggies
Lunch: leftovers, cultured veggies
Dinner: lemon chicken with thyme (I never got to it the other week when I planned it), steamed broccoli, green salad, cultured veggies

Wednesday
Breakfast: low-glycemic smoothie
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Lemon Lentil Soup with Collard Greens, green salad, and quinoa for J, cultured veggies

Thursday
Breakfast: eggs and veggies
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Peppers (from Karina’s Kitchen), green salad, and brown rice for J, cultured veggies

Friday
Breakfast: low-glycemic smoothie
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: leftovers

Saturday
Breakfast: another omelet!!
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Beef and vegetable soup, salads, cultured veggies

Sunday
Breakfast: low-glycemic smoothie
Lunch: leftover soup
Dinner: leftover soup, salads

For more menu plans, visit the Organizing Junkie.

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Nourishing Fall Recipe Carnival Coming Soon

Kimi of The Nourishing Gourmet blog has hosted some great carnivals so far, and I am especially excited about the latest one.  On Tuesday, October 21, head over to Kimi’s blog to join in the fun.  With fall in the air and apples in their prime, it’s the perfect time to share some seasonal, warming, healthy recipes.  Here’s what Kimi has to say about the carnival:

Perhaps you have a favorite apple pie, muffin or bread recipe. Or maybe you have the perfect squash soup. Others of you may have some delicious pear recipe just waiting to be shared (like a pear tart, or a roasted pear recipe). I personally have been enjoying the cabbage in season around here. Let’s share! You can share dessert, sides, salads, and soups, and main dishes. Just remember to keep it nourishing as well as delicious!

For those of us who have to keep frugality in mind as well, I know that we would appreciate it if you mention tips for buying Fall ingredients at a good price, and frugal recipes are always welcome as well.

Sounds good to me!  I just adore fall.  It’s definitely my favorite time of year, and my discovery of farmers’ markets has only made it more so.  There’s something about local, seasonal eating that makes a new season even more exciting.

For more information about this event, go here.  Even if you choose not to participate by adding your own recipes, you’re sure to come away with lots of new ideas from other bloggers and commenters.

By the way, you may also wish to check out her previous food carnivals:

Nourishing, Frugal Food Carnival (I contributed to this one.  You can find my post here.)

Nourishing Portable Food Challenge (Unfortunately, I missed participating in this carnival, but I still found some great ideas from other bloggers.  If you’ve ever been stumped by eating healthy food on the go or in lunch bags, check it out.)

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My Take on Gluten Free Baking

DeAnna asked last week if I have found a good gluten-free flour for baking.  Hmmm…yes and no. 

Disclaimer: I’m not a big baker and never have been.  Cooking is my preferred activity, and it seems that almost every time I try baking, I swear it off.  My baking projects turn out fine.  That’s not the problem.  I just don’t get the same pleasure and joy out of baking.  This means that I am not a great authority on the subject of baking, gluten-free or otherwise.  

But since I do have some experience, and since I was asked, I’ll share my opinion anyway. 

 

Standard GF Flours

I think that most gluten-free baking flours are extremely poor nutritional choices.  The typical blends include such nutritional nightmares as tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, and rice flours (mostly white).  These substances contain virtually no fiber and hit your blood sugar in a heart beat.  And this is beforeyou add the sugar.  Even if you’re not diabetic or hypoglycemic, blood sugar spikes like this can cause problems.  Maintaining stable blood sugar is vital for good long-term health.  Furthermore, these flours simply can’t compete with the fiber, protein, and mineral content of whole, freshly ground wheat, spelt, or kamut (all of which contain gluten).  On a day-to-day basis, then, I don’t think these kinds of gluten-free flours are very good choices at all. 

But since we do have special occasions from time to time, it’s nice to have a white flour-mimicking option available.  I really like Pamela’s all-purpose mix (the brownie mix is fabulous too, by the way). 

(Photo from Amazon.com)

I’ve only used it a few times, but I am very impressed with the taste and texture.  For my husband’s birthday in November, I plan to use it for this to-die-for chocolate cake.  A friend from church has found great success with this flour blend in muffin recipes.  In place of sugar, she uses a special stevia product made by NuNaturals that contains lots of fiber to drop the glycemic index a bit (this stevia also measures one to one with sugar, which is pretty nifty).  She shared a blueberry muffin made this way with me one Sunday, and it was great! 

 

Alternative Whole Grain GF Flours

Fortunately, more nutritious gluten-free baking options do exist.  Whole millet flour and whole quinoa flourcome immediately to mind.  Kimi, The Nourishing Gourmet, has experimented with millet flour to make wholesome gluten-free biscuits and a root vegetable cobbler.  I tried the cobbler with chicken and some extra seasoning several months ago, and J and I both enjoyed it.  The millet biscuit topping is quite good!  Quinoa flour has a more distinctive taste than millet, so some may find it objectionable.  For my part, I really liked it in this quinoa applesauce cake.  If you would like to experiment with either of these flours, you can grind the whole grains yourself, or you can buy them pre-ground at health food stores or online (here and here).

Buckwheat and amaranth flours are also gluten-free and nutritious, but I have not experimented with them myself.  It’s my understanding that they do best when combined with other flours.

 

Alternative Non-Grain GF “Flours”

This is where my interest lies these days.  After realizing that my body does not tolerate any grain well, regardless of preparation or combination (with the possible exception of corn), I have decided to give up all grains as a regular part of my diet for a while.  Now what? 

I have just begun experimenting with coconut flour, since it is extremely high in fiber, low glycemic, and contains healthy medium chain fatty acids.  A friend gave me the inside scoop about a sale on the stuff at Wilderness Family Naturals, so I bought about 10 pounds of it.  With all those bags of white powder lying around, my husband joked that we looked like drug lords. 

So I closed the blinds.

Thus far, I have used the flour to add fiber to my smoothies, to bind together shredded zucchini for zucchini fritters, and, as of last night, to bake brownies.  I used the recipe from The Truth about Beauty.  The texture is great, so I will definitely continue moving this direction.  Unfortunately, the sweetener I decided to try at the same time, erythritol, is not my cup of tea.  If I find coconut flour brownie success in the future, I’ll post the recipe here.  (As a side note, I’m now storing the bags away from prying eyes in my freezer.)

Almond flour and other nut flours are also good possibilities.  I recently stumbled upon the gluten-free, grain-free blog, Elana’s Pantry, that’s chock-full of recipes based on almond flour.  I am intrigued.

A friend from church (the one with the stevia-sweetened muffins) has also recommended www.pecanbread.com, a Specific Carbohydrate Diet website, for nut-based baking recipes.

Although the high protein and low sugar/starch content of the nut flours make them attractive and probably the best option for me, nut allergies and the necessity of using lots of eggs can render them impractical for many people.  (When I say lots of eggs, I mean 6 eggs for a tray of brownies.)

I hope this answers your question, DeAnna!  For the rest of you, what are you using for nutritious gluten-free baking?  Did I miss something?

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Remembering the Honeymoon: Our Anniversary Dinner

Two years ago, my new husband and I retreated to Traverse City, Michigan for a beautiful honeymoon.  We stayed at Chateau Chantal, a vineyard and gorgeous B&B on a peninsula on Lake Michigan (check out the website for breathtaking photographs of the area).  With fall colors bursting on the scene, sparkling blue water all around, and the chilly air driving us deeper under the covers, it was divine.

Here I am basking in a fiery sunset behind the Chateau.

We spent ten days snuggling and meandering through the little town and its boardwalk.

We also ate.  A lot.  Schelde’s quickly established itself as our favorite restaurant in town, and we darkened its doors at leat six times during our stay.  Almost every time we were there, we ordered the same thing, Cherry Chicken Salad.  Traverse City is the world’s cherry capital, so cherries pop up in almost every dish.  No complaints here!  We both adored this salad, and when we returned home and moved into together, I set about recreating it.  I believe I have captured its essence, while tweaking some particulars.  When J asked me to prepare it for our anniversary, I was delighted.  I think we’ll make this a tradition, as it’s such a pleasant reminder of our honeymoon.

With a couple of modifications, this also makes a wonderful side salad.  Nix the chicken and simply sprinkle toasted whole or chopped pecans onto the salad.  I’ve served it like this for everything from a bridal shower to Christmas dinner.  It’s always a hit!  Alternatively, the pecan-crusted chicken can be served on its own with vegetables on the side.  This works well too.

 

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad with Cherries, Gorgonzola, and Cranberry Vinaigrette

Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups raw pecan halves
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (Celtic sea salt and Real Salt are two excellent brands)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette (yields ~1 cup)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sugar (I prefer Sucanat or Rapadura)

Goodies
mixed baby salad greens, washed and dried
4 ounces dried cherries (use dried cranberries if you want to cut down on the cost)
4 ounces gorgonzola or another blue cheese

Set the oven to 400.  In a food processor or blender, finely chop the pecans.  Pour them onto a plate and stir in the rosemary, salt, and pepper.  In another bowl, lightly beat the egg.

If desired, pound the thick side of the chicken breasts to make them more even in thickness.  (I use a rubber mallet with a piece of waxed paper over the chicken.)  Dip each breast into the egg and then into the pecans, covering completely.  You may need to press the pecan mixture into the chicken.  Arrange the breasts on a baking sheet, then bake for about 20 minutes, or until the breasts are juicy but cooked through.

Meanwhile (or ahead of time), prepare the vinaigrette: Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl until combined well.  You may desire to sweeten the dressing a bit more.  Set aside in the refrigerator.

Distribute the greens among 4 plates and divide the cherries and gorgonzola evenly.  When the chicken is cooked, you may either place a whole breast on each salad, or slice them first.  If you slice them, proceed carefully so you don’t disturb the pecan crust too much.  Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve more alongside.

Alternatively, you could toss the greens with the dressing, cherries, and gorgonzola before distributing them among the plates. 

Enjoy!

Note: Though I have altered it, the vinaigrette is based on this recipe.

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Oh, the Shame

A tale of woe from my kitchen:

On Monday, which was Labor Day here in the States, Justice and I had a couple over for lunch.  I planned well by putting tried and true dishes on the menu: Grilled Turkey Burgers with Dijon-Dill Sauce, Carrot Salad in Basil Vinaigrette, steamed green beans, and mashed red potatoes.  I’ve made these dishes so often, I could probably do it in my sleep.  What could go wrong?

Two things, it turns out.  First, I didn’t count on the ground turkey I ordered from my meat co-op having the consistency of a sponge.  Really, it was sponge-like, rather than meat-like.  Think McDonald’s chicken nuggets consistency, maybe even worse.  Ugh.  Second, I didn’t count on the turkey burgers being undercooked.  I still don’t know how this happened!  We set the grill to the same setting as usual and cooked the burgers the standard length of time.  Thus, I didn’t bother to check for doneness because I knew from experience that they were. 

I was so wrong.

After one bite at lunch, I thought, Oh no.  Then I took another bite.  Oooooh no!  For some reason, it seemed best to me at the time not to say anything.  Maybe I’m the only one who notices anything is amiss, I thought.  Perhaps if I don’t call their attention to it, they won’t notice.  As if.  What was I thinking?!  Why didn’t I burst out laughing and tell them not to eat the meat because I couldn’t eat it either? 

Augh.  So here I am…still thinking about the darn meat three days later.  Maybe I’ll call them.

One thing’s for sure: I’m not ordering more of that ground turkey.

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Breakfast Tejano

My sweet husband prepared breakfast for the two of us for the first few days of our vacation.  By day three, however, he confessed to me that he wanted to eat something besides scrambled eggs for breakfast.  After discussing our options, they being few considering my gluten allergy and our small-town location, we decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for a couple of cooking lessons for him.  I explained that scrambled eggs didn’t have to be boring.  Bring in a few vegetables and seasonings, and you have endless variations.

We really enjoyed spending time in the kitchen together, and he got quite an education.  Although he is always eager to help, I typically give him salad or clean-up duty because he’s not terribly comfortable in the kitchen, and I figure it will take me longer to explain to him how to properly prepare a cabbage for sauteing than it will take for me to do it myself.  (I’ve been realizing that this strategy is not going to work with kids.  If I’m not willing to spend the extra time to teach them how to cook, they will leave home without knowing how to boil water.  Yikes!)  Since we had no schedule and nowhere to be this week, leisurely preparing food together turned out to be quite a treat.

Here is the second of our efforts, a meal I’ll call Breakfast Tejano.  I would be happy to serve this to company, probably with some sliced avocados, a little 5 Minute Salsa, some cheese, and maybe even corn tortillas.  We didn’t have access to these extras yesterday, but breakfast was delicious anyway — and healthy too!

I started by preparing the refried beans.  Once I added the beans to the pan, I heated up another saute pan for the stir-fried vegetables.  After adding the veggies to that pan, I put the eggs on in another pan to scramble.  It would work just fine to make the beans and vegetables first, then keep them warm in the oven until your eggs are done if you don’t have a helper. 

For the best possible scrambled eggs, try to find some local, free-range ones with deep, rich, orange yolks.  They have infinitely more flavor and pack a bigger nutritional punch than even organic store-bought eggs.  Cook them over medium to medium-low heat in coconut oil or Kerrygold cultured butter, stopping before they are fully cooked and dry.  Overcooking damages the egg proteins. 

 

Alison’s Refried Black Beans

2 tablespoons high-quality butter or virgin, unrefined coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno, partially seeded (optional)
2 cans or 3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup prepared salsa (optional)
1 tablespoon chili powder (start with 1/2 tablespoon if you don’t like highly seasoned food)
1 tablespoon ground cumin (start with 1/2 tablespoon if you don’t like highly seasoned food)
sea salt to taste
splash of water, broth, or extra virgin olive oil

Heat a pan over medium heat.  Add the butter or coconut oil and melt.  When hot, stir in the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and saute until soft. 

Add the black beans, salsa, and seasonings and cook until hot.  Using a potato masher or a fork, smash the beans roughly, adding water, broth, or extra virgin olive oil until you reach the right consistency.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

 

Stir-Fried Peppers and Onions

2 tablespoons high-quality butter or virgin, unrefined coconut oil
1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add butter or coconut oil to pan and, when hot, toss in the sliced onion.  Saute for a minute, then add the bell peppers.  Cook until brightly-colored and tender-crisp.  Just before removing from the heat, stir in the cilantro leaves to wilt them.

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Pot Roast Success!

I would like to thank Beth for responding to my plea for pot roast recipes.  I prepared her Drunken Garlic Pot Roast, and it was fantastic!  As I had hoped, my husband was delighted with his welcome-home meal.  We really enjoyed the onion and garlic flavoring — very savory — combined with the tiniest hint of sweetness from the beer.  (Although the recipe calls for a bit of sugar, the final result still turned out far less sweet than the traditional carrot-heavy pot roast.)  I served the pot roast alongside steamed green beans and mashed potatoes spiked with cream cheese and garlic-sauteed kale.  I wish I had a picture, but we ate it too quickly for that. 

I used Heineken for the beer, mostly because it was one of the only beers in the store clearly marked as a lager.  Can you tell I know virtually nothing about beer?  Fortunately, it worked beautifully.  The gravy was awesome.  The only changes I made to the recipe were the generous salting and peppering of the roast before I browned it and a little salting of the gravy.  Thanks again, Beth!

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Nourishing Frugal Foods Carnival Coming Soon

Discouraged by rising grocery costs?  Trying to eat healthfully without breaking the bank?  Then join in the Nourishing Frugal Foods Carnival, taking place on Friday, July 11 and Friday, July 18.  Two of my favorite blogs, Keeper of the Home and The Nourishing Gourmet, are co-hosting this timely carnival.  Start thinking now about your favorite healthy, inexpensive recipes and gather them together. 

On Friday, July 11, head over to The Nourishing Gourmet and use Mr. Linky to add a link to your blog post on your favorite healthy, frugal main dishes.  If you don’t have a blog, you can leave your recipes and other meal ideas in the comments section.

Then, the following week, on Friday, July 18, visit Keeper of the Home and use Mr. Linky to link back to your blog post on your best easy-on-the-wallet, nourishing sides, salads, and desserts.  Again, feel free to leave your thoughts and recipes in the comment section if you don’t have a blog.

If you’ve never participated in a carnival before, now is the time to join the fun!  You will get to read lots of posts all at once on nourishing and frugal meal ideas, plus you’ll get to share your own brilliant thoughts.  The more people participate, the more we all benefit. 

I’ll post another reminder next Friday, just so no one forgets.  I think this is going to be a great event!

Now I just need to start brainstorming…

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Menu Plan Monday, June 16

I have got a lot of catching up to do in this house, especially when it comes to using up the fantastic vegetables I’ve been buying at the farmers’ market.  The meals I had planned for last week produced a lot more leftovers than I anticipated, so I never did get to all of the goodies.  At times like these, I am so thankful for the white board I’ve been keeping on my fridge that lists all of my perishables.  I was able to quickly take stock of what needs to be prepared ASAP (I put a little blue dot by those items), then add the new veggies I got on Saturday. 

Wanna peek at my farmers’ market bounty?

In addition to the gorgeous corn, eggplant, tomatoes, yellow squash, and jalapenos, I made away with this unidentified bad boy:

I also grabbed a butternut squash, real free-range eggs, raw goats’ milk, and some raw goat chevre (garlic flavor!).  Yum!

From last week’s market, I still have 3 pattypan squashes:

And these UFO-like squash:

I also have a white acorn squash and that illustrious French heirloom squash to which I referred last week (photo shoot still to come).

With these foods in mind (though some will have to wait until next week), and considering the straggling lettuce, green onions, green beans, and red and green cabbage in my fridge, I present this week’s dinner menu:

Monday:  Fajita Beef Taco Salads, made with gluten-free homemade taco seasoning, homemade salsa, green onions, tomatoes, black beans, guacamole (recipe to come), and cucumbers

Tuesday: Tuna Salad Stuffed Peppers (made with raw soured cream rather than mayo), raw cabbage salad, sliced tomatoes

Wednesday: Crockpot BBQ Chicken (recipe to come), steamed green beans, Cabbage with Mustard and Horseradish, sliced tomatoes

Thursday:Grilled salmon (recipe to come), sauteed pattypan squash with mint and basil, Carrot Salad in Basil Vinaigrette, Chilled Squash and Leek Soup

Friday (Date Night): Leftovers

Saturday: Grilled turkey burgers, ratatouille, quinoa pilaf

Sunday: Eat out

In addition to the items listed, we eat cultured vegetables with every meal.  Someday I’ll get around to including our breakfasts, lunches, and snacks on the menu plan here, but that will have to wait.  I’ve got to run now.  It’s a busy, busy day!

For more Menu Plan Monday fun, visit Laura, The Organizing Junkie.

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What to Do with Summer Squash?

Summer squash is flooding the farmers’ markets right now in Houston.  Almost every stand overflows with yellow squash, zucchini squash, patty pan squash, and many more I can’t identify by name.  I see this as a double-edged sword.  On one hand, summer squash is cheap, plentiful, and healthy.  On the other hand, summer squash is cheap, plentiful, and healthy.  That is, the very qualities that make it so desirable lead one to over-consume it. 

Boredom hits. 

Then nausea.

At least, that’s how it goes for me every summer.  I feel the same way about melon (except watermelon).  One year, my mom fed us cantaloupe melon, santa claus melon, canary melon, sweet melon, honey dew melon — you name the melon, we ate it!  By the time melon was out of season, I swore I would never eat another one.  My resolution may have lasted only two years, but the fear of endless repetition of summer produce remains.

Which leads me back to the question, “what to do with summer squash?”  You see, I want to be frugal, I want to eat healthfully, and I want to eat locally and seasonally.  Right now, that means one thing: summer squash.  So I need a strategy.  A good one.

My aversion to the texture of cooked summer squash only adds to the challenge.  Does grilled zucchini have a great flavor when grilled?  You bet!  Can I stand the texture?  Just barely.

<sigh>

Life is hard sometimes.   

Fortunately, I have discovered a few ways that I can stomach yellow squash and zucchini, and I’m on the quest for more.  I figure that as long as I mix things up on a weekly basis, I can make it through the summer without gagging.  Here are the ideas I have so far:

 

1.  Saute the squash

Until last year, I never knew the tricks of a good saute.  These tips have improved mine immeasurably.

Rule #1: After washing, dry the vegetables before slicing them.  Residual moisture creates steam, and steam is antithetical to a good caramelized film. 

Rule #2: Get the pan hot before adding the oil. 

Rule #3:  Get the oil hot before adding the veggies. 

Rule #4: Never, ever overcrowd the pan.  You’re much better off cooking two smaller batches than one big batch.  Overcrowding produces steam, which, as previously mentioned, prevents that caramelized texture and taste.  Each piece of vegetable should have room to breathe in the pan. 

Rule #5:  Once you dump your veggies in the pan and give them a quick stir to distribute the oil, leave them alone.  Let them sit, one side down, to brown a bit.  After a couple of minutes, you can stir them again.

Now, because of my aversion to the texture of cooked summer squash, I can only handle this preparation, at most, once per week.  So on to the next idea.

 

2.  Grill the squash

I can take grilled squash about twice per month.  Marinating it in a little bit of Italian-style vinaigrette really improves the taste, although a quick brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt is sufficient.  I cut mine in half lengthwise.  The texture still bothers me, but I just repeat the mantra in my head that local squash is cheap, plentiful, and healthy.

 

3.  Use pureed squash to thicken soups

Now this idea I can live with frequently!  It’s one of my favorite tricks for adding body and creaminess without dairy.  While your broth-based soup cooks in one pot, simmer a few thickly-sliced zucchini in a little broth in a small pot.  When very soft, puree the zucchini with an immersion blender or in a stand-alone blender.  Add to your soup and voila!  You have a velvety texture.  (If you’re looking for a good vegetable soup recipe, I have a favorite all green and white version on my blog.  Go here to take a peek.)

 

4.  Use diced or shredded squash as a filler vegetable in crockpot dishes or soups

When I cut up the zucchini or squash very small, it doesn’t bother me a bit in a dish like Crockpot Chicken and Quinoa or hearty soups like Italian Beef, Vegetable, and Beans.  When cooked in these ways, the squash seems almost to disintegrate, to simply blend into its surroundings.  I imagine that squash would also work shredded in dishes like chili, spaghetti sauce, and meatloaf, though I have yet to try it.  That’s next on my list.

 

5.  Serve raw, grated squash as a salad topping

I like this one too!  It’s a great way to sneak extra raw vegetables into my diet.  Although I don’t like to munch on chunks of raw summer squash, atop a green salad with lots of cut raw green beans, shredded carrots, sliced celery, and a tart dressing, shredded zucchini or yellow squash fits right in.

 

6.  Make ratatouille

I’ve never prepared this French peasant dish before, but I’m eager to try it.  It’s a perfect summertime dish because it also incorporates tomatoes, eggplants, and basil — all of which are plentiful locally right now.  I think I’ll try this version.  (Yes, I admit it, this idea is inspired by the Disney film.  What’s wrong with that?)

 

7.  Serve up Summer Squash and Corn Soup

Oh my!  We liked this recipe a lot.  It’s mildly sweet and creamy with a tiny kick.  You may recall that it was on this week’s menu plan and that I promised to share the recipe if it turned out well.  Since we enjoyed it so much, I’ll post the recipe, including my modifications, tomorrow.

 

Any more ideas?  How do you eat summer squash?

 

[Edited: I've added more ideas to my blog since this post!  For taco meat recipe that includes summer squash, go here.  For a marinara sauce recipe with summer squash in it that's perfect over spaghetti squash or your favorite pasta, go here.]

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