Embracing Him

It’s hard to live in our house if you don’t like zucchini. We eat it at least once a week and I use it in a variety of ways. A few weeks ago we were at a local farmers market with some friends and we spotted some beautiful zucchini that I had to have.

A few days later, I used them to prepare Mexican style zucchini. It proved to be a delicious, vegetable rich side dish that complimented our enchiladas quite nicely. I love the texture and color of the vegetables in this recipe. I have definitely added Mexican Style Zucchini to my permanent recipe file.

Mexican Style Zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 zucchini, sliced thick
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 can corn (12 ounce), drained
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the zucchini slices, diced tomatoes, and corn. Stir gently. Cover and cook until the zucchini is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the Cheddar cheese; allow to sit until the cheese has melted.

Photo: Courtesy of ILoveButter (Flickr)

While on Facebook the other day, I discovered a few fan clubs dedicated to Crock Pot recipes. Some fans were raising questions about slow cooking, while other fans were sharing recipes. One particular recipe caught my attention because it uses the balsamic vinegar I’ve been eager to use in recipes.

I decided to test this recipe at the last minute, so I didn’t have time to prepare it in the Crock Pot. Instead, I cooked the chops and sauce on the stovetop and allowed it to simmer for a bit. The meat was very tender and the sauce was thick and tangy. Every member of our family enjoyed it…even the pickiest little eaters!

Tangy Barbecue Chops
4-6 pork chops
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
12 ounce jar chili sauce (ie Heinz)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce

In a large skillet, heat the oil to medium high heat. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brown pork chops on both sides.

While pork chops are browning, combine the remaining ingredients to create a sauce. Pour the sauce on top of the pork chops. Turn the heat down to low, place a lid on the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes.

The cooties came calling at the Thorpe house last week, so I decided to make a comforting batch of soup. I was in the mood for a thick and hearty soup, so I opted not to make the traditional chicken soup.

Instead, I made my first batch of Baked Potato Soup and it was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this soup all winter long.

Many potato soup recipes instruct cooks to fry bacon and use those drippings in the soup. I wanted a more healthful recipe, so I omitted the frying of bacon and sauteed the minced garlic and onion in olive oil. The soup was very flavorful even without the additional fat. You can still satisfy your bacon craving by garnishing the soup with canned bacon bits or crumbled turkey bacon. However, if you’re a purist, feel free to fry up that bacon!

My potato cubes were large, so I smoothed them out and thickened the soup using my immersion blender (a handy kitchen gadget!). This made the soup more creamy, but still allowed a few potatoes to remain intact for texture.

JT felt the soup was a bit too peppery but I thought the proportion of pepper was the perfect. To make sure the soup isn’t too spicy consider starting with a 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add more to taste if necessary.

Baked Potato Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup half-and-half (can use low fat or fat free)
bacon bits (for garnish)
shredded Cheddar cheese (for garnish)
2 green onions, diced (for garnish)

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Whisk in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth.

Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and half and half. Heat through but do not boil. Serve hot and garnish with bacon, cheese, and green onions.

If you’d like to see more fabulous recipes, visit Tuesdays at the Table and stop by Tempt My Tummy over at Blessed With Grace.

Photo: Courtesy of greg.turner (Flickr)