Sweet summer squash

Ahh, summer squash: the thinned skin cousin of those delightful gourds that help keep us fed throughout the winter.  Delicious in just about any application....but my favourite thing to do with them is bake.

When I was young, like most children, I wasn't the biggest fan of veggies.  So when my mom told me that my favourite chocolate cake contained a heaping helping of grated zucchini I was surprised...but after a short boycott on account of vegetables I succumbed to the sweet beautiful chocolate zucchini goodness.

That childhood memory is what inspired this latest round of baking: zucchini muffins, in a couple of different flavours.  The instructions in both cases are the same (and are pretty standard for muffins): combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another.  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ones, then stir until just combined (don't over mix or your muffins will be tough).  Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

1) Lemon Zucchini
Dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 tsp grated lemon rind, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Wet ingredients: 1 cup grated zucchini (or any other summer squash), 3/4 cup buttermilk, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large egg
Glaze: 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Bake as per the directions above.  To glaze, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice then drizzle over the cooled muffins.

2) Chocolate Zucchini
Dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1 tsp salt
Wet ingredients: 1 cup grated zucchini (or any other summer squash), 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

The muffins are good without chocolate chips, though without them they are a little on the un-sweet side.  Either way, they freeze beautifully!

Mac and cheese, 2.0

The last time I posted about making mac and cheese the subject of my musing was an ooey gooey oven baked casserole.  Delicious.  However, completely impractical given the summer heat.  Better to do it on the stovetop, and add some fresh veggies for colour and crunch.

And bacon.  Because everything's better with bacon.........

Ingredients
-3 cups broccoli florets (use pre-cut to save time)
-4 cups uncooked rigatoni (or any other pasta that you have in the cupboard)
-2 slices bacon
-1/2 tbsp butter
-1 1/2 tbsp flour
-1 1/4 cup milk
-1/2 cup (ish) Velveeta cheese, cubed (the secret to a creamy sauce)
-1/2 cup (ish) shredded cheddar
-salt and pepper to taste

1) Steam broccoli for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain; pat dry and keep warm.

2) Cook the pasta in the same pot.  Drain; return to pot and keep warm.

3) In a small frying pan cook the bacon until crispy; remove to a paper towel but reserve drippings.  Add butter and flour to create a roux and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Slowly add milk (stirring well to incorporate) and then bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook for 1 minute, until slightly thick, and remove from heat.  Add Velveeta and stir until incorporated, then add the shredded cheddar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4) Add sauce to broccoli and pasta.  Crumble bacon over the top and enjoy!!

Don't worry if broccoli isn't your thing...you can replace it with any other vegetable that you like.  A cup of frozen peas works particularly well, just add them to the sauce at the same time as the shredded cheese so that they heat through!

What I'm eating now: Corn off the cob

Summer is the best time for produce, and one of my favourite things to eat is juicy and sweet corn on the cob....steamed (or grilled), with just a little butter and salt.  Delicious.

Not very creative though.

I don't know about you, but I'm always a little intrigued when I watch cooking shows and watch the TV chefs cut fresh corn straight off the cob.  So when my cooking magazine arrived this month with recipes featuring that particular technique I decided to give it a go.

Practice was required to keep the kernels from flying everywhere.

I can't lie: it's time consuming.  But results can't be argued with, and my menu this week featured two delicious dishes (one side, one main) that showcased the fruit of my labour.......

#1: Corn and Bacon Saute
-1 or 2 slices of bacon (depending on your preference)
-2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
-1 1/2 tbsp butter
-3/4 cup sliced green onions
-lime wedges

Heat a large skillet on medium heat.  Add bacon to pan and cook until crisp; remove from pan and crumble.  Add corn to drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes or until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.  Stir in butter; cook 1 minutes or until butter melts.  Stir in crumbled bacon and green onions.  Serve with lime wedges...a spritz of fresh juice really makes the flavours sing!

You could substitute frozen corn kernels for fresh if you're pressed for time, but the flavour just won't be the same...

#2: Creamy Corn Risotto

This recipe is a little more involved than the first, mainly because risotto is something that requires a lot of a attention.  But don't let that scare you: the results are worth the effort.  If you've never made risotto before I recommend giving this article a quick read as it provides step by step instructions (with photos) for the basic process.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients
-1 large red bell pepper
-4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
-1 3/4 cups low fat milk
-2 tbsp butter, divided
-2 1/2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
-1 onion, finely chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp fresh ground pepper
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-1/2 cup sliced green onions

1) Combine corn, milk, and 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes.  Stir in stock, keep warm over low heat.

2) While the corn mixture is simmering, cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes.  Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a baking sheet; flatten.  Broil 8 minutes or until blackened.  Place peppers in a ziplock bag; let stand at least 5 minutes.  Peel and chop; set aside.

3) Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; swirl to coat.  Add onion and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes.  Stir in rice, salt, and black pepper; saute 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups corn mixture; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Reserve 1/2 cup corn mixture.  Add remaining corn mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total).

4) Remove pan from heat; stir in reserved corn mixture, bell pepper, and green onions.

My favourite part about this dish is that there is as much corn as there is rice, making it quite light.  It's also lighter than typical risottos because it does not contain any cheese, but the milk/corn mixture makes it so creamy that you'll never miss that addition!

Happy cooking!!