Grilled Garlic Parmesan Zucchini

Whoa. I've been eating a lot of zucchini lately. Tonight I was craving some garlic bread and this totally did the gluten-free trick. The original recipe is from Allrecipes.com but I made some adjustments by substituting olive oil for butter and leaving 1 tbsp of parsley out.

Serves 4

3 zucchini
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan (I used a Superstore blue menu light version and it was delish)
Black pepper to taste.

Preheat grill to medium heat. I used a grill pan on my stovetop as it was chilly tonight.

Cut the zucchini crosswise in the middle. Slice each half into 3 sections, making 6 slices per zucchini.

In a bowl mix the olive oil and garlic. Brush the mixture over both sides of each zucchini slice. Sprinkle each slice with Parmesan cheese, and place the slices, cheese side up, on the grill. I sprinkled a little pepper over them at this point.

Grill the zucchini until the underside has grill marks, it is cooked through and the cheese has melted. This took about 8-minutes.

Quinoa Salad with Dill and Feta

Well I'm trying zucchini again. I've made the other quinoa salad that posted about a dozen times this summer and needed something new. So I tried this recipe the other night. I might try less dill next time but it was a great new way to eat my new favourite weird hippy seed thing.

Serves 4-6 although Canadian Living says it serves 2 which I think is nuts. Unless it's two horses. Then that makes sense.

1 cup cooked quinoa (I recommend adding a bit of chicken stock when you cook quinoa.)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 zucchini shredded (I grated it)
1 carrot shredded (see above)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, zucchini, carrot, dill and feta. Toss and enjoy!

Courtesy of Canadian Living

Kale Salad with Soy and Sesame

So it turns out that I don't hate vegetables. 2013 is definitely the year of growing up. This recipe comes from my friend, Sarah, and is quite delish as well as being a quick and easy veggie side to any meal.

1 bunch kale, washed and cut into big bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted.

Steam the kale for about 6-8 minutes. It's important to not undercook or overcook it. Undercooked kale can be quite bitter. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic.

In a sauce pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds. These can burn easily so keep an eye on the pan, stirring frequently.

Toss the kale with mixed dressing and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Butter

Surprise! I found another vegetable that I like. I made this when I was home for the holidays, and it's Dad approved.

1 bunch, freshly trimmed asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten free please!)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake asparagus in oven for 12 minutes, or until tender.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (It says medium high but I get distracted easily so I try to decrease my chances of burning). Remove from heat and add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus and serve.

Sidebar: I heard asparagus makes your pee smell funny but I have yet to notice anything. Apparently you need both the gene to smell it and to make the difference...

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com with some adjustments

Make Ahead Potatoes!

This recipe is a Heard/Mayo family favourite and comes through my mother via her friend, Helen. It's got a variation in the Canadian Living Christmas cookbook but I like my mom's version with double the breadcrumbs. The great thing is you can make this recipe the day before a big feast, refrigerate it and then cook it when the bird comes out of the oven.

10 potatoes
1/2 lb cream cheese cubed (that's a cup or one block of Philly)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup minced parsley
Pinch each of dried majoram, salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs (gluten free for me)

Peel the potatoes, wash and quarter them. In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender but not mushy. This takes about 20 minuts but check with fork. Drain and let cool a bit.

With potato masher, mash until smooth. Make sure there are no big chunks. Blend in cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter until everything is melted. Mix in onions, sour cream, parsley, majoram, salt and pepper to taste.

The recipe says to transfer to an 8-inch pan but we usually make the same amount in a 9x11-inch pan. Smooth top.

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter and add the breadcrumbs. Stir with fork. Sprinkle over potato mixture. (At this point you can refrigerate the casserole for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 week. Add 10 minutes to baking time if previously frozen but thaw for 24 hours prior).

Bake in 375F for about 40 minutes or until it is heated through and golden on top.

Makes about 10 servings.

Sesame-Lime Rice

Things you should own: a rice cooker. Nuff said. Serves 4.

1 cup of rice. I use brown.
1/4 of a chicken stock cube
2 Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds.
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, though I like sesame for the nutty flavour
1/2 tsp finely grated lime rind
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice


Step 1: Cook the rice in your amazing rice cooker. I throw a little bit of chicken stock in with the water to make the brown rice not taste like cardboard. Once it's cooked, leave it on warm for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Throw the sesame seeds in a small pot on the stove. Cook at medium heat until they start to brown. Shake pan regularly. Takes 2 minutes. They burn so keep an eye on them.

Step 3: Add sesame seeds, oil, lime zest and juice to rice. Season with pepper. Fluff with a fork and toss!