Zucchini Grinders/Subs

Zucchini Grinders/Subs - Or a Twist on Zucchini Parmesan

1 tablespoon butter or a spoonful of olive oil
3 medium zucchini, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes - or just throw a ton in there like I do.
1 cup marinara/pasta sauce
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 (6 inch) sub rolls, split

The sub rolls are optional.  If you want a quicker meal without all the bread, just skip placing the mixture in the sub rolls and simply put into bowls and enjoy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Melt butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent and tender. Fry the zucchini in butter/oil until browned and slightly tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir in the marinara/pasta sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is heated.

Spoon a generous amount of the zucchini/onion mixture into each sandwich roll. Top with a handful of shredded mozzarella.  Wrap each roll individually in aluminum foil.  I usually tape them shut mostly because I'm not good at eyeballing the amount of foil necessary even after years of making these.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bread is heated through, and cheese is melted.

English Muffin Pizzas

English Muffin Pizzas
-Heidi P.

Yes, it may sound ridiculous or juvenile, but nothing is quicker and easier, and has more ability to personalize the meal than individual pizzas. 

Whole Grain English Muffins
Pizza or Pasta Sauce
Cheese (any kind, really)
Seasonings - Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Crushed Red Pepper, etc.
Toppings - Spinach, Mushrooms, Pepperoni, Ham, Pineapple, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Sausage, Onion, Feta, Cheddar - the sky is the limit!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Layer sauce, seasonings, toppings, & cheese onto english muffin.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese has melted (longer if you want the muffin to be crunchy).

Herbed Corn on the Cob

Chicken fajitas, steak and grilled chicken are just a few main dishes this side compliments so well. Remove the corn from the leftover cooked cobs. Freeze; keep on hand to make muffins, pancakes or corn bread.

I found baking the corn in the foil made the corn very juicy and tender, much more so than simply boiling it and will bake my corn from now on--herbs or no herbs.


Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4. tsp. pepper
1 tbs. chopped fresh parsley (dried: 1 tsp.)
1 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary (dried: 1 tsp.)
6 ears frozen or fresh, shucked corn on the cob

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I used 400 degrees for frozen cobs). Combine butter, salt, pepper, parsley and rosemary in a small bowl; mix well.

Cut six 12-inch pieces of heavy duty foil. Spread about 1 tbs. butter mixture onto each ear of corn, reserving remaining butter mixture.

Place 1 ear of corn diagonally on each piece of foil. Roll up tightly; twist ends to seal. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake corn for 30 minutes. Carefully untwist the ends of the foil; unroll. If desired, fold the edges of foil up around each ear of corn to form a "boat." Top corn with a small dollop of remaining butter mixture.

Variation: The butter mixture will be zestier if 1 tbs each Dijon mustard and horseradish are used instead for the herbs.

Bacon-Tomato Fusilli Pasta

I found this dish on the back of a pasta package and gave it a try. It was good, however, for our tastes it was a tad bit bland--but good enough to keep and tweak to our liking.

I'm going to list the ingredients as is for those that prefer a more subtle flavor to their meals. I found adding more back pepper and sprinkling some red pepper flakes gave it a kick it was lacking.

Ingredients:

16 oz package fusilli pasta
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2-1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Blend in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese, parsley, bacon, tomato and pasta, toss to coat. Heat through. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Enchiladas

Vegetable Enchiladas
-Heidi P.

This recipe is great because you can change it up to suit whatever you have on hand, like garlic, corn, diced tomatoes, even mushrooms.  And if you like hot sauce (I can't live without it), throw some of that in the mix as well!

1 large zucchini
1 medium - large red pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
4 large tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce (I use store bought but you could make your own as well.)
2 - 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat the oven to 400.

Chop all of the vegetables and mix together in a bowl. Add in about 1 cup of cheese and stir, making sure that everything is mixed together well.

Lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon the vegetables into the tortilla. Add additional cheese if you prefer your enchiladas incredibly cheesy. Roll and place in a baking dish. I typically use a 9x13 dish and coat it in cooking spray first. It manages to fit the 4 large enchiladas with a little creativity.

Repeat the above steps with each additional tortilla.

Pour enchilada sauce on the tortillas and sprinkle cheese on the top. (I add cumin and a few dashes of hot sauce on top as well. Yum!)

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with any remaining cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes.

It's delicious and filling.  John and I usually fight over who gets to take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Avocado Tacos

Avocado Tacos
-Heidi P.

4 avocados - peeled, pitted, and cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas or 5-6 hard taco shells.

This couldn't be easier or more delicious if you like avocados.  Simply cut up the avocados, sprinkle with a little garlic salt, and fill the tortillas with the mixture.

I prefer to use hard tacos shells.  Gives it a bit of a crunch.

Makes about 5 or 6 tacos.  Perfect with a side of warm black beans simmered with onion, garlic, and a little jalapeno.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup
-Rebecca E.

Quick and delicious!

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1/2 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
dash hot pepper sauce
2 tsp lime juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green onions
Combine the first 5 ingredients and heat through. Dish out into 4 bowls. Drizzle with lime juice. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. This can be done in the microwave or on the stove. I added chopped chicken and added tortilla chips as a topping, too.