Beans and Bell Peppers

Colorful bell peppers.

Got some green beans and don’t know what to do with them? How about a colorful, sweet-and-salty side dish to go with your chicken, fish, beef or pork?

Squash and zucchini frittata

Zucchini and acorn squash.

An online recipe inspired me to try this zucchini and squash frittata. The end result was an omelette with lots of veggies: both the zucchini and the squash give it a sweet taste, while the Feta cheese balances the sweetness with a salty taste.

Cheap, easy and tasty: baked yam.

Yams just about to go into the oven

Bought two big yams today for $2.45.

Turkey meatloaf

Here’s an easy way out for next week’s lunch/ dinner: turkey meatloaf. It’s easy to prepare and you’ll have less meat but more veggies.

Honey mustard ribs

Roasting honey mustard ribs.

I’m running out of time for cooking, so these days I’m looking for easy to prepare dishes. I find the countertop oven very useful: I can just throw in meat or veggies, set it on broil and tah-dah, tasty food is begging to be eaten! Tonight, I’m making mustard and honey pork ribs. It took me 10 minutes to put everything together. I’m paring the meat with steamed potatoes and carrots, mixed with butter and thyme.

Zucchini Pizza

Cashew and garlic mixture.

When my friend sent me this recipe for a vegetarian zucchini pizza, I was skeptical.  One bite later, I was a fan! It’s hard to believe that the combination of zucchini, garlic, onion and cashew-based sauce (no mayo, no cheese, no ketchup!) can be so tasty!

Ran out of patience? Make some steamed carrots.

Steamed carrots

They’re tasty and easy to make. You can pair them with almost any meat or veggie, and you’ve got yourself a great, healthy meal. All you need is a bunch of carrots (say 4-5 medium carrots), cinnamon, salt, pepper and 1 tsp butter.

Cauliflower with Dijon mustard vinaigrette

This dish is one of the easiest I’ve made in a long time. It’s very simple and requires few ingredients. The flavor comes from the sauce, which has to be poured on the cauliflower florets just before eating them. You’ll need: 1 cauliflower, 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp sugar, 1 garlic clove, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp dried thyme, salt, pepper.

Instructions:

1. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into florets.
2. Steam or boil the cauliflower.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients (if you do not want a very strong garlic taste, cut the garlic clove into pieces, steep it in the vinaigrette for 10-15 minutes, then take it out).
4. Pour vinaigrette on warm cauliflower florets before eating.

Credits: I got this recipe from Elizabeth Baird (2006) Cook’s Own: Vegetables. Toronto: Madison Press Books.

Baked Zucchini with Feta

I don’t know how you usually cook zucchinis, but this can be a tasty alternative. It’s a bit more time-consuming, as it requires that the zucchinis are first grated, then boiled and then tossed in the oven. Although you could use any type of cheese, I would strongly recommend you stick with feta for this recipe.

You’ll need: 5-6 zucchinis, 200-300 gr. feta, 1 tbsp white flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tbsp butter.

Zucchini by maesejose

Instructions:

1. Peel the zucchini and coarsely grate them.
2. Bring water to boil, then add the zucchini and continue boiling for 10 -15 minutes.
3. In a small frying pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Incorporate the milk, little by little, stirring continuously.
4. Drain the zucchini and put them in an oven-proof dish.
5. Add the white sauce and crumble the feta on top. Mix and put in the oven for 30 minutes or until done (350F).

Another Quiche

I made another quiche, but there’s a trick to it: I’ve used Saba to cook the veggies. And it was simply delicious. I find quiches quick to prepare if you have some frozen dough. Saba is a syrup from grapes that is thick and sweet; it works really well with the veggies I used for this quiche (onion, mushrooms and bell peppers). I am out of Saba right now, so I’m looking for it at the Italian stores in Calgary.

Quiche: Before and After

For this quiche, use the following ingredients: dough for the crust, 3-4 eggs, 4-5 mushrooms, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, oil, salt, pepper and basil. If you don’t have Saba, use a bit of balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tbsp of honey.

Instructions:

1. Using your hands, press the dough into an oven dish.
2. Cut onion, mushrooms and bell pepper into thin strips.
3. In a frying pan, fry the onion using 1 tbsp of oil. When onion is translucent, add mushrooms and bell pepper.  Add salt, pepper and basil. Add the Saba or the balsamic vinegar with honey, and mix well. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Transfer the veggies from the frying pan into the oven dish (pour any liquid from the frying pan).
5. Mix 3-4 eggs thoroughly and pour them over the veggies.
6. Put in the oven (350F) for 30 minutes or until the eggs turn golden.