Cheesy Pepperoni Fingers

Looking for a quick and easy snack or appetizer in the spur of the moment.  Take cheese sticks and deli sliced pepperoni from ordinary to extraordinary in a few simple steps.
Cheesy Pepperoni Fingers
1 3 oz. pkg. deli sliced pepperoni
1 bag cheese sticks
1 8 oz. jar pizza sauce
fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400*F.
Take a slice of pepperoni and basil leaf.  Center the basil leaf in pepperoni and wrap around cheese stick. Place on baking sheet, seam side down.  Bake until pepperoni is crisp and cheese just starts to escape, about 5 minutes.  Arrange on platter around a bowl of warmed pizza sauce.
This is a fun and easy recipe that the kids can help with if they need to expel some energy.

Wu U Cookin'?

Happy Sunday All!  Just another relaxing Sunday kicking it with the family and wrapping up another beer induced NASCAR race.  Well, water for me, I drank a couple on Friday.  I put on a maintenance  free dinner of beef roast with celery and onions.  I really love my Le Creuset French oven.  I got a super deal on EBay about 2 years ago and it is a godsend.  Self basting and even heating make for a wonderfully moist and delicious piece of protein, no matter what the animal.  We noshed on store bought stuffed scallops during the race, which left much to be desired.  Nonetheless, the beef roast is amazing and coupled with garlic mashed potatoes and probably a zucchini slaw with a rice wine vinaigrette,  I say this dinner's a winner with the home team.  The family is playing a round of yard golf, which is surprisingly entertaining.  The exercise is the best part, while currently I'm only exercising my fingers!!:)  

Sweet! A Tart!

I have created another recipe using zucchini and it is quite tasty.  This recipe is great for brunch or lite dinner with salad and has a tender flaky crust.
The zucchini pairs wonderfully with the sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies.  Easy to make and appealing to the eye with a classic charm and garden freshness.!!
 I hope you enjoy my latest installment of cooking with zucchini.  Zucchini bread is delicious, but variety is the spice of life!!

Zucchini Tart w/ Sun-dried Tomatoes and Anchovies
7-9 large slices zucchini, about 1/8 inch thick
1 3/4 c. zucchini, medium dice
5 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
6 anchovy fillets, in oil
1 store bought pie crust (or homemade if time allows)
1 tbsp. Unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
1 large egg, slightly beaten and mixed with about 1 tbsp. water
2 oz. goat cheese
olive oil for drizzling
SPST
Preheat oven to 375*F.
Toss diced zucchini with sun dried tomatoes and about 1 tsp. of the tomato oil. SPST.   Set aside. 

Place pie crust on baking sheet with a sheet of parchment and carefully unroll.
  Center zucchini and tomato mix and arrange slices in circular fashion on top.  Dot with pats of butter and add anchovy fillets radiating out from center.
 Fold up edges of pie crust around edge of veggies.  SPST.
Drizzle with olive oil.
 Brush tart with egg wash and bake until golden brown and veggies are fork tender, about 35-40 minutes.
  Remove from oven and dot with goat cheese and drizzle with  olive oil.
Garnish with additional fresh cracked black pepper.  Serves 6.

Lettuce Tablescapes

Aside from being nutritious, bright and part of a balanced diet, salad greens can also serve as wonderful and organic decorative piece.  I took some designer lettuce from my garden, roots and all and placed them in a glass mug and a vase.  By designer I mean greens from a French Mesclun blend.  There are many different types of endive, spinach and chard and they work great in many different combinations.  The beauty of these tablescapes is that they are edible.  It encourages consumption and helps to cycle it out so you won't have to throw it out.  These Lettucescapes keep for several days and are fully hydrated and fresh.  I rinsed in cold water before using and they taste awesome.  So  brighten up the place while you work on the waist for virtually pennies on the dollar!!  Experiment and see what other veggies in the garden, green and otherwise to see what radical combos you can achieve and have fresh produce at your disposal without having to make several trips outback.

Zucchini Bake Friday

Neillio here,  in the lab again.  I'm testing my ability to re-invent the same foods consistently and as equally appealing and satisying.  This evening is a Zucchini Bake.  Hopefully, you may try this and feel the same way!!

Bacon Cheddar Zucchini Bake
1 large zucchini, about 5 cups sliced
1 lb. ground beef
1 soft beef bouillon cube
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
4 oz. black olives, sliced
12 oz. spaghetti sauce
granulated sugar to taste
2 tbsp. fresh basil and oregano blend
For Bacon Cheddar Bechamel:
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsp. flour
2 c. milk
1 c. mild cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 c. real bacon bits 
Olive oil for drizzling
SPST
 (Salt and Pepper to Suit your Taste  )
Preheat oven to 375*F.
On a large roasting rack and pan or baking sheet, spread out sliced zucchini and sprinkle with salt.  Let stand for about 20 minutes.  Rinse and drain. This process is to render the zucchini of  excess water as to absorb the flavors of the bake.
Brown ground beef with bouillon  over medium high heat.  While browning add onion, jalapeno and garlic.  Once no pink remains and the vegetables are softened, drain off excess fat and stir in olives and spaghetti sauce. Stir in herbs and  reduce to a simmer.  
Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce. melt butter over medium heat and heat until small bubbles start to form.   Whisk in flour and cook about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and whisk in milk.  Place back over heat, and let thicken over several minutes.  Once thickened, add cheddar and bacon. Stir to blend, and turn off heat. 
In a 3 1/2 quart baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and add 1/2 of meat sauce.  Make a layer with zucchini, covering meat sauce.  Carefully spread 1/2 of bacon cheddar sauce atop zucchini.
Repeat with remaining  meat sauce, zucchini, and cheese sauce.  Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 45 minutes and zucchini is fork tender.    Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with garlic bread and green salad.  Serves 8 to 10.

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One Zucchini, Two Zucchini, Three Zucchini, Four

Well this evening consisted of perfecting my recipe for zucchini muffins.  I sifted and measured, creamed and combined, spooned and spread my way to a satisfying consensus.  Thanks to all my testers and guinea pigs!!:)  I have not fully revised my recipe for publish, but I can tell you that it involves chocolate chips, walnuts and buttermilk.!!  My brother in law and sister's garden is in over drive and zucchini is popping out like zits on a pubescent teen!!lLOL JK. They are easily the size of your forearm and are great for casseroles and baking.  Having a grater and a mandolin are definitely recommended to manipulate the veggie and diversify it's appearance.  I made muffins, a chocolate zucchini pie with a chocolate  graham cracker crust and a batch of Bake Pops!!  I left out the sticks this time, so technically I guess they're called Cake Balls!!  I said Balls.  Sorry,  I'm a little  tired.  Alas I digress.  I also came up with a wholesome, one skillet meal using the unused portion of the 3 lb. zucchini  It was magnificent.  I used other fresh ingredients from our herb garden to round out the flavors like oregano and basil.  These herbs, along with 2 grated carrots,  1 chopped onion,  5 cloves pressed garlic, 3/4 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. uncooked macaroni, low sodium beef broth and lastly SPST (Salt and Pepper to Suit your Taste) made for a great addition to my cookbook.  Stay tuned for more recipes with zucchini, sweet and savory! It feels so good knowing that we are growing what we eat and eating what we grow.  If you don't already, you should give it a shot.  The overwhelming gratification brings you closer to achieving ZEN!  and looks darn good for our purses and wallets!Tweet

Dining with the Stars

The other day I had the pleasure of having dinner with 3 of my sisters and the fiance of one.  The air was perfumed by the aromas of  a well stocked grill, permeating the air as would the smell of fresh cut grass on a spring morning.  The cool, crisp chopped salad with quartered hard boiled eggs and a little Japanese White Sauce, was a welcomed guest in my stomach and it's demand to be satiated.  The smoke infused mussels complemented the grilled corn perfectly, it's sweetness harmonious and balanced, bright, complex.  The style of the steak was strip, well done.  I prefer mine medium rare, but the ambiance of the evening remedied that shortcoming with compliant resolve, while I noted the delicate notes of black pepper and coarsely ground sea salt.  The creatures of the night competed valiantly with the low tones of pop music that ebbed and flowed through the speakers, as they pumped and reverberated to the mood of the night.  The children had eaten earlier, so the "Mommy, Can You's?"and the "Mommy, Will You's?", had been subdued at least for the moment, tranquility.  As I slowly chewed  bites from my share of the bounty placed before me, between comments and quieted laughter, I happened to glance up at the sky.  Billions of twinkling stars contributed to the overall tawny glow of this evening, providing the perfect dimmer switch, which was decidedly blue-black.  The stars were watching, listening, absorbing the energy we  exuded with smug  complacency, a little salty, jealous even, fore there was no more room at the table!!!Tweet