This year I decided to start my zucchini plants from seed, and they did so well that every single seed sprouted. Turns out my next-door neighbor had not yet purchased hers for the year, so I shared my seedlings with her. WOW are they going crazy! We often get 2-4 fruit per plant per week, and multiply that by the 8 plants between us and there's more zucchini than we know what to do with some days. A big thank you to anyone who helps us out by accepting our gifts of squash this time of year at a pool party, camping trip, or when one of us takes a haul to work!! The next-door neighbor and I have tried numerous ways to preserve them for use down the line, and ultimately found that shredding them, then freezing in air-tight bags, is the best way. So, between breads and scrambles and additions to spaghetti sauce later in the year, we can use these lovelies all year round. But, even when they are fresh, I find myself making this recipe. Ingredients
Directions
We have tried these with the addition of feta and a balsamic drizzle, with a cheese sauce on top, and even just plain. The ways to dress them up are endless. My kiddos can be pretty picky, but don't seem to complain about these much - even the one who claims to hate all things zucchini. Guess I'll have to try them out on my dad next. Cuz if he likes them, I definitely have a winner on my hands! Xoxo, Michelle
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As summer approaches, I loathe cooking indoors most nights. Where we live the cost of electricity skyrockets from 5-8pm, and I am not about heating the house up just so we can run the A/C harder. Nope. Why even? Last year at the end of the summer sales, the BBQ I had been eyeing for 2 years went on sale and I convinced the Hubs that I had to have it so I could make it into my outdoor kitchen. You will find me cooking almost anything on that bad boy.. Pizzas lifted up with bricks, veggies from the garden, and even bacon for BLTs on the side burner when food just sounds terrible and temperatures max out at over 110° F Recently I have been craving red meat. The biggest craving has been for garlic-citrus marinated meat which just happens to be perfect because we are swimming in citrus between all of our trees. Ingredients-5 large garlic cloves - minced 1 lemon - zest removed, then cut in half and juiced 2 T soy sauce 1 1/2 EVOO 1 t Worcestershire sauce Fresh thyme Fresh oregano 1 t each salt and pepper Directions
If you have any patience at all, 24 hours is like a miracle for the flavor, but we all know I don't think ahead like that. A craving is a craving! Get in my mouth NOW! We like to pop the meat onto a scorching hot bbq, turn it way down low and pull it off when the digital probe thermometer yells at us that the internal temp has been reached. The USDA says that 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allowing to rest for at least 3 minutes is best. We like to go for a solid 140 °F and rest for 10 minutes under foil to let the juices redistribute. Did you try it? Let me know what you think!
Xo, Michelle Are you kidding me with the quick and easy dinner? I mean honestly, this Pork Fried Rice literally takes less than 15 minutes to have on the table. If I have talked about my sweet Cantonese neighbor once I've talked about her a billion times. She is literally the best thing. Today she called and said "Hi Michelle, you want soup? Come over right now, okay?" and of course I had no idea what she had made, but I knew it would be delicious and almost forgot my shoes as I scurried out the door. She is 4'10" of fight and strength and kindness with a side of feeding anyone within 100 yards. She is also a giver. If she knit something cute, you are gonna take it with you, If she recently went to the store and happened to have extra bao, shumi, egg custards or other treats, my husband lucks out because I cannot eat them. Guess I can thank her though, cuz it sure does make him happy.. and you know what they say about happy husbands... nah, they still forget everything. So, when it comes to this meal, I have to hand it to her for the inspiration. She is forever handing me leftovers as I walk out the door, and on this occasion she asked if I wanted some char sui and rice as I was leaving. Tell me you would have said no! I DARE YOU! Now before you start going crazy about how char sui is made with soy sauce and therefore not gluten free, I understand that. But, perhaps my body is just crazy.. I have not once gotten sick from this dish. If you don't feel like its a good choice for you, please use a protein or vegetable that makes you feel more safe .. IngredientsSAUCE
If you cannot get your hands on char shui, you might try substituting shrimp, beef, leftover pork or even tofu. We happen to have quite the selection of Asian markets near my house, so it's not hard to stop by on my way home from school or work to grab any ingredients the neighbor didn't happen to pass along that day. Directions
I'm not gonna say that I am better at this than my neighbor, Lai.. that would be dumb! But I will say that my husband and I both agreed it was better than any take-out we had ever had. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think if you try it!
Xo, Michelle At the end of last September I planted beet seeds hoping to have beautiful beets to roast and enjoy. Unfortunately, those beets never came to fruition, instead what I got was beautiful green tops with absolutely no root end. You know what they say, when life gives you beet greens, make a tasty side dish! So, that is exactly what I did. These little guys have a flavor similar to swiss chard, but the stalks are super tender and thin. They have a red stem going up through beautiful dark leaves that give off that red juice when heated up. So, to keep the colors strong while making things tasty, I decided to blanch them first. Then, I upped the flavor with pantry staples. This particular night they became a side, but can easily become a main when coupled with a piping hot bowl of polenta. Because nothing says homey and delicious like polenta with greens. Ingredients2 bunches beet greens, washed and cut into about 1-2 inch pieces including the stems 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 t red pepper flake 1/2 t balsamic vinegar glaze 4 slices bacon Directions
Red pepper gives it a bit of a spicy bite, so if you want to dial that back, feel free. In other news, looks like I will be planting beets again this fall because even if they flop, my family will still win in the dinner department. Xo, Michelle Spring is here! The fruit tress have blossoms, flowers are blooming, the seeds I planted a few weeks ago indoors have moved outside to enjoy the sunshine and get strengthened by the breeze. While I am in my office studying, I can hear my sweet husband working in the yard through the open window. And it dawns on me, lemonade sounds divine right now. Luckily, we have a tree with a good crop this year, so I decided to whip up a batch. Most recipes I have seen over the years call for specific amounts of ingredients, but I can never tell how much juice I will get, and would rather go by the ratio method. SO, because I don't use an exact recipe with cups and ounces of this and that, I am going to attempt to explain my method to you. Part of me wants to get all geek on you and talk about how the lemon juice is the limiting reagent, and stoichiometry and other chemistry yadda yadda, but I will spare you that... for today! Ingredients1 part lemon juice 1 part sugar 6 parts water Directions
Usually we take a mason jar and fill it with ice and pour the lemonade over the top. It's a perfect treat for a day of working in the yard or studying for countless hours. Xo,
Michelle I remember as a kid that our family would have birthday celebrations with aunts and uncles and cousins at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Back then my favorite was the spinach tortellini alfredo. Something about alfredo sauce just made me happy. Today, I mostly make my own alfredo sauce and because I have with celiac, eating out is no longer as full of adventures. Tortellini today is basically out of the question. Now, on the rare occasion that we do go to the Old Spaghetti Factory, I end up ordering the brown butter and myzithra. It is the perfect balance of nutty salty and savory flavors together. However, as a student money is tight and through trial and error I have been able to replicate almost perfectly the flavor the brown butter and myzithra dish. One of the secret that I employ is to make sure that the brown butter is added at the end. Initially, I started putting the brown butter all over the pasta; however coating it with butter seems to somehow make the flavor just not pop. IngredientsServes 4 8 oz Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti 8 T unsalted butter 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed (just whack it with the flat part of the knife, don't chop) 3/4 C finely grated myzithra cheese. Important: Because there is salt in the butter (even the unsalted variety has some), the cheese, and the water, make sure that your butter is unsalted. Believe me... unless you enjoy the idea of the saltiest meal you have ever had! I found out the hard way. Directions
We love to serve this with a large side of steamed broccoli or salad. It is perfect as a quick weeknight meal, but it also a crown-pleaser when we have company over.
No matter how you serve it, it's best when it is eaten with a serving of laughter and smiles. One of my best girlfriends makes scones for me whenever she wants to do something sweet. At some point, I got the recipe from her, then found myself making tweaks to it. Recently, I stumbled upon a new combination. Dark chocolate and apricots. Sooo YUUUM! I thought of the idea when I saw dried apricots dipped in dark chocolate. Have you had them? So good! This recipe is made with almond meal as the main ingredient, so it's full of fiber, heart healthy fats, and just a little bit of that guilty pleasure we like to indulge in. Ingredients2 C Almond Meal (I used Trader Joe's brand) 1/4 t Salt 3/4 t Baking Soda 3/4 C Dried Apricots - Chopped into 1/4" chunks 1/2 C Mini Dark Chocolate Chips 1/2 t vanilla 1 Large Egg 2 T Honey or Agave Nectar Directions
If you happen to have any left over, store in an airtight container. I don't know how they hold up past 2 days, but there is no need to refrigerate. I love the sweet and tart little nuggets that are kumquats. My neighbor's tree had thousands on it and she gave me some and asked if I wanted more. At first I said no thank you, but eventually realized the error in my ways. Fast forward a few days, while I was looking through an old French cookbook of my father's a la 1976, I came across a recipe for kumquat marmalade. In that moment, I knew what I had to do.. Get. More. Kumquats! And so, I did. The recipe has a number of steps and takes a lot longer than most preserves I have made, but it allowed me to work in bursts, which honestly is better for me. Also, the set marmalade is not as thick as other jams or jellies, but that is how I prefer my marmalade, so it was perfect for us. The first jar we opened was done in a matter of days, because we had guests. They loved it, so I am hoping that you will too! INGREDIENTS2 lbs kumquats 1 lemon 6 C water 4 C sugar DIRECTIONSHere are the basic steps per The Gourmet Cookbook, Volume I (1976)
* Add seeds and ends to a cheesecloth sachet to help with pectin development (see image above)
** Being as how canning has progressed since 1976, I took some additional precautions and actually steam canned my jars of marmalade to make sure that they are well sealed and free of contaminants. Just 10 minutes, but it made me feel more comfortable with the outcome and the prospect of giving these jars to friends and family. However, I am not a canning expert and cannot speak to the safety of my method based on today's standards. |
AuthorI'm Michelle, and I've got a full plate! As a full-time dietetics student, step-mom, wife, study coach, and tutor in my late 30's, some days I'm barely scraping by. But, no matter what is on my plate, it's always gluten free! Categories
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