Zucchini Frenzy

And we're back. I finally have an apartment. With a kitchen. And a sink. And a dishwasher. And a stove. And no mice. And air conditioning. Therefore, the conclusion is - it's time to start throwing parties again. We're easing our way back into the game. This time taking on the challenge of zucchini.

Ratatouille
from Niko

It is one of those recipes that you can change according to what you find at the farmer's market.

1. In a large pot over high heat, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil.

2. Mince a clove of garlic and chop a medium onion. (If you want to add a red or green sweet pepper, chop it now). Add to the pot when the oil is hot, and cook for a couple minutes on high heat, stirring. Turn heat down to medium low, or as you need to simmer.

3. Slice an eggplant (more if you want), about 1/4 inch thick. Add half an eggplant to the pot, stir. Let it cook for a few minutes. Add the second half of the eggplant, stir. Let it cook for a few minutes. Add more olive oil as necessary so the pot is not too dry.

3. Slice zucchinis (about 3 medium), about 1/4 inch thick. Add one to the pot, stir. Let it cook for a few minutes. Repeat.

4. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Chop 3-4 medium tomatoes and add to the pot.

6. Simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want less liquid, simmer longer.

Goat Cheese & Zucchini Pizza

taken from http://www.purplefoodie.com/

10oz / 300g pizza dough (add in your favourite herbs for a flavourful pizza crust)
4 oz / 113g goat cheese, at room temperature
Few leaves of fresh basil, cut into thin slivers
1/2 medium yellow zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 medium green zucchini, sliced thinly as well
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450F/230C degrees. Roll your pizza dough into a thin 10 inch circle and lay it on a tray or stone that has been dusted lightly with cornmeal.
2. With an offset spatula (more use than just icing cakes!) spread the cheese on the pizza dough. Sprinkle over salt and freshly ground pepper and scatter the fresh basil slivers over the cheese.
3. Arrange the zucchini coins in concentric circles over the goat cheese spread, overlapping them (alternate their colors to make it look pretty!) Drizzle with olive oil and finish with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of your pizza are golden brown and the zucchini looks roasted and a little curled up at the edges.
5. Transfer to plate, slice it up and share if you can.

Meatloaf
taken from www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined.

Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Calabacitas Guisada

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small white onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (Used Del Monte Mexican Recipe to include jalapeño, garlic and cumin)
salt to taste
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Directions: Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heatCook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until soft, about 5 minutes.Add the zucchini slices and stewed tomatoes and stir gently.Cover and cook until the zucchini is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.Remove from heat, season with salt, and add the Cheddar cheese.Allow to sit until the cheese has melted.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Zucchini Cobbler
taken from www.allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups peeled, chopped zucchini
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, chilled
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice untilzucchini is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon andnutmeg and cook one minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch baking dish. Ina large bowl, combine flour and 2 cups sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or twoknives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup of butter mixture intozucchini mixture. Press half of remaining butter mixture into bottom of prepared pan.Spread zucchini mixture over top of crust, and sprinkle remaining butter mixture overzucchini. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden. Serve warm or cold.

Spiced Zucchini Cookies

Strawberries Galore

It looks like the theme that we're sticking with for these events is fruit, and this time it was strawberries. Strawberries were much easier to work with and not quite as overpowering as avocado. (I'm convinced no fruit could be as powerful as avocado.) Here was the menu:

APPETIZERS

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Shrimp & BBQ Sauce










Spinach & Strawberry Salad










Chicken & Pineapple

MAIN COURSE

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Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork with Strawberry BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground Cumin
• 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Salt
• 2 tablespoons Brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon Thyme
• 3 pounds Pork shoulder roast
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 1 Onion
• 2 tablespoons Cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder
• 2 pounds strawberries

Brine the shoulder for up to 4 hours (though we did just 1 hour for the potluck) in water to cover and 2 tablespoons of both salt and brown sugar. Remove shoulder from brine.
Brown the shoulder on all sides in the pressure cooker pan. Next, place a rack under the shoulder in the bottom of the pressure cooker and add all remaining ingredients, leaving aside two cups of the strawberries.
Close the lid and bring up to 15 pounds of pressure. Cook for 45min at pressure.
Remove the shoulder and add the remaining 2 cups of strawberries. Cook down sauce until your desired consistency is reached.

DESSERT

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Strawberry Freeze

Ingredients

• 12 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 12 oz. frozen berry juice concentrate
• 1 cup crushed strawberries
• 8 oz. cool whip
• 2 cups whole strawberries, cut in half
  

Arrange cookies in single layer on bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in juice concentrate. Stir in crushed strawberries. Whisk in COOL WHIP until well blended. Pour over cookies in pan. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 min. before serving; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with berry halves just before serving.

Taken from www.kraft.com

*Note: A substitution was made from 12 oz. of frozen berry concentrate to 12 oz. of fruit punch concentrate. If possible, I would avoid this substitution.

*Other Note: I obviously forgot to take a picture of this dessert alone. Oops.

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 tube of sugar cookie dough
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 8 oz. cool whip
• Assorted fruit (grapes, kiwi, berries, etc)

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll cookie dough out evenly in the shape of a pizza on a cookie sheet or pizza sheet. Mix Cream Cheese with Cool Whip, spread on cookie like pizza sauce. Cut up fruit and arrange prettily on pizza. Serve like pizza!!

Recipe taken from Madison Eggert-Crowe.

*Note: Many cookies were made instead of one big cookie & only put strawberries on it. Make alterations as necessary.

Yogurt & Berries










Strawberry Crisp

DRINKS

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Smoothies
Daiquiris

Avocados for the day!

Who knew there were so many ways to prepare avocados?! This would have been up a lot sooner if my computer hadn't crashed, and I don't quite have access to the pictures right now, but once I do I will post them up. Avocado day turned out great, but I think it's going to be a while before I go out to buy one of these again. Here are the recipes!

BEVERAGES

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Avocado Milkshakes (Bill)

Ingredients:

• 1 liter milk
• 2-3 halved and peeled avocados
• 1/2 cup sugar

Blend on medium speed in the blender for 3-5 minutes.

Avocado Daiquiris (Bill)

Ingredients:

• 1+1/2 oz. light rum
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/4 avocado
  

Crush ice in blender. Add rum, lime juice, and 1/4 medium avocado in blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Pour into glass and garnish with lime wedge.

APPETIZERS

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Guacamole (Chrystina)

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Cut the avocados into halves. Remove the seeds, and scoop out the pulp into a small bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado. Stir in lemon juice, onion, salt, and olive oil. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Notes: It doesn't taste as good with lime in it because it makes it too sweet. When 4 avocados were used it was enough for 8 people as an appetizer (with other food on the table). Make sure the avocados are ripe enough to be mushed.

Found on http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-guacamole/Detail.aspx

Emeril's Fried Avocado with Yummy Dip (Shannon)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 4 firm-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and each sliced into 8 even pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 teaspoon Essence, plus more for seasoning, recipe follows
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce and avocado slices. Soak for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, red onion, Serrano pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. Chill until ready to use.

In a medium Dutch oven or deep-fryer, fill oil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches (no more than halfway up the sides of the pan.) Heat oil to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat.

Combine cornmeal, flour, Essence, baking powder, and the remaining teaspoon of salt in a shallow dish. Dredge soaked avocado slices in the cornmeal mixture, shaking to remove excess cornmeal.

Place avocado slices in the hot oil and fry until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove slices and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with additional Essence. Serve immediately with spicy lime crema and garnish with lime wedges.

Avocado Soup (Matt M)









Avocado Salad (Amanda)

THE MAIN COURSE

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Avocado Lasagna (Nevin)

DESSERT

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Avocado Icecream (Johanna)