Cheesy Zucchini Saute

We have tons of zucchini growing out in the yard, so I have been looking for new ways to cook it besides just frying it in a fry pan.  This recipe was so good!  I couldn't stop eating it, even as I was putting the leftovers away I kept snacking.  

I had a couple of ears of leftover sweet corn, so I added corn.  I thought that made it especially good.  This was a wonderful new way to cook zucchini!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup diced fresh tomato
• 2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in the zucchini, basil, salt and garlic powder. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, tomato and olives.
• Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 157 calories, 13 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 40 mg cholesterol, 416 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Taste of Home Winning Recipes

Meatball Subs

I love meatball subs, but have never thought to make them myself at home.  The other night I had a craving for one and decided there was no reason I couldn't make some.


I found a meatball recipe in my Taste of  Home Cookbook that didn't require the meatballs to be baked and they turned out great!  This was a yummy meal!  


Ingredients:

2 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 lb. ground pork
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped onion
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Provolone cheese slices
4 sub rolls

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley.  Crumble pork over mixture, then sprinkle with cheese and mix well.  Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside.

In a large skillet, bring the spaghetti sauce to a boil.  Carefully add meatballs to sauce.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Preheat oven to 350*.  Cut sub rolls open.  Fill rolls with meatballs and sauce, cover with Provolone cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted.

I had leftover sauce and meatballs, so the next night I cooked some pasta and we had pasta and meatballs.  Two nights of meals, hooray!

Blueberry Meadows Delicious Blueberry Pie

We live on a blueberry farm, so my mother-in-law has passed down several amazing blueberry recipes.  This is my favorite pie recipe.  I had never had a cold blueberry pie before I met my mother-in-law, and I actually like it better than a warm pie.  You can use fresh berries or frozen for this recipe.

Ingredients

• Baked 9" pie shell or graham cracker crust
  3/4 cups sugar
  3 tbs corn starch
  1/8 tsp salt
  1/4 cup water
  4 cups blueberries
  1 tbs butter
  1tbs lemon juice
  whipped cream

Directions

• Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan.  Add water and 2 cups blueberries.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture comes to a boil and is thick and clear.  Mixture will be quite thick.
• Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon juice.
• Cool.
• Stir in remaining berries.
• Pour into a pie shell and cover with whipped cream.  Chill and serve.

Recipe by Gail Matthews

Italian Chicken Wraps

This was a very easy meal that everyone liked.  Worth a try on a busy evening.

• 6 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
• 2 packages (6 ounces each) ready-to-use grilled chicken breast strips
• 1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
• 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), room temperature

Directions

• In a large saucepan, cook vegetables according to package directions; drain. Stir in the chicken, salad dressing and cheese. Simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Spoon about 3/4 cup down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly.  I actually baked my tortillas with olive oil on them and then covered them with Italian dressing and some Parmesan cheese.
• Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 wrap equals 290 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 40 mg cholesterol, 1,129 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1-1/2 starch.

Taste of Home Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010

Pineapple Stuffed Burgers

These burgers were incredible!  A very different taste and absolutely delicious!  Make sure you have a lot of napkins, they are messy, but oh so good!

• 
  
• 4 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)  I used ground pork
• 4 slices unsweetened pineapple
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 lettuce leaves

Directions

• In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, shape beef into eight patties. Place pineapple slices on four patties; top with remaining patties. Seal edges; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Using long-handled tongs, dip a paper towel in cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill burgers, covered, over medium-hot heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear. Serve on buns with sauce and lettuce. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 burger equals 454 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 69 mg cholesterol, 892 mg sodium, 62 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 26 g protein.

Taste of Home Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010

Zucchini Pasta

This is actually my very own recipe.  I wanted to make pasta with zucchini and summer squash from the garden, but I had no spaghetti sauce or olive oil.  I decided to try using salsa.  This turned out so good!  None of us could wait to heat it up for lunch again the next day.

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini, sliced
2 Summer Squash, sliced
1/2 sweet onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 lb ground pork sausage
1 jar salsa
2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In skillet brown sausage.  When cooked through, add jar of salsa.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer.

In second skillet, saute onion, garlic, zucchini, and summer squash.

Cook macaroni and add to sausage mixture.  Stir in zucchini mixture.  Simmer together until hot.  Serve.

Classic Macaroni Salad

I was looking for a recipe to make a macaroni salad.  I came across this recipe and everyone loved it.  It has a sweeter taste than most macaroni salads I have had and I actually liked it better because of this.  A definite must try as an addition to a summer cookout.

Ingredients

• 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 5 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green olives
• 1/4 cup grated carrot (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 390 | Total Fat: 18.7g | Cholesterol: 8mg

www.allrecipes.com

Sweet and Sour Cashew Chicken

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Cookbook, but decided to modify it based on the ingredients I had.  It called for pork as the meat and snow peas for the vegetable.  This was fabulous!  It had a great flavor to it and my family cleaned their plates.  Excellent easy summer meal!

•  Servings 4
• Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1 tablespoon sherry or chicken broth
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup unsalted cashews
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 teaspoons ginger 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups Zucchini and summer squash julienned
• 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
• Hot cooked rice, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and sherry until smooth; add chicken and toss to coat. In another bowl, combine sugar and remaining cornstarch. Stir in the water, vinegar, soy sauce and ketchup until smooth; set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in hot oil until no longer pink. Add the cashews, onions, ginger and garlic; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add zucchini, squash, and pineapple; stir-fry until zucchini ans squash are crisp-tender.
• Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve over rice if desired. Yield: 4 servings.