Recipe Swap Roundup - Summer Vegetables

Can you believe it's August already? Where did summer go? When trying to pick a theme for this week's recipe swap I decided I needed to highlight one of my favorite parts of summer - vegetables. There is nothing better than going to a farmers market in the summer and seeing the bounty of produce for sale.

Heather enjoyed a light recipe for Corn Chowder with Summer Vegetables:


Mary Ellen enjoyed her Summer Squash and White Bean Saute:


Ellie made her first bread recipe with Zucchini-Cranberry Bread:


The Cookaholic Wife was thrilled to get her recipe for Tomato Sauce since she had a bounty of tomatoes from her coworkers to use up:


Krystal isn't a big veggie lover but even she fell in love with her recipe for Sesame Green Beans:


Jaida made my recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes:


Melissa really enjoyed her Chilled Cucumber Soup:


Christine was able to use ingredients from her CSA share for her Baked Squash recipe:


I made Big Grandma's Stuffed Artichokes:


Melissa made Grilled Zucchini with Couscous, Spinach, and Cheese:


Jey made Grilled Garlic Vegetable Salad:


Moviegirl03 made a hearty Grilled Veggie Sandwich:

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Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce

My basil plant went crazy a few weeks ago so I decided to make pesto and freeze it. When I was trying to come up with a meal plan for the week I saw this recipe for Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce and remembered the pesto. Done and done.


Even though the recipe calls for large zucchini and summer squash, I felt there was too much of each and not enough tomato. Next time I'll use smaller squash and up the tomatoes. Also, I hate when tomato skin loosens from the flesh so I tossed the tomatoes in at the end, along with the pesto.

All in all this was a delicious and easy meal. Even SP, a spaghetti hater (I don't know what's wrong with him), cleaned his plate.

Spaghetti with Summer Vegetable Sauce
Very slightly modified from Cooks Country, August/September 2011

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 small summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper
1 pound spaghetti
6 tablespoons basil pesto
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
Grated cheese

Bring water and some salt to in a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain pasta. Return to the pot.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in squash and zucchini and stir until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until liquid is reduced, about 2 minutes.

Toss vegetables, tomatoes and pesto with pasta, adding reserved pasta water to thin the sauce as needed Serve with grated cheese.

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Recipe Swap Roundup - Vegetarian

A lot of people I know are trying to eat more vegetarian meals. If you're anything like me, you need some help making a meatless meal exciting enough that you (or the people you're cooing for) don't miss the meat. Here are some excellent options from this week's cooking board recipe swap.

Heather's recipe for Crab and Corn Chowder, which includes crab tha can be omitted, was a hit with her Maryland-native husband:


Caitlin's recipe for Spinach Balls brought back happy childhood memories:


This was Golda's first time participating in the swap and she was happy she did when she received Eggplant Parmesan:


My recipe for Mediterranean Grain Salad was delicious and incredibly versatile:


Melissa had another easily adaptable recipe for Taco Pizza:


The Cookaholic Wife went way out of her comfort zone with Slow Cooked Red Curry:


Jey was very excited to try Spicy Grilled Eggplant Pasta:


Jaida had a wonderful Candied Orange & Walnut Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette:


Melissa really enjoyed her recipe for Black Bean and Salsa Soup:


Nicole had my incredibly easy yet incredibly delicious recipe for Portobello Parmesan:


And another Parmesan recipe, this time Tofu Parmesan from Moviegirl03:

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Recipe Swap - Mediterranean Grain Salad

Want to see what other Vegetarian recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Vegetarian Recipe Swap Roundup.

This week's cooking board recipe swap theme was vegetarian. Like I said when my life board did a vegetarian swap, I was nervous about the recipe I might get. Not to worry, this Mediterranean Grain Salad was delicious, easy to make and didn't involve ingredients I'd never cooked with.


You can use any kind of grain as the base for this salad. I chose orzo because SP loves it and I had a box in the pantry all ready to go. The mix of vegetables is wonderful - very crisp and light. SP wasn't a fan of the white beans, but I loved them. I just wish the feta had been sharper. It got lost in the shuffle, but I know that was due to the brand we bought.



Mediterranean Grain Salad
Caitlin's Cooking and More

3 cups cooked and cooled grain of your choice (barley, rice, couscous, pasta, etc.)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup olives, roughly chopped (grab a variety from the olive bar)
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley through feta, stirring gently to combine. Cover and allow to sit either at room temperature or chilled for at least 30 minutes. Fold in the walnuts, and serve.

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Recipe Swap - Portobello Parmesan

I love participating in recipe swaps but I have to admit I was nervous about doing the vegetarian-themed one. We are a meat and potatoes family and I was worried we'd end up with something involving a lot of ingredients I don't normally cook with. Imagine my relief when my recipe was for Portobello Parmesan, courtesy of Lishie over at DeLish!


As you know by now, SP is a serious mushroom fan so this was right up his alley. And it couldn't be easier to make. I think it took me 10 minutes from wiping the mushrooms to putting the casserole dish in the oven. I love meals like that! Thanks for a real winner, Lishie!

Portobello Parmesan
DeLish!

8 small OR 4 large portobello mushrooms, wiped, stems removed
olive oil
salt & pepper
3-4 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large skillet or grill over medium heat. Brush the portobello caps with the olive oil on both sides. Salt and pepper each cap. Place in the skillet or grill about 5 minutes per side.

In an oiled baking dish, spread 1 cup marinara sauce. Place the mushroom caps, bottom facing up, on the sauce. Ladle more sauce into each cap. Place shredded mozzarella onto each cap, then top with shredded parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbling and browned

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