Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

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I love, love, love the sugar cookies with lime zest found here on this blog, but a nice (dare I say, “healthy”?) variation is this recipe of lemon-zucchini cornmeal cookies. They’re fast, easy, and they offer a convenient way to use up some of your summer zucchini. I made them for the parents and boys of my soccer team yesterday—I would recommend not mentioning that they are made with zucchini …


1/2 c. butter, room tempLemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1 t. finely grated lemon zest

1/2 t. coarse salt

1 c. flour

1/2 c. fine cornmeal

1 medium zucchini, finely grated (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 325˚. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Add flour and cornmeal and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Add zucchini and stir until a thick dough forms.

2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two parchment-lned baking sheets. Bake until cookies are light golden brown at edges, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

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Natalie was gone most of Saturday and so it was up to me to conjure up something tasty for dinner. Well, actually, it wasn’t left up to me since Natalie knew I would probably wander aimlessly around the kitchen without her guidance, so before she left she pointed me in the direction of this terrific recipe from Everyday Foods. I’m a sucker for anything “adobo sauce” and this turned out to be delicious. I would say it’s definitely a keeper.

You can find the recipe here.

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the folks over at Martha's sure take nice pictures

Brigadeiro

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Brigadeiro

So, this is a recipe I was introduced to through my husband’s Brazilian friends, but they have become one of my kids’ favorite treats

(they call them “sweets” for some reason–I like it. It sounds so ’20s.) Brigadeiro is a chocolate treat that are served at kids’ birthday parties in Brazil, but I’ve been told adults will also make a pan of it and just scoop it out of the pan, before going to the trouble of rolling them in sprinkles. They are a great, quick treat that are amazingly good.

Brigadeiro

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. cocoa (or shaved/finely chopped fine quality chocolate)
1 T. butter
3/4 c. chocolate sprinkles (jimmies)

Combine the three ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook, constantly stirring, over medium to medium-low heat. After about six minutes, the mixture will boil (big bubbles). Keep cooking until the mixture starts pulling away from the sides of the pan and when you run a rubber spatula done the bottom of the pan, a thick streak remains before refilling. It will start to look dull on the edges, and lumpy in the middle (you will almost wonder if you haven’t been stirring it well enough, but when it cools, the lumps will disappear.) When the mixture has thickened to that point (another 2-3 minutes), remove from heat. Let cool about an hour (the mixture will thicken as it cools). The trick between great Brigadeiro and okay Brigadeiro is getting it off the heat before it cooks too much–this allows the chocolate to stay a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Fill a small bowl with the chocolate sprinkles. With buttered fingers or rubber gloves (if you don’t like to get messy), roll about 1 1/2 t. of the cocoa mixture into a ball, and then into the sprinkles. To serve, place on a tray, or place each Brigadeiro in a tiny cupcake liner thing. I don’t know what these are called, but it’s what I’ve seen Brazilians place them in (please advise).  Enjoy!

Broccoli with Browned Butter

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Now that I’ve returned to the land of the non-vacationing, I’m excited to catch up a little.

I got this recipe from a friend of a friend, as we talked on the 40th floor of a Manhattan skyrise. She whispered it to me like it was one of the best secrets in the world, and I think she’s right. Luckily, this side can be ready quickly, so it’s frequently on our dinner table–and all the broccoli is always eaten.

Broccoli with Browned Butter

2 bunches of broccoli, florets cut off, and stems peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks (if using)
2-3 T. butter, salted

Steam the broccoli in a steaming basket over a pot or in the microwave with a little water for 7-8 minutes. (It’s important to not steam it for longer than 9 minutes, because at that point, broccoli starts turning the sickly color of puce instead of staying bright.) Immediately remove the broccoli from the heat source (take the lid off the steamer basket if using), and place in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter, shaking the handle gently, until the butter has browned, but being careful not to let it burn. Definitely stand over it the first time, and adjust the heat if it’s browning too quickly or not fast enough. As soon as it starts to brown, remove it from the heat and pour it over the broccoli. Delish! Serves about 3-4 people.

Buttermilk and Lemon Scented Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Syrup

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Food Network – Emeril Lagasse, 2000

For a lemon lover like myself, this is the perfect pancake.  I also revamped the recipe some by using all whole-wheat flour with a bit of extra baking powder for fluff and adding blueberries to each pancake while being cooked. (Good with maple syrup, even.)  Mmmmm!

Ingredients

  • 1 pint fresh blueberries, stemmed and hulled
  • 2 cups light corn syrup
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, finely chopped
  • 1/2 stick butter, cut into 10 equal slices
  • Shaker confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a nonreactive saucepan, over medium heat, combine the blueberries and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and with a hand potato masher, mash the berries. Keep warm.

In a small mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and butter until fully incorporated. Add the sifted ingredients to the milk mixture and whisk until it is slightly smooth, but still has some lumps. Fold in the lemon zest and allow the batter to sit for a couple of minutes. Lightly grease a griddle over medium heat. Cooking in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the batter bubbles and is golden brown, flip over and continue to cook until golden brown. Repeat the above process with the remaining batter. Stack the pancakes on each serving plate. Place a pat of butter between each layer. Drizzle the pancakes with the syrup and garnish with the confectioners’ sugar.

Stuffed Grilled Zucchini

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There is a plethora of zucchini at the farm share lately.  We grilled tonight so I decided to look for a good grilled zucchini recipe.  I made a couple of modifications to a recipe I found online.  It was a winner.

Stuffed Grilled Zucchini

  • 4 medium zucchini
  • 5 t. olive oil, divided
  • 1/4 C. finely chopped onion (red will work, but I used vidalia.  Yum!)
  • 1 t. minced garlic
  • 1/2 C. dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 C. + 3 T. shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 T. minced fresh basil (I used cinnamon basil)
  • 1/2 t. salt

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shells. Brush with 2 teaspoons oil; set aside. Chop pulp. In a large skillet, saute pulp and onion in remaining oil. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add bread crumbs; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the 1/4 C. parmesan cheese, basil and salt. Spoon into zucchini shells. Sprinkle with 3 T. parmesan cheese. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Since my kids won’t eat zucchini, it’s nice to have other options for using it. I came across this recipe a few years ago, and I really like it. It’s more like a muffin, really, but the cream cheese frosting makes it irresistible to the kids (and of course I either have to leave out the nuts or grind them in a food processor so the kids don’t detect them). These cupcakes are another great way to use some of that summer squash.

Zucchini Cupcakes

Note: These are also really great filled. Rather than spreading the frosting on top, take a melon baller and scoop out a ball of cake from the underside of cupcake. Pipe in some frosting using a sandwich baggie (snip off a corner and squeeze the frosting through the hole) or a pastry bag, and then replace the ball of cake to hide the frosting. It’s, of course, a great surprise.

Crisp Goat Cheese Salad

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This recipe is from Martha’s Great Food Fast–the book that is based off of Everyday Food magazine recipes. This salad has become one of my favorites (warm goat cheese is heaven), but I’ve never included the potatoes–well, at least not yet. Rather, I usually add raspberries or slice strawberries, or just leave it greens and cheese.

Crisp Goat Cheese Salad

1/2 c. olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
3 large red potatoes (1 lb. )
1 large egg
1 1/2 c. plain breadcrumbs
1 12-oz. log of goat cheese (most economically priced at BJs, Costco, or surprisingly, Whole Foods)
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. grainy or dijon mustard
8 oz. mesclun or mixed salad greens

Heat the broiler. Brush a baking sheet with oil, set aside. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water, then bring to a boil. Simmer until just fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. When cool enough, cut into 1″chunks.

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg with 1/4 t. salt and pepper. Place breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. Slice the goat cheese into 8 rounds and pat each into a disk about 1/2 ” thick. Dip disks into egg and then the breadcrumbs, coating evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and 1/4 t. each of salt and pepper. Slowly add 1/4 c. of the oil, whisking to emulsify. Set aside.

Brush the disks lightly with the remaining 1/4 c. oil and broil until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.

Toss the greens & potatoes in the dressing. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with 2 cheese disks (or give everyone one disk each, and fight for the remaining four!)

Mexican Street Corn with Crema

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So, I know I already posted a similar recipe earlier this month, but I tried this one, and I thinks it’s a five star. The other’s a 4 1/2. It doesn’t have mayo, which I prefer, and the sauce is incredible.

Mexican Street Corn with Crema

1 c. cream
1 c. sour cream (light sour cream works fine, too)
1 t. salt
6 ears of corn
2-3 limes, cut into wedges
1 t. cayenne pepper or chili powder (optional)

Combine the sour cream, cream and salt in a small bowl, whisk together, and then cover with plastic. Let sit at room temperature for 3 hours (it will thicken).

To cook the corn, you have two options. The first is to cook the corn according to the other recipe. The second is to heat an oven to 400 degrees/ Remove the silks from the corn (peel the husks back halfway, remove the silks, then cover the corn again), and soak the corn for 20 minutes in water. Place the corn on a baking sheet with the husks intact, and bake for 20 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove the husks, or pull the husks away from the corn to serve as handles (if you do this, make sure to cover only the husks with aluminum foil on the cookie sheet before the next step). Just before serving, heat the broiler, and broil the corn directly under the flame for 4 minutes (some of the kernels will blacken). You can also grill the corn, in the same manner, over med.-high flames (20 minutes with husks on, 5 minutes with husks removed).

Serve by pouring the 1-2 T. crema on top of the corn, and squeezing lime juice on top (dip the lime in the cayenne pepper before squeezing it on top for some mild heat).