Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta (from Real Simple, Total Time: 20 minutes, Servings: 4)

Ingredients

·         1 pound gnocchi, fresh or frozen

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         3 yellow squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 3/4-inch pieces

·         3 cloves garlic, chopped

·         kosher salt and black pepper

·         4 oz. Feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

·         1/3 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions

1.       Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.

2.       Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.       Add the squash to the gnocchi and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the Feta and basil. Season with pepper.

Another simple recipe that was pretty tasty.  My only complaint is that it was a little too salty for me, so when I make it again I’ll omit the added salt.  Overall, though, it was good.  The gnocchi was light, soft and chewy.  When paired with the crisp yellow squash, it was fantastic.  My husband also really enjoyed this dish, which is always a plus in my book.  I may add a little more garlic next time, but other than that, no changes (except less salt!).

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta (from Real Simple, Total Time: 20 minutes, Servings: 4)

Ingredients

·         1 pound gnocchi, fresh or frozen

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         3 yellow squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 3/4-inch pieces

·         3 cloves garlic, chopped

·         kosher salt and black pepper

·         4 oz. Feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

·         1/3 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions

1.       Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.

2.       Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.       Add the squash to the gnocchi and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the Feta and basil. Season with pepper.

Another simple recipe that was pretty tasty.  My only complaint is that it was a little too salty for me, so when I make it again I’ll omit the added salt.  Overall, though, it was good.  The gnocchi was light, soft and chewy.  When paired with the crisp yellow squash, it was fantastic.  My husband also really enjoyed this dish, which is always a plus in my book.  I may add a little more garlic next time, but other than that, no changes (except less salt!).

Baked Squash and Pesto Gratin

Baked Squash and Pesto Gratin (adapted from Avocado Pesto, Servings: 4, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         2 large yellow summer squash

·         2 medium tomatoes

·         ⅓ cup basil pesto

·         1 cup shredded Italian cheese

·         salt and pepper

Instructions

1.)    Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.)    Grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish with pesto.

3.)    Slice the squash and tomatoes into ¼ inch rounds.

4.)    Layer squash and tomatoes in a baking dish, brushing tops of each layer with pesto and sprinkling some salt and pepper.

5.)    Top with shredded cheese.

6.)    Bake for 45 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the cheese has started to brown.

I had an open jar of pesto that I wanted to use and this recipe seemed like a perfect “excuse”.  I love summer squash – and if you pair it with cheese, it’s kind of difficult to go wrong.  I used the same ingredients as the original recipe, except that I used shredded Italian cheese because that’s what we had in our refrigerator.  I also made this into a casserole, whereas the original recipe says to use one baking sheet.

The taste was very Italian-ish, with the pesto and cheese.  The squash stayed a bit crunchy, which was a nice consistency against the soft tomato.  Overall, not a bad dish and pairs well with Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage-less sausage.

Veggie Burgers

Veggie Burgers (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, 8 servings, 1.5 hours)

Ingredients

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         ½ small onion, grated

·         2 cloves crushed garlic

·         1 cup shredded carrots

·         1 small summer squash, shredded

·         1 small zucchini, shredded

·         1 ½ cups rolled oats

·         ¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

·         1 egg, beaten

·         1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

1.      Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat, and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender.

2.      Mix in the carrots, squash, and zucchini. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes.

3.      Remove pan from heat, and mix in oats, cheese, and egg. Stir in soy sauce, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate 1 hour.

4.      If grilling, preheat the grill for high heat.

5.      (from Original recipe) Place the flour on a large plate. Form the vegetable mixture into eight 3 inch round patties. Drop each patty into the flour, lightly coating both sides.

6.      If grilling, oil the grill grate, and grill patties 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through and nicely browned.

a.       If cooking stovetop, lightly oil a sauté pan and cook patties for about 4-5 minutes on each side over medium-high heat.

I tired these two ways – one with coating in flour and one without.  I liked the ones without flour better – they had a better flavor.  I used my food processor to shred the vegetables, it made things much easier.  I also cut up the carrots into smaller pieces so that they wouldn’t overwhelm the burger mix.  They browned nicely on the outside and stayed soft and tender on the inside.  I thought that they tasted OK, but I have had better homemade burgers.  I wanted to try one without beans, but the ones with are tastier (in fact, this was really light on any taste whatsoever).  They were good with ketchup!  (My husband liked them, though, which is odd.)

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole (Total Time: 1.5 hours, Servings: 6)

When we were on vacation in San Francisco, I ordered a delicious Polenta Lasagna at an Italian restaurant.  The polenta was creamy, the sauce was a thick marinara, there were a few veggies mixed in with the ricotta – overall, it was a pleasing stack of food to look at and eat!  This was my try at somewhat replicating this dish while trying my hand at a homemade pasta sauce. 

I started the process by making a homemade Arrabbiata Sauce from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

•  Approx.. 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes – I used two 14.5 oz. petite diced, one 14.5 oz. chipotle, and one 14.5 oz. with green chiles.
•  2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
2. Stir in garlic, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, salt and pepper.

While that was cooking, I moved on to a quick and easy polenta recipe from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Pour in polenta steadily, stirring constantly.
2. Continue to stir until polenta is thickened. It should come away from sides of the pan, and be able to support a spoon.

The original recipe only call for 3 cups of water, but I added more because when I was stirring it, I knew that it would be too stiff for the lasagna.  I also added some fresh oregano and basil (maybe 1 Tbsp. each), some grated mozzarella (about ¼ cup),and some garlic salt (about ½ Tbsp.) to the polenta mixture.  

While the pasta and polenta cooked, I also fried some thinly sliced strips of zucchini and yellow squash in a dash of olive oil.  I had sprinkled some salt and pepper on them prior to cooking.

After all of the components of my dish were complete, I made into casserole.  I started by spreading a scant amount of sauce on the bottom of an 11 x 13 pan (just enough for a light “dusting”).  I  added all of the polenta, layered strips of zucchini and yellow squash, poured the remaining sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkled some Italian shredded cheddar on top.  I covered the dish in foil and baked it at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

The casserole/lasagna tasted good, but I think that next time I’ll add even more liquid (perhaps some vegetable broth) and cheese to the polenta – after I baked the dish, the polenta was kind of tough.  I will also add some parmesan or garlic powder to the veggies when I cook them.  My husband enjoyed the dish and it was not too spicy for him!  In the future, I made add some more red pepper flakes (or cayenne) to the sauce to give it a little more kick. I may also add some soy sausage to get a little more protein into the meal.  Enjoy!

Summerly Squash

We were give a huge zucchini and summer squash from an avid gardener, so I needed to make a dish based on these two ingredients.  The Summerly Squash dish is good, but I think could have more flavor (possibly because I didn't use the Bay Leaf).

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/summerly-squash/detail.aspx


I used Pam instead of vegetable oil and still got the vegetables to a nice crisp-tender state.  I drained one can of diced tomatoes with oregano and basil and used it instead of medium tomatoes to hopefully enhance the Italian flavors - it also resulted in more of a "sauce".  I skipped the bay leaf because we didn't have any - this was probably my downfall.  The dish was still good - and I added some Trader Joe's Italian Sausageless Sausage for a kick of protein.  Overall, tasty, but possibly more flavor needed with additional herbs (or a Bay Leaf!).