Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - total time 35 minutes

My pepper plants are producing an endless supply of peppers (finally).  I typically make one of two things with sweet peppers... some sort of fajita tacos, quesadilla, casserole... or stuffed peppers.  You can change up both meals enough for it to feel like you aren't eating the same thing you had for dinner the night before. You won't hear a single complaint out of our house if tacos are in the menu for the third time this month, but you'll probably hear some sighing if I said "stuffed peppers". And I can understand, the filling to pepper ratio can be a little off for certain preferences.  For me it's the fact you have this beautiful dinner package and then the first thing you have to do is cut it up for three minutes to be able to eat it.  Why not just serve it all cut up to begin with?  Because it's not as cute that way!

Well here comes mini sweet bell peppers to the rescue!  It's like combining our not-so-favorite anymore standby with the fun of jalapeño poppers for something that works for dinner or an appetizer!  Also, we normally have done either quinoa or ground turkey for the filling.  Now I have completely converted to sausage. We get local sausage delivered by GreenBEAN Delivery and it is so good with bell peppers!  Of course we're going to add a little more vegetables for flavor and nutrients... and there you go... a dinner you can eat with your hands.  No more cutting up the cute presentation, just eat it!

Chocolate Cherry Bombs - total time 50 minutes

I looove cookies... but seriously, I need a break from them right now.  Too many Christmas cookies!  

So we were running through the produce section of our grocery store the other day (really just to grab some lettuce for tacos) and I noticed cherries.  I have always associate cherries with summer.  Cherries are the kind of fruit you can't have year-round in the produce department, so I looked into it, and it is currently the Southern hemisphere's cherry season (makes sense)!  I guess Australians associate cherries with Christmas, which made me think... Christmas is really different down under, wearing shorts in the height of summer season and celebrating Christmas... strange thought!

Any way... there are a lot of birthdays around Christmas and I have been thinking about making cake pops, but instead of a pop, a cherry stem.  So I grabbed a bag of cherries and made these super rich and chocolaty cherry bombs!  And I mean they are really gooood.  This is coming from someone who doesn't typically like chocolate cake or cherries... but these are the bomb!  (Haha... pun intended!)

Just so you know, the stems are a little finicky.  I really wanted mine to look like little cherry bombs, so I tried my hardest to keep the stem on throughout the process (specifically when dipping them in the chocolate).  These would be just as delicious balled up without the stem or even put a pop stick in them.

So before your New Years resolutions are set, get in one last indulgence!

Okra Corn Cakes - total time 30 minutes

One of the fun things that comes along with having a CSA share is the random fruits and vegetables you get.  The first year we got kohlrabi... we got tons of kohlrabi.  I had never heard of it before.  It kind of looked like a turnip, but didn't look like a root because of the leaves.  And the only real recipe available on the internets was roasted kohlrabi... so we had that often.

Now that our bin is customizable (which happened the second year), we no longer get kohlrabi... but we certainly glad we tried it!

This year's new vegetable is okra.  I have seen it before and have heard it is great in stews and fried.  But summer is no time for stews and I'm not going to fry it either.  I have also seen it growing in the community garden and the flowers on okra plants are beautiful!  So it was time to try this elusive veggie.

What better way to try this southern favorite than in a way that is completely southern... in cornbread!  The okra adds some color, a little different texture, and some crunch to your normal corn cake.  On the first time trying okra we landed on a winning recipe... yippee!

Drunken Baked Peaches - total time 20 minutes

I love peaches!  Everything about them, the flavor, the smell, the fuzzy skin... so good!  In fact, back in the day I used to use Peach Nectar body lotion from Bath & Body Works (before they retired it) and because I smelled like peaches all of the time, people started calling me peaches.

During the summer we have a plethora of peaches in the house.  Perfect for snacks, fruit salads, topping parfaits, and of course desserts.  An easy, no hassle way to make a great peach dessert is to bake them with a little bourbon and sugar.  So good!  I made these four nights in a row they were so good.  Mmm.  Might put a couple more in the oven right now.  :)

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes - total time 50 minutes

One of my friends made this awesome chocolate cake from zucchini and I remember being so surprised that something so sweet could have three cups of zucchini in it.  Seriously!  That's a lot of zucchini to be in a cake!  That was... like... seven years ago.  Now I find myself with more zucchini than I want zucchini bread and I thought back to that cake.

This cake is a bit different... it is triple chocolate cake with three cups of zucchini.  :)  The zucchini makes the cake really moist and you really can't taste it (there was a little bit of a shredded texture, so if you're worried, just shred the zucchini extra fine).  But don't tell people they are eating vegetables in their dessert.  It seems a lot of people avoid vegetables altogether sometimes.  So just leave it at "tripe chocolate cake" and everyone will be happy!

Zucchini Stuffed Shells - total time 45 minutes

If you have a vegetable garden, chance are you are swimming in zucchini right now!  Ours are coming in spurts... I don't notice any in the garden... and then all of a sudden there are a dozen... and half of them are giants!  Eep!  What to do... what to do?  

The great thing about zucchini (besides the fact one plant could feed a neighborhood) is that it doesn't have a distinct flavor, so it works well "hidden" in a ton of dishes.  

So of course I'm going to put zucchini in some stuffed shells.  I always feel just a little bit guilty eating stuffed shells with all of that cheese.  This recipe subs out half of that cheese for some shredded zucchini.  That's a great way to reduce the dairy and increase the vitamin A and C, potassium, and fiber.  Plus, it's a green veggie... extra healthy points!  And you really don't taste it... it's just like normal stuffed shells.  You have to try this, it is win-win!

Loaded Shredded Chicken Nachos - total time 20 minutes

So before I started reading about nutrition and really learned how to cook, occasionally I would just make some nachos for dinner which involved some chips, lots of cheese, and a little bit of salsa.  It was quick, of course.  Only about one minute in the microwave.  But had no nutritional value what-so-ever.  

After reading a couple books about digestion and the ways what you eat can cause certain annoying symptoms, most of which you might blame genetics on like unclear skin, stuffy nose, or trouble concentrating... I realized that there was more to food than just tasting good.  Food is really about nourishing your body because it takes a lot just to keep our heart pumping, lungs inhaling, and brain thinking.  I started to make a conscious effort to make sure vegetables always had a spot on my plate for both lunch and dinner.  I started to cut back on meats and gluten.  I tried to limit how much dairy I ate, but I just couldn't give up cheese.  It is little steps that make the difference.  Going to the extreme will leave you hungry and feeling deprived.  Being too strict makes it nearly impossible to enjoy a meal out with a friend.  With most things, a happy medium is best.

It's been several years since those old microwaved nachos days, but sometimes you just want what you want.  I follow a couple bloggers that plan out their meals as well and one of them posted that they were making nachos for dinner one night.  I've been thinking about whether nachos are really dinner food ever since.  I decided to make my version of loaded nachos and it was quite filling and loaded with veggies (and cheese!).  This makes a great quick meal that you eat with your hands.  Perfect for a casual weekend dinner or to have with a couple drinks tailgating.  

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!  A day to appreciate our freedoms and be thankful to those who secure that freedom.  Secondarily a day to watch fireworks, spend time with friends and family, and grill out.Usually we think of burgers and hot dogs when we grill out... but here are some great vegetarian options to get on your grill today (or any time this summer)!

Grilled Caesar Salad warm lettuce?  who would have thought!

Grilled Zucchini Nachos replace those fried chips with zucchini from the garden

Veggie Burgers (of course)

Grilled Peach Salad mmm... caramelized peaches

Stuffed Grilled Peppers love roasted peppers, such great flavor

Grilled Fajita Tacos use skewers to prevent slices from falling in the grill and easily portion individual tacos

Grilled Veggie Flatbread so close to how the Italians do it

Veggie Paninis so many options!

Have a great Fourth!

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta - total time 20 minutes

It's nice and warm outside now (finally), so a quick light pasta is the only kind of pasta that will do.  

I planted my garden the first weekend in May and covered it with a hoop house... getting it in the ground early and the extra heat from the plastic cover means I'm starting to get cherry tomatoes already!  They're perfect for roasting quickly in the oven along with some garlic and tossing into pasta with basil and parm.  So simple and quick, it might end up being your go-to meal this summer!

Grilled Caesar Salad - total time 15 minutes

I'm not a vegan or even vegetarian, but I have attempted both.  I have great respect for people who strictly follow a veg way of life because I am still constantly amazed with seemingly vegetarian foods not being vegetarian at all!

One time I was buying some packaged fresh mozzarella and noticed the container said 'vegetarian' on it.  That's odd, of course cheese is vegetarian, it isn't meat... that is a pretty hard line definition there.  Then I found out how cheese is made.  It's surprising to me that even though we have plant-based enzymes that can culture cheese the same way as animal-based enzymes, most cheeses are not technically vegetarian.  That's an annoying technicality I usually overlook myself, but if I notice the label says vegetarian, I'm more likely to buy it.

Another thing is gelatin, which is used in so many things that seem vegetarian like jello, fruit snacks, jams/jellies, marshmallows, mints, and more.  With the press around omega-3s over the past decade or so, food manufacturers have been adding fish oil to things like orange juice, breads, and vitamins.  And my most recent discovery (and reason for this rant) is caesar dressing includes anchovies!?  Seriously!?!

Well, the easy solution for me was to swap in buttermilk ranch dressing into my 'caesar' salad instead (I like it better any way).  But that's not all!  Grilling your romaine adds a little crunch and a bit of sweet smokiness.  And then making your own croutons means you're in control of the flavor.  Altogether, this makes one awesome salad that is totally satisfying by itself or as a side.

Sauteed Zucchini Parm - total time 20 minutes

Zucchini season is winding down, so maybe you're working with a bumper crop or just noticed that zucchini under all of those leaves that is practically the size of your leg.  This recipe is a quick one that could be a great afternoon snack or part of your lunch or dinner.  It's like mini pizzas, just without the carbs!

Canning Tomatoes - total time 2 hours

Canning tomatoes is like storing a little bit of summer and getting to open it up again when the ground is covered in snow.  It is also pretty easy to do.  As long as you have a large pot, some mason jars, and lots of tomatoes... you can do water bath canning.  Tomatoes are high enough in acidity that it doesn't require being canned in a pressure cooker.  There are only a handful of things you can can this way, and even with high acidity, you still need to be careful and follow every step.  You're not putting the preservatives and additives that food producers use in their canning process.  So follow the steps and make sure your kitchen is nice and clean before starting!

Eggplant Manicotti - total time 1 hour

It is eggplant season... and if you're like me, eggplant is one of those vegetables that you don't use often.  There aren't a lot of recipes out there for eggplant.  At least not like there are for zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, or other home garden vegetables.  Outside of eggplant parmesan and ratatouille, it can be difficult to find something to make for dinner.  And if you have a bumper crop of eggplant (or just want to try something different) that can be a problem!

One thing you will find with all eggplant recipes... it calls for "sweating" the eggplant.  If you have had eggplant before and didn't like it, maybe it tested bitter, it is probably because they didn't take the time to sweat the eggplant.  Essentially it is just letting salt remove some of the moisture from the eggplant before cooking it.  The larger the eggplant, the more important this process is.  If you pick your eggplant young or select some of the smaller asian varieties, you can get away without it, but miss an opportunity to really add some flavor with the salt.

This recipe uses sauteed eggplant essentially as noodles.  You could do steps one through two and make a number of noodle dishes, like lasagna or slice into strips for spaghetti.  I always felt eggplant seemed like an Italian vegetable and this may be why!  The eggplant noodles take on a buttery flavor and the filling is creamy and garlicy.  This will be a new summer recipe staple at our house!

Eggplant Parmesan - total time 1 hour

The first time I gave up meat for Lent, I thought it was going to be difficult to find enough recipes to keep from getting bored.  That part ended up being pretty easy.  It was eating at restaurants that ended up being complicated.  If there were any vegetarian options, it was usually limited to something super cheesy and probably pretty unhealthy, which seems like an oxymoron... unhealthy vegetarian.  Most menus (at the time) didn't have vegetarian selections, so I would ask the waitress for something without meat.. and they would always give me a blank stare and then ask me if I wanted a different kind of meat instead.

Now when I go out to eat at restaurants, I notice there are more vegetarian sections in the menus... and they usually have more than one item listed... and some of them are actually healthy and not loaded with cheese.  I'm not sure if I am just noticing it more frequently now because I am looking for it more often, the restaurants I go to now are more likely to have vegetarian, or if it really is a trend (probably helped by Meatless Mondays).

So back to that first time going meatless...  We were welcoming a new associate to our team and went to this family run Italian restaurant.  It was a Friday during Lent and the only vegetarian item on the menu was eggplant parmesan.  Nearly everyone at our table ended up with this dish.  It made me wonder if everyone really liked eggplant parmesan or if there had been other meatless dishes would there have been more variety at our table.  And really, why weren't their more vegetarian options at an Italian restaurant?!  There are so many to choose from... baked ravioli, tortelini soup, gnocchi, baked broccoli alfredo, manicotti... just to name a few.

I haven't had eggplant parmesan since that day, not because I don't like it, actually I do really like it.  There are just so many recipes out there!  So, with it being eggplant season, I decided to make this vegetarian Italian classic.

Fried Green Tomatoes - total time 15 minutes

It is Tomato Festival time in my town this weekend.  A little bit of rural fair fun close to the city.  And there is a little bit of history behind it too.  Down the street from where they set up the festival every year is where Alexander W Livingston grew the first hybrid tomatoes through hand selecting which plants to cross pollinate to encourage beneficial traits.  He would select plants based on their disease tolerance, fruit flavor, shape, and color to create the "perfect" tomato plant.  Bees have been cross pollinating flowers since the beginning of time, but this was the first time humans involved themselves in the process.  Just like how some siblings can have a trait, like blue eyes, while the other siblings do not... it took many attempts to get the desirable traits from multiple plants to come through in one plant.

So, as we celebrate tomatoes in the "birthplace" of the commercial hybrid tomato, our tradition is getting fried green tomatoes at the festival (which we did today!).  But some times you have some green tomatoes at home, especially right before the first frost, and it is very simple to fry them up at home too.  If you have some meaty ripe tomatoes, those will fry up just as well.

Poptails - total time 2.25 hours

Beach vacations always call for some cold, boozy drinks.  The forecast is 90s and sunny on the beach this week... so I'm thinking those cold drinks need to be frozen!  Before we left, I test out a couple poptail recipes... popsicle cocktails... yummy!  Just a few ingredient mixed with some booze make some really tasty frozen treats.

I experimented with four recipes... a yogurt mudslide, blackberry cheesecake, banana Nutella, and piña colada.  All were pretty tasty... but I picked two to make at the beach this time.  And the winners are yogurt mudslide and banana Nutella (the two with chocolate, I guess that isn't too surprising).  (For more ideas go to endless simmer.)

The instructions for all four poptails is the same... blend all the ingredients together, pour into popsicle mold and add popsicle stick, and freeze for about two hours (depending on your popsicle molds and freezer).  All ingredients listed below will make about eight popsicles...

Stuffed Tomatoes - total time 35 minutes

Nothing beats fresh tomatoes in the summer time!  There is a reason why tomatoes are the most home grown fruit or vegetable.  Some times they end up getting eaten like an apple right there in the garden while they are still warm from the summer sun.  The ones that make it inside are enjoyed fresh with some basil and mozzarella, cooked into different meals, made into sauce, or canned to unlock summer again in winter.

I read this book titled Tomatoland last summer.  You won't find it in my good reads list only because I felt it was kind of drawn out for a handful of good points, so I'll summarize those points in a few sentences.  At one time, tomatoes grew wild in Mexico, and if you search carefully, they still do.  The first hybrid tomato plant was grown down the street from where I live today (BTW, hybrids are not GMOs).  Most of the tomatoes we see in grocery stores are picked way before they are ripe; while they are still green and hard, so they are sprayed with a gas to ripen while in transit.  Tomato field workers travel to where the tomatoes are growing that week, get paid very little, and work in poor conditions.

Zucchini Recipes & Stuffed Zucchini - total time 1 hour

Right now is about that time of year when everyone is looking for zucchini recipes.  Whether your garden is full of them, you couldn't pass them up at the farmers market, or you're preparing for sneak some zucchini on your neighbor's porch day, you may be a little overwhelmed.  A couple of my friends have already been offering up their zucchinis!

I can't believe that only a 10 years ago I had never even heard of zucchini, much less ever ate it.  Which is why I try to make it a priority to try new foods and cook new things nearly every week.  It is easy to get into a routine of the same ten or so meals... but just think of all the things you might be missing out on... like me and zucchini!  

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable.  When I first started cooking it, it was usually just a quick saute as a side dish or baked into bread.  As I try new recipes, there are many entrees that include zucchini...

A couple recipes where zucchini is the star of the entree...
zucchini enchiladas (my favorite)
stuffed squash blossoms (well, this is before the zucchini is a zucchini)
zucchini fritters
creamy squash casserole   

A couple recipes where zucchini is the supporting role...
veggie sushi rolls
beer braised sausage & veggies
vegetarian stuffed peppers
veggie jambalaya

Fried Arts on a Cake - total time 25 minutes

So the whole food truck idea has been around forever, of course.  But in recent years it has become so popular, it is kind of crazy.  The idea is great, get your food to where the people are... totally makes sense.  But "gourmet" food from a truck?  I don't know.  I mean the deep fried Oreos and corn dogs make sense from a food truck... you only need a place to coat it in batter, then dunk it in a fry tank... very little prep space needed.  But some of these menus these food trucks are offering... I certainly don't envy the cooks in those trucks.  While the food may be good (great even), and the restaurant came to me instead of me going to it... it still makes me think I'm eating fair food even when it is a healthy salad.

So there is a food truck in Columbus that seems to be everywhere... art festivals, Fourth of July shindigs, even at my work.  Good things is, this food truck has vegetarian entrees too!  They may not be the healthiest meals in the world, it's nice to have an option that is packed full of vegetables, even if they were fried first.  

Any way, we got food from this food truck is called Sweet Carrot which I mentioned in a previous post.  I had "fried arts on a cake" which was a corn fritter with fried artichokes, cole slaw, and some kind of creamy sauce on top.  It was delicious!  My husband had mach and cheese with barbecued pulled pork on top, which had a cute, funny name for Art Festival, but now I forget what it was.  So I thought I would try to remake both... just haven't gotten around to the mac and cheese... that sounds like a winter meal to me.

Radish Slaw - total time 15 minutes

Radishes... they are such a pretty vegetable with the vibrant tones of red... but outside of slicing them up and tossing them in a salad I have never really know what to do with them.  Even when scouring Google and Pinterest it is difficult to find something that isn't a salad or just a garnish (on the bright side, now I know how to make a radish rose).

I know some people pickle their radishes (although I don't know what they do with them, since pickled radishes in a salad doesn't seem quite as appetizing), so I thought a radish slaw would be some where between a pickled radish and a salad.  I have been meaning to post my version of Sweet Carrot's Fried Arts on a Cake... this radish slaw paired with zucchini fritters is kind of a second version of that combination (minus the fried artichokes).  The buttery, cheesy flavor of the fritters paired with the tangy, peppery flavor of the slaw.  A very summery and southern combination.  My husband dug out his old bartending supplies and whipped us up some mint juleps to go with dinner.  Perfect meal to enjoy sitting outside enjoying the beautiful summer weather!