Cheese Stuffed Meatballs with Zoodles

Zucchini Enchiladas

I probably have more zucchini recipes than any other category on this site, but I'm not apologizing.  Using zucchini when you live in Utah could be compared to wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and dealing with manna.  It's a gift that is given freely and you need to learn to use it up!

Of all the zucchini recipes I've tried, this one has to be among my favorite.  I made it several times last summer.  I love how the moist zucchini softens the tortillas and combines with the flavors so well.  The enchilada sauce is not from a can, but is so simple to make yourself.  It simmers slowly while you assemble everything, then smothers it all in a rich red sauce.  (If you're serving children, you might cut down the amounts of cumin and chili powder slightly).

You could also use chicken or pork with good results.  But good old ground beef couldn't be easier.  I prefer flour tortillas, as they don't disintegrate as they bake.  But corn tortillas work also - just lessen your baking time slightly.

Zucchini Enchiladas

Ingredients:

12 flour tortillas (or corn, if desired)

1 lb ground beef (or cooked shredded chicken, or shredded pork)

1/2 onion, diced

2-3 cups shredded zucchini

Grated cheese (I use Mexican three-cheese blend, or Colby/Jack) - use at least 1 lb, or more as desired.

Salt & pepper (and other seasoning) to taste

Enchilada Sauce:

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup chili powder

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion salt

1/2 tsp salt

Directions: 

Begin with enchilada sauce:  

Heat oil in saucepan, then whisk in flour and chili powder.  Brown slightly, then add in tomato sauce, broth, cumin, garlic powder, onion salt, and salt.  Stir until smooth and continue simmering over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.  Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 3 days.  (Recipe from recipegirl.com)  Allow sauce to stay warm as you assemble.

Brown ground beef with onion, then add zucchini and cook slightly until zucchini becomes limp.  Remove meat/zucchini mixture to a strainer to allow excess moisture/fat to drain off.    Season meat mixture if desired.

Pour enough enchilada sauce into baking dish to cover bottom.  

Cover each tortilla with cheese, then add enough meat/zucchini mixture to cover.  Roll loosely.  Line up on top of enchilada sauce in baking pan, pressing them into each other so they do not collapse.  

Sprinkle generously with additional cheese.  Add remaining enchilada sauce, covering completely.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Bake at 350° (UN-covered, as zucchini will keep it very moist) until bubbling and hot - at least 45 minutes for a large batch.  Serve with guacamole and sour cream.  

Sneaky Zucchini-sagna

I can’t figure out if I love (or resent) zucchini.  Since it’s summer, and it’s taking over my house - I have to make a real effort to use it - with a thankful heart.  It really is fun to have it as my houseguest for just a few months, and I’ll miss it when it’s gone.  This is a result of trying to find one more way to use it up.

I’ve noticed lately when I collect zucchini out of my garden - I must be allergic to it.  That beautiful, smooth, dark skin is loaded with almost invisible hairlike spines.  It makes me itch to think about going out to harvest more.  Then, there’s the zucchini juice that would make a great skin-tightener.  Have you ever noticed how really fresh zucchini will actually COAT your skin after cutting it?  In spite of all the things I dislike about it - zucchini is a great add-in to stretch your meals.  

I’ve seen recipes for zucchini lasagna out there, and I really haven’t wanted THAT much green in my lasagna.  So I’ve been trying to think of how to add it into an easy lasagna.  I found a recipe on several websites for Sour Cream Noodle Bake.  They all have a few things in common - ease of assembly, minimal “layering”, and a lasagna-like mixture of ingredients.

I decided to combine the good things from these recipes and add one more element.  Grated zucchini.  I’m not talking about finely grated zucchini - but coarsely grated.  You want to announce that it’s there, but not overpower everyone.  Finely grated zucchini is a bit too subtle and leaves you wondering exactly which green thing is in there.

Since I didn’t want too many steps, I decided to let the boiling water from the noodles give the zucchini a little head-start in softening.  This also leaches out some of the excess moisture that this squash is notorious for.  I put the coarsely grated squash in the bottom of a fine mesh strainer and poured the cooked noodles over the top.  Let it stand while you prepare the meat sauce, and it’s just right to add to the mix.  

We loved this mixture.  The zucchini is definitely THERE, but not in enough quantity to be in your face.  

A nice texture with all the different elements going on.  See if you like it as much as we do.

For the recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

Chicken Alfredo Pot Pie

This recipe, though simple - will really surprise you.  It’s fast, easy, and absolutely great.  Haven’t found anyone who doesn’t like it (broccoli disclaimer... good luck with those who don’t love this vegetable - you could always change it to asparagus, zucchini, mixed veggies, or others).  Enjoy!

I’ve spent the past week helping my daughter Whitney after the birth of their first baby, and it’s been so fun.  Is there anything as beautiful as a brand new baby's feet and toes?

My 11th grandchild's name is "Kate".
I've nicknamed her "CUP-Kate" - she's just delicious!

Cooking in someone else’s kitchen is always a learning curve for me, but about the time I go home - I can empty the dishwasher and know where everything belongs.

I decided to try this recipe because Whitney had two packages of refrigerated crescent rolls that needed to be used.  I picked up a bottle of Alfredo sauce, some broccoli florets, and some rotisserie chicken - and we had an instant meal.

I’m not a fan of refrigerated crescent rolls for many reasons.  Number ONE:  opening the package is like popping a balloon (on purpose!)  Not fun waiting for the explosion (and I always let out a scream - which makes my kids/grandkids laugh)  Number TWO:  They are so hard to pull apart and unroll - I always massacre them.  Number THREE:  They are certainly not on my top ten healthy foods list.

But all that aside, crescent rolls work beautifully in this recipe.  It doesn’t matter if they look like road kill, because they turn into something lovely as they bake.  (What doesn’t look lovely blanketed in parmesan cheese anyway?)  There is no need to seal the edges together - which makes me an instant fan.

And... by the way:  did you know you can FREEZE canned crescent rolls?  Whitney purchased several 6 months ago and uses them thawed after freezing.  No problem so far...

This is a great recipe for when you want to look like you put a lot of effort into dinner (but didn’t want to)  It’s wonderful reheated in the oven (but be careful rewarming in the microwave, as that will make the bread tough)

For the simple recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com

BBQ Spareribs - Stovetop or Oven

It's been a long absence, but sometimes more important things trump blogging.  My sweet mother - Leah Peacock Pendleton - passed away on February 13, 2013 after her third fight with cancer.  During her 2 week hospital stay - we had some important events at my house:  Baby blessing of my newest grandson, baby shower for my daughter, and eventually a funeral shortly after.  A LOT of cooking went on during these past few months, and I'll get back to posting some of those great recipes soon.

My sweet mother - Leah Peacock Pendleton
She would have turned 86 years old on March 30th.
Her Thyroid Cancer was probably a result of watching the
nuclear testing blasts from my Dad's back porch in St. George, Utah.

I've posted many of my mother's recipes on this blog.  She grew up on a farm in tiny Orangeville, Utah during the Depression and learned to make a feast out of next-to-nothing.  As I've been clearing out her home to sell, it was like stepping back in time to see the special touches there.  

Mom's cozy little kitchen.  I did dishes in that sink
(by HAND - no dishwasher) for most of my childhood.

Mom was very organized.  She inventoried EVERYTHING
that she put into her storage room & freezer.  

She never wasted space.  The bottles (wrapped in newspaper)
were filled with water when the fruit was used.
Next time she canned fruit, she emptied the water to do so.

These bowls & casserole dishes just spell "HOME" to me.

You could tell Mom grew up in the Depression.
She washed her plastic wrap & foil - then wound the pieces
around an old paper towel tube & RE-used them till they fell apart.

This recipe is complements of my daughter Aryn.  During these past very busy months, she and her sisters took over my kitchen while I took care of more pressing matters.  These ribs were absolutely delicious, required no unusual ingredients, and were just the right flavor.  This recipe is going to go down in history...

We had many people staying at the house during these many events - and my daughter Aryn rallied my other daughters to help put food on the table while I was at the hospital & hospice center.  This was one of many great meals they made which everyone loved - just like their Grandmother's.

These ribs were fantastic.  So tender, and the sauce was not overpowering at all.  

After a month passed (and I was still at Mom's home boxing things up) - I tried these myself in the oven (instead of the stovetop)  They were just as good, but took a little longer to slow cook.  

Adding to these ribs a big pot of rice and a green salad really worked wonders during all the emotional ups and downs.

You'll find the recipe at:
www.changeabletable.com

Stacked Enchilada Dutch Oven Pie

Use your less-than-perfect garden tomatoes in an quick & easy blender enchilada sauce.  That sauce will be the perfect touch to make this stacked main dish - and it’s even better in a dutch oven.  Don’t worry though - no coals required.  Simply bake it in your oven - turns out fabulous.

I used dutch ovens (a LOT) when I had a young family and we left late in the day to find a camping spot.  I always used my own (kitchen) oven to bake a dutch oven meal, and then I’d wrap it in newspaper & blankets in a big cardboard box.  We would put it in the back of the van and drive hours before arriving.  After setting up the tent trailer and getting things situated - our meal was hot and ready to eat as it got dark.  Good memories.

A lot of people are traveling this weekend, being Labor Day.  This would be a great meal to start in the afternoon, wrap up to travel, and enjoy late in the day.

The best thing about this is the sauce.  I have a bunch of tomatoes all trying to ripen at different stages right now in my garden.  There are never quite enough to bottle all at once, however.  That’s a bit irritating, because (really) how much taco salad can you eat during August and September?  I hate to have them go to waste, and all my neighbors are trying to give theirs away too.  So... this sauce was born.  I’m really happy with it - and I used up all my ugly tomatoes.  You know what I’m talking about - the ones with blossom end rot, that split halfway open, or were hidden under all the others with half the tomato soft & unusable.  

I would imagine any blender could accomplish this, but I used my high-power one.  I didn’t blanch them or remove the skin, just the bad parts.  I threw them in - skin, seeds, and all.  I used the “whole juice” setting and it ended up a bright red tomato juice.  From there I adjusted the recipe for Enchilada Sauce (minus the can)  Running it through the “soups” cycle a few times - it came out hot, thickened, and ready to use.  Awesome!

From there, I used a 12” dutch oven to brown the meat & onion.  If you don’t have a standard dutch oven, use any heavy pan with that diameter.  It’s great you don’t have to clean out the pan - just remove the browned meat and it has enough fat coating the bottom that it’s ready to stack the pie at this point.  

I tried this with layered corn tortillas, and it was really good.  I prefer using flour tortillas because they don’t fall apart and disappear into the pie.  As you can see from the photos, flour tortillas keep the pie in one piece to easily slice and serve.

This really exceeded my expectations...  An easy, one-pot meal - and uses your garden tomatoes as a bonus.  You'll find the complete recipe at:
www.changeabletable.com
  

Creamy White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

This recipe was a Pinterest find - and it was really delicious.  However, it’s not a STUNNER to photograph.  You would just have to taste it to decide if it’s your kind of lasagna.  This isn’t your standard lasagna - it’s much richer, doesn’t fall apart as you serve it, and it’s a fun blend of many different flavors.

This is a recipe you’ll find on Kraft.com - and (of course) it promotes their products.  I’m a Costco/Sam’s Club fan - and so I did not purchase the shredded mozzarella with a TOUCH OF PHILLY.  

Photo source:  kraft.com
Would using the Mozzarella Cheese w/a Touch of Philly
really make it look this creamy?  I'll try it next time and see...

I’m sure the reason mine didn’t look like a slip-’n-slide was because of that.  Calories, calories...  Next time I’m going to try the real deal.

Another change I think I’ll make is to try diced tomatoes instead of the sun-dried tomatoes.  The filling was wonderful, but it seemed a touch dry - even with all that cream cheese.  Sundried tomato fanatics - go for it!

I also refrigerated mine before baking it, which always makes a difference when you bake something that starts out cold.  A little more milk to thin the cream cheese/garlic/basil sauce I think will add the creaminess I think it needed.

I made this in the dead of winter - and so it was hard to find fresh basil.  I found a little basil plant in the produce section that stayed good for a few weeks, although it didn’t thrive in my kitchen.  Wonder how basil grows as an indoor houseplant(?)  Fresh basil is always heavenly - I'll check that out for next winter.  

So... would I make this again?  Only when I have a small nation coming to dinner (with an appetite) - and I never know when that is.

For the original recipe, along with the changes I plan on making next time - go to:

www.changeabletable.com