Favorite Summer Recipe ~ Stuffed Squash

Crispy stuffed squash, a summer favorite!

by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Ahh. The bounty of summer awaits my growling tummy!

Though I am posting this recipe today, I made this dish several weeks ago. Due to the odd weather this year and very early and hot spring temperatures, the produce schedule is very early or entirely off schedule!

I know. But we take what we get and have a fancy meal. I also acknowledge that I post this recipe in some form almost every year. It is that good.

This year, on July 1st (so early), I harvested a zucchini and a yellow squash plus wax and green beans. So delish!



Stuffing for the squash

Stuffed Squash

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
washed and chopped green and wax beans
2 squash, washed, cut in half lengthwise, and scooped out
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 cups chicken broth
parsley
black pepper
crushed peppers
salt
Mrs. Dash
onion powder
olive oil
grated cheddar cheese

Prepped squash. I sometimes like to add olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper before I stuff them.

1. Saute onion, garlic, and carrot in olive oil. Add turkey meat to brown it.

2. After turkey is browned, add black beans, beans, tomatoes, and spices (to your taste). Add enough chicken broth to make a thick mixture. Let cook until bubbling and fragrant.

3. Stuff peppers with stuffing. I love them full and overflowing. You will probably have leftovers, which makes a tasty soup or casserole base. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

4. Place on parchment paper covered cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Check often as you near the end of your cooking time to make sure squash ingredients are not overcooking. We like a crispy cheese topping, so we let them cook the full time.

5. Remove and enjoy!

Ready for the oven.

You can add almost anything to this dish. If I have quinoa, it goes in the mix. At times I've added broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms - you name it, I've probably had it in my stuffed squash.

I just love summer gardens and their tasty treats, don't you? What's your favorite summer dish?

Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread ~ Recipe

Yummy Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Last week our cupboards resembled Old Mother Hubbard's.

Yet I adamantly resisted going grocery shopping. Because it is not my favorite thing to do. You can read the post here.

Bread was in zero supply, so I looked in the cupboard and we had yeast packets! I decided to make bread. I know, lots of work. But anything to avoid hitting the supermarket aisles.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded and cooled)
1/4 cup honey
3 T. shortening
1 tsp. salt
4-5 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
3/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almond flour (mixed together)
1/2 cup oatmeal (lightly ground in coffee grinder)
softened butter

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, honey, shortening, salt, white flour, and 2 cups whole wheat flour. Mix together.

Add oatmeal and grains plus enough whole wheat flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough out onto floured counter. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Roll into a ball. Put in a shortening greased bowl, turning once to cover all sides with shortening. Cover. Set bowl in warm spot and let rise until double (about 1 hour).

Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half out into a rectangle. Tightly (but gently) roll the dough into a loaf and place seam-side down in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with second loaf. Lightly brush tops with butter. Cover and let rise for another hour, or until doubled.

Heat oven to 425 and put oven racks on a lower setting so the bread tops rest in the center of the oven. Bake until loaves are toasty brown and sound hollow when thumped, about 30 minutes.

Remove loaves from pans, place on cooling racks, and spread butter on top. Cool and enjoy!

My well-loved and much used pre-marriage cookbook

The original recipe came from my Betty Crocker's Cookbook (Golden, New and Revised Edition) that I've had since before I was married (pre-1985). The name inscribed on the inside front cover is Angie Hill.

In fact, there is no title page, as it has fallen out during some previous cooking escapade. We now start things off on page 7 and discuss how to care for and prepare meat.

***My recipe for Whole Wheat Multi-Grain Bread has been adjusted and adapted to our tastes - less salt, more grains, and a mix of whole wheat and white flour.

Walnut Pesto Recipe ~ Rock That Garlic Breath!

Baked chicken, sautéed vegetables, spaghetti squash, and walnut pesto

Pesto is an absolute favorite summer garden treat. Embrace that garlic breath - it's a right of garden passage. And besides, garlic is good for you.


 Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
5 cloves garlic, minced
sprinkle of salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, chopped

I have a horrible blender, so I have to do half the work before I can add ingredients to the blender. If you have a food processor, you may not have to do so much chopping and mincing.

Add ingredients to blender. Pulse and stir repeatedly until all is well mixed and chopped. Add extra olive oil if needed to make a lovely paste.

Spaghetti Squash

Poke fork holes all over a spaghetti squash. Place on a plate, cover with wax paper, and microwave on high for two 5-minute cycles, flipping the squash between the two.

Cut in half. Scoop out seeds. Use a fork to scrape spaghetti 'noodles' from squash.

Sauteed Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli cut into flowerets
1 small yellow squash, cut into medallions and then halved
1 onion, cut lengthwise into slices
olive oil
Mrs. Dash
black pepper

Add olive oil, broccoli, onion, and sprinkles of Mrs. Dash and pepper to pan. Saute until nearly fork tender. Add squash last few minutes. Brown.

Baked Chicken

We used leftover chicken leg and thigh pieces. Serve any type of chicken. We rewarmed ours in the over at 350 for about 30 minutes (covered).

Et voila! A delicious and healthy meal, compliments of the last of the garden produce.

Hint: Make sure everyone in the house eats the same meal! Then no one can complain about garlic breath.

Salmon in Parchment Paper Packets ~ Recipe

Look what delicious-ness came about when I decided to experiment with cooking in parchment paper folded packets! The salmon was super moist and tasty. I think this will stay on our repeat menu list. Enjoy.

Salmon in Parchment Paper Packets

Ingredients:

~ 2 salmon fillets (or however many you need for your household)

~ thinly sliced yellow squash

~ thinly sliced red and yellow peppers

~ diced green peppers

~ thinly sliced onions

~ Mrs. Dash

~ pepper

~ olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut squares of parchment paper, making them large enough so there is extra paper for folding and forming a packet.

3. Place each salmon fillet on a piece of parchment paper.

4. Layer squash, peppers, and onions on each salmon fillet.

5. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over veggies and sprinkle with black pepper and Mrs. Dash. Fold parchment paper closed over the top of the fish and vegetables, making sure no holes are left for steam and juices to escape. (See photo.) Place on a cooking sheet or large casserole dish.

6. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes.

7. Serve with your choice of sides. Be careful when you open the steaming hot packets!

We just ate the salmon out of the packets, which worked fine. I think I will experiment with other vegetables like cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced potatoes, broccoli, fresh peas - almost anything!

Actually, this is sounding pretty good for dinner. Maybe the chicken will have to wait.

Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Green Peppers - Tasty Recipe

(We were so excited to eat the stuffed peppers, I forgot to take a picture. I did grab the camera for the leftovers-turned-into-soup.)

Last fall I made up this recipe. As soon as we tasted it and discovered how wonderful it was, I shared it on Sally Cronin's blog at smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com. I decided I should also share it here. We love both forms of this recipe - stuffed peppers and leftovers turned into soup. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I'm off to buy some green peppers, quinoa, and ground turkey.

Bon Appetit!

Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

6-8 green peppers, cored and seeded
1 lb. ground turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg. onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
2 c. shredded green cabbage
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. cooked quinoa
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 8-oz. box Neufchatel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 T. olive oil
1 T. dried sage
2 T. Mrs. Dash
1 tsp. nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Crushed red peppers (to taste)
Salsa (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Prepare green peppers by washing them, cutting off the top, and removing seeds. Arrange on baking sheet.
3. Add olive oil to a large pot. Add garlic, onions, and carrots. Stir and cook until garlic is browned. Add turkey meat and cook until done, crumbling with a wooden spoon.
4. Add cabbage, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Cook until well blended.
5. Add Neufchatel cheese. Stir until melted and blended. Add quinoa and stir.
6. Remove from heat. Stuff each pepper to the top.
7. Cover with foil. Bake for 50 minutes or until pepper skins are easily pierced with a fork.
8. Serve while hot. Top with salsa.

Leftover stuffing can easily be turned into a delicious soup by adding additional chicken broth to thin to desired consistency. Top with grated cheese and sliced red onions. Serve hot.

About Angie
My name is Angie Quantrell. I live in the Yakima Valley of Washington state – a veritable fruit and vegetable bowl for the nation. I happily urge my garden to produce and then figure out ways to use what is successful and has not been eaten by the slugs. For instance, the sage I use is from my garden. I prefer to use it dried, so I regularly dig into the jars of dried leaves, grab a handful, roll them until they crumble, and add the fragrant herb to whichever dish I am preparing. Sage and nutmeg go very well together in fall dishes!

I am a writer, a blogger, a teacher, a Nana of three (soon to be four) precious grandbabies, and a wife to Kevin. I love nature, being outdoors, gardening, writing, photography, rubber stamping, and my crazy kitties, who are 11 months old and have yet to learn manners. Actually, I love creating of any kind. My husband is extremely happy that I have retired from teaching, as I have time to create great tasting meals.

I love to experiment and play in the kitchen. I usually make interesting (both good interesting and bad interesting) meals by adding bits of this and that to a collection of leftovers. Kevin, my husband of 29 years, fell in love with this recipe and could not stop expressing his gustatory delight as he ate huge amounts of both stuffed peppers and leftover soup.


You can find me at:

Twitter: @AngieQuantrell
Facebook: Angie Quantrell
LinkedIn: Angie Quantrell
Blogs: www.angiequantrell.blogspot.com; www.bookblabbyabooklover.blogspot.com; www.angiequantrell.wordpress.com
Google+: Angie Quantrell
Pinterest: Angie Quantrell

Wilty Lettuce Trick - It Works!

On Saturday we received a lovely gift box with a large variety of produce - fruit and veggies. It was awesome and we are quite happy to steadily eat our way through it.

But the poor lettuce was not happy. I imagine I did not get it put away fast enough to prevent wilt. I didn't want to eat wilted lettuce, nor did I want to waste such beautiful leafy greens.

Aha! The old celery trick might work.

Now see here, I had never tried this before. But it actually worked great!

I cut off the bottom of the lettuce head, filled a fat mug with cold water, shoved the lettuce in the cup, and stuck the whole thing in the fridge.

Et voila! Fresh, crisp, gorgeous lettuce. I'm so excited to find a new way to revive the wilt.

Poor lettuce. It will be dinner. And then gone.

Such is the life of lettuce.

Angie Quantrell loves to eat her fruit and vegetables. She often sneaks veggies in recipes when no one is watching, just so her family will eat well and have a healthier diet. Shh. Just don't tell anyone.

Go Ahead, Touch My Groceries - I Dare You

It's nice to have someone notice that you are a healthy eater. It's even okay to share cooking and eating tips with others when you are standing in line.

But I don't really think it's alright to pick up someone else's chosen food (from their nicely boxed-in-with-dividers grocery pile) and consider the contents.

That actually happened. Now, while it's not that bad of an intrusion into the realm of personal property, as the groceries have not yet been purchased, still, one would think that talking about chocies an allowable pastime, but picking up the goods of others? Not really.

My honey and I were waiting in line after placing our selections on the electronic black plastic walkway for shopping goods. The lady in front of us was waiting her turn as well. Suddenly, she turned sideways and began to visually inspect our choices. With extreme focus and attention to detail.

And then she did it. She grabbed a jar of pickled peppercini peppers (say that three times in a row). And proceeded to ask us questions about how to use them and what to do with them while she was reading the label and handling our pepper jar.

What do you do? Slightly annoyed, partially amused...maybe it is a regional thing. Is it okay in different parts of the country or world to handle the groceries of other people (not talking about the box person or cashier here) when standing in line to pay?

Anyway. She finally put down our jar. And stood there, calmly perusing our groceries. After contemplating and passing judgment, she turned and said, "You eat pretty healthy, don't you?"

Like I said. It's great to have someone agree with your diet.

On the shelves? Go for it. In the produce bins? All yours. Freezer? Dairy case? Help yourself. But once I touch it, grab it, and put it in my cart, that means I have every intention of purchasing said items and taking them home. For my family. You are welcome to get the same things. But not off of check stand belt.

Interesting. Thanks for the odd encounter. And should we stand in line together again sometime in the future? Ask your questions. Share your comments. Just use your eyes, not your hands. Isn't that something we teach our children? Look, don't touch.

Don't touch my food. You will make me very happy.

Angie Quantrell doesn't think she has food issues, but the jury is still out. Willing to share food and ideas with others. But let's leave the groceries on the conveyer belt, okay?