Category: Vegetables

Asparagus Bundles

If you love asparagus and love traditional green bean bundles, then try this recipe! It is different and so very delicious. I love that the brown sugar sauce, that’s poured over these, includes soy sauce. Seems like a bit of a different flair. A nice flair. A very yummy flair…Trisha Yearwood shares this recipe in her book, Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood.

2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
12 slices bacon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Divide the asparagus spears into 12 bundles. Carefully wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, stating about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the tips. Secure the bacon-wrapped spears with a toothpick. Lay the bundles in a low-sided casserole dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Poor the hot sugar mixture over the asparagus bundles. Transfer the dish to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, or until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon looks fully cooked. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Serves 6.

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Mom’s Every Night Cucumber Salad

This recipe comes from Gaby Dalkin’s What’s Gaby Cooking cookbook. I have really enjoyed this simple salad, out of her new book, this spring. Living on the same block, I grew up eating at my friend Lucky’s house quite a bit, and her Memaw would always have fresh cucumbers in vinegar, seasoned with Lawry’s salt. We loved those cucumbers, and when I typed the title of this recipe, all of those wonderful memories came flooding back. Not long after we were through with supper at Lucky’s, my dad would whistle down the alley and that was my cue to high-tail it back home! What fun we used to have!

3 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
4 Persian cucumbers, sliced

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the avocado and cucumbers to the bowl and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Mexican Stuffed Peppers

This little 5 ingredient number is adapted from Kim Coleman of Columbia, SC. Is that in the US? Well, anyway, her inspiration must have come from Mexico. Ha! Cracking myself up here! Hope you all are doing well! Had a minor setback with an unexpected gallbladder surgery; took that baby out thank goodness! Been a bit on the sleepy side, but am waking back up! I also got false nails in there somewhere. So not sure if that might be more of the culprit as to why I’m not typing as much. Oh, here come the giggles again. So, here’s to a 5 ingredient meal!

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 envelope (5.4 oz.) Mexican-style rice and pasta mix
1 1/2 cups water
8 medium bell peppers
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, cook and crumble beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain. (You know how I like to add olive oil, Montreal Steak seasoning, and kosher salt while cooking ground beef. Or now you do.) Stir in tomatoes, rice mix and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, 6-8 minutes.

Cut and discard tops from peppers; remove seeds. Put the peppers in a greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Place 1/3 cup of the beef mixture in each pepper; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Top with the remaining rice mixture. Bake, covered, 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and peppers are crisp-tender, 5-10 minutes.

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Fried Zucchini Sticks

Soooo, I’m working on being healthier…..fried zucchini sticks should help me ease into things quite nicely. I certainly am proud to be including some green veggies into my diet! Yay, Me! And these are delicious, by the way, and would go great with any of your Italian meals or, of course, would be a terrific appetizer or snack. Easy and super yummy. Serve with your favorite warmed marinara sauce. Now, let’s get those veggies in! This recipe is from Mandy River’s cookbook, South Your Mouth Some More!

1 cup grated Asiago cheese, Parmesan cheese will work too
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for finishing
2-3 whole zucchini
2 T. cornstarch
2 eggs, well beaten
Vegetable oil

Combine grated cheese, bead crumbs, and salt in a shallow bowl; mix well. Set aside

Wash zucchini; dry well. Cut ends off zucchini; cut each in half or thirds, depending on how long it is (Mandy says, you want sections that are about 3 inches long). Cut each section lengthwise into 8 sticks.

Add zucchini and cornstarch to a zip-top bag; seal, then shake to coat. Place coated zucchini on a plate, shaking off excess cornstarch.

Dip each zucchini stick in beaten eggs; shake off excess. Dredge each in bread crumb mixture, taking care to thoroughly coat zucchini; shake off excess.

Add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a medium or large pot. (I used my large skillet.) Heat oil over medium heat until temperature reaches 325 degrees. Fry slowly, so zucchini has time to get tender without the cheese burning. Fry until golden brown.

Cook in batches so as not to overcrowd pan. Sprinkle with additional salt right when you remove zucchini sticks from hot oil. Serve with marinara sauce.

Makes 6-8 servings.

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