What a Summer! {Grilled Vegetable Enchiladas}

As I sat down to write, I looked back at the previous posts and saw it has been quite a while since I've shared anything at all here. Following what was a Spring filled with a multitude of kid-related events etc, I had envisioned a summer filled with cooking and recipe testing and writing and family and fun. Summer had other ideas about what would be. Following a series of unfortunate events (minor illnesses for the kids & a seemingly small ankle injury that resulted in surgery for my sweet daughter), not much happened in the way of creative cooking.  While we did have an amazingly fun trip to the NJ/NYC area, the majority of the summer was spent in survival mode. Now,with the school year in full swing, we're just now acclimating to the school year schedule and all that it brings. Also, it is officially Fall, but here in Central Texas, temps are still reaching into the 90's so no sweater vests or cords for us just yet. 

With warm-weather cooking still on my mind, and summer crops still available at the local farmers' market, I set out to make a meal that was simple, tasty and not in our usual rotation. I love a good enchilada and have an excellent recipe for my Grandma's red sauce. However, that dish can be a bit heavy with the cheese-filled tortillas, sauce and more cheese. This dish is a bit lighter with all of the things required to be defined as an enchilada but with a bit of a twist --  the filling is purely grilled vegetables, the sauces, one red and one green, are also light and fresh and the cheese is a queso fresco which is lighter than the mounds of melted cheese found in the traditional version. Additionally, rather than a casserole type item, the final product is given a light fry in oil to crisp up the corn tortilla and give it some texture. It is a big like a flauta in a way, but not really...maybe it is a flauta-lada. Whatever you call it, it is so so good and made a fabulous re-entry into creative cooking here in my home.

Grilled Vegetable Enchiladas with Red and Green Sauces

adapted from Ruth Cosineau

• 1 lb of fresh zucchini squash; sliced lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
• 2-4 red sweet peppers, stems and seeds removed and cut into quarters
• 8 corn tortillas
• canola oil
• 8 oz of queso fresco, crumbled
• your favorite red salsa (fresh, table style preferably)
• your favorite green sauce (tomatillo salsa is a good choice)

1. Prepare grill or grill pan to medium high heat. While grill is heating, prepare vegetable slices and place on a grill pan/grill basket.
2. Place vegetables on grill and cook until slightly charred - about 6-8 minutes for peppers and squash and 10-12 minutes for onions. Turn as needed to have both sides even. (Cook to your taste, but let them cook at least until softened)
3. Once vegetables are done, slice into thin strips and hold until ready to fill enchiladas.
4. In a small fry pan, add enough oil to have depth of 1/4-1/2"of oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat. In order to soften tortillas for rolling, slide tortilla into the hot oil briefly and then remove to a papertowel lined plate. (Allow oil to drip back into saute pan before moving.) Once all tortillas have been softened move on to filling.
5. Spread a scant tablespoon of the green sauce on the surface of the pliable tortilla. Fill with strips of grilled vegetables being careful to not over stuff. Roll tortilla and then place enchilada into the hot oil; seam side down first. Once the enchilada has crisped a bit, use the tongs to flip and crisp other side. (I used a small 8 in pan(in an effort to reduce the amount of initial oil needed) so I did these one at a time. If you use a larger pan, you may be able to fit more at once.)
6. When crisped, move enchilada to plate. Drizzle with both salsas and crumbled queso & serve and enjoy!

Note: I used homemade salsas, but jarred salsas would do just as well. The local farmers' market has many high quality products that have more of the aspects of a fresh made salsa than the standard mass produced store varieties. Additionally, make sure that your rolled enchiladas aren't too wet with sauce as you will cause a flash fire when you place them in the grease - I learned the hard way with a couple of surprising flare-ups!

These were absolutely delicious and such a refreshing change of pace from our usual dinners. I'm hoping this sparked my cooking mojo and that it will stick with me into the fall season!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Farmers' Market Friday - More Than Just Dessert {Savory Grilled Peach Salad with Bacon}

Peach season is in full swing in Central Texas. Most people are familiar with these fruits being the foundation of the Fredericksburg and Johnson City summer produce offerings.  As a kid, my family and I would travel up the road to Fredericksburg to get a bushel of peaches during the season. My mother would always insist on waiting until the freestone peach varieties were ready as she didn't want to fuss with the cling varieties. We'd always take a lunch break at Altdorf's and then head home - the entire car fragrant with sweet peach aroma. Once home, the work began of blanching and peeling, cutting and storing. In Mama's case, it was always in plastic containers covered with a light syrup for storage in our big deep freezer. Some of the fresh peaches would also be used to make a delicious Peach Cobbler and the rest would be stashed away for use throughout the rest of the year.

A few years ago, El Syd and the kids and I have made the same trek to the Hill Country to continue on the tradition. However, for the past couple of years, I've been happily surprised to find excellent peaches from Williamson County farmers at the farmers' market. This year is no exception and in fact, with our great amounts of rain, the peach crop is coming in with large, juicy fruits.  I picked up a couple of containers of peaches from Tiemann's Tasty Produce who sell at Wolf Ranch Farmers' Market in Georgetown but rather than go the traditional route with this batch by making a cobbler or jam or such, I decided that I really wanted a savory dish that showcased the sweetness of the fruit. I went on the search for a summer salad and when I happened upon one that included bacon, I was all in!

Savory Grilled Peach Salad with Bacon

adapted from Linton Hopkins

• 1/4 C mayo
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 1/4 C buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp mint, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chives, snipped
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb sliced bacon
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 2 large sweet onions (cut into 1" thick slabs)
• 6 ripe peaches, pit removed and cut into quarters
• oil of choice (either olive oil or peanut or...)

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bacon slices on the paper in a single layer and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes until the sugar begins to caramelize. Bacon may seem soft but will crisp as it cools.  Allow bacon to cool and then cut candied bacon into bite-size pieces.
2. While bacon cooks, whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl: mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, herbs and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste and hold in fridge while you complete rest of salad.
3. Light a grill (or indoors, heat a grill pan) Brush onions and peaches with oil. Grill onions first over moderate heat and turn occasionally until the onions are soft and browned (about 10-12 minutes). Grill peaches until tender (about 2 minutes depending upon ripeness of the fruit.)
4. In a large bowl, separate the onions into rings and toss with peaches and bacon. 
5. Serve in individual dishes and drizzle with buttermilk dressing and enjoy!

Notes: 

• The bacon I purchased at the market is from Prairie Dell Meat Co. and it is divine! The smoke on this bacon will remind you of your Grandpa's smokehouse (or make you wish he had one.) Great meatiness to the bacon too - just the right ratio of meat to fat. Just delicious.
• Cooking the bacon in the oven on a sheet pan is a revelation. All of the bacon is ready at the same time and there is zero mess from frying all over your stove top and floor near your stove.

While a great starter, we made an entire meal out of this salad. The grilled peaches paired with the sweetness of the grilled onions was fabulous with the smokiness of the candied bacon (which is fabulous just on its own and I foresee that happening quite a bit in the future.) The herbed buttermilk dressing was just the right amount of contrast to all of the sweetness. A truly delicious way to use peaches in something other than a dessert!

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Farmers' Market Friday - Back to Basics {Sauteed Summer Squash Casserole}

For the past 10 days, I've been engaged in a sugar detox. The thing is, it was a bit more than just sugar; ten days spent with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, grains of any sort, alcohol, coffee, tea, dairy and only one serving of low glycemic fruits per day. Why, you ask? I mean, if you know me at all, you know that I'm all about moderation in foods, that is, including everything, excluding nothing, but being mindful about the quality of food and limiting items that should be limited. So, this whole endeavor didn't really fit with my general philosophy.  I wish I had some great, deep, introspective answer as to what the deciding factor was, but really it is because a friend posted about it and I was intrigued and thought it would be a good way to sort of re-boot my system. Overall, the plan (The Blood Sugar Solution 10 Day Detox Diet by Mark Hyman, M.D., if you're interested) was good. The first four days were rough as I detoxed off of caffeine and I guess sugar, too. After that, it was just business as usual. The recipes or food guidelines didn't differ all that much from our usual meals for lunch and dinner and breakfast consisted of a variety of smoothies. 

Wait, don't leave....today's recipe is not one from the detox. However, as we transitioned back into a moderate way of eating, I was looking for something that would be in line with the plan but perhaps add back in a couple of the restricted items. This casserole fits the bill and is delicious - detox or not. 

Items from the market for this week:

• summer squash - yellow or zucchini or a combination
• sweet peppers - red or yellow
• tomatoes
• onions
• olive oil

Sauteed Summer Squash Casserole 

(adapted from Country Living)

• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a purple (aka red) onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 medium summer squash (yellow, zucchini or mix of each), cut into 1/4 in thick rounds
• 1 sweet pepper, cut into 1 in squares (red or yellow - again your preference - I used red to add some more color to the mix)
• 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 C panko bread crumbs (light, Japanese bread crumbs can be found on the international foods aisle and possibly also on the flour aisle near the standard bread crumbs; could sub standard bread or even cracker crumbs if you like)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender and translucent (about 7-9 minutes).
3. Add squash and peppers, season with a bit of salt to taste. The squash rounds have a tendency to stick together so make sure to separate them while stirring. Cook about 10 minutes until the squash is tender.
4. Spoon mixture into a 11X7 inch (or equivalent square) baking dish. Top with tomato slices, overlapping if necessary. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan evenly over the top and drizzle with about 1 Tbsp of olive oil. 
5. Bake until the topping is crisp and lightly browned and the vegetables are heated through - about 20 minutes or so.  Serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy!

I served this along side a very simple grilled chicken breast that was seasoned with a basic Italian herb mix. For us,  it was just the thing to transition a couple of things (cheese and bread) back into our diet without overloading our systems and will be added to our rotation of go-to side dishes. For you, it is a great way to use items that are currently in season in a light, fresh casserole.

Happy Cooking!

sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

Gems of Summer

Okra. This vegetable, furry and green on the outside, filled with large seeds and goo on the inside, can strike fear in the hearts of many who are unfamiliar with it. Because of its mucilaginous attributes, it is almost never cooked and eaten by itself, but rather as a component to a multi-ingredient dish. Most folks know it only in its fried form or as part of a gumbo, both of which are delicious. As a kid, summer okra season meant a sort of stewed okra, onion and tomato dish that my Mama and our family called "gumbo" but was in no way the traditional gumbo ala New Orleans. I decided to try a variation on a theme and take our gumbo and add another star of summer - sweet corn.  

Sauteed Okra, Corn, Tomatoes and Onions

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 to 1 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 C okra - washed, stem ends removed, and cut into 1/2 in rounds
• 3 ears of corn - shucked, and kernels cut from the cobs
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped

1. In a large enough skillet to hold all of the ingredients, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize.
2. Add okra and continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes; stir frequently until okra becomes tender (but not too soft and mushy).
3. Add corn and tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook about 10 minutes more until the okra and corn are tender and the tomatoes have cooked down and released all of their juices
4. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

We served this along side of some Boudin sausage and it was a great combination. The sweet corn and onions were perfect with the slight acid of the tomato and the tender, but still crisp, okra. It would go equally well with any type of sausage or alone as a vegan entree.

Don't be afraid of the okra - give it a whirl!

Happy Cooking!

sld