My hiatus is over!

Someone asked me today, "How's your blog going?" I shamefully replied, "I've neglected it." Well, no more! I have every intention of continuing with this blog. I know...whats the point of a blog if you're not going to update it regularly? I have excuses but thats all they are - excuses! I will have something posted by Sunday staring: Shiitake Mushrooms!

"T" is for Tomatoes; Tomato and Onion Calzone

Today's vegetable is tomato, which I'm sure every one is familiar with. Without thinking about it, we probably do consume tomato's in some form at least two times a week. So why did I choose to make it the star for the letter T? Because its really just that delicious! There are a number of other "T" vegetables that I encourage other people to check out. I wish I could but selection around here is pretty awful! I'm looking forward to the local farmers markets coming back so I can get a better variety of vegetables. This recipe was something that I threw together based on what I had in the house. The ingredients are:

green onion

onion

roma tomato's

pizza crust-like dough

tomato sauce

olive oil & spices

I would've loved to have made a really intricate dish when tomatoes took center stage but tomato calzone's were just too perfect because I got to empty my refrigerator at the same time! These were my steps (also illustrated with pictures below):

1. Preheat oven 400˚F

2. Get a slight bake on the pizza crust (they have roll out dough available or you can make your own -- I encourage making your own so you can add minced garlic into the dough!)

3. Chop green onion, onion and tomatoes (the outer shell, no the seeds) and mix.

4. Place onto dough and roll.

5. Cut vents into the top and bake.

6. Mix oil and spices (of the Italian variety) and brush onto uncooked calzone.

7. Bake for about 10 minutes.

I opted for no cheese since I do not like it, but fresh mozzarella balls would be delicious inside the calzone. Also, the "spices" I mentioned really are up to you. I have my own secret mixture that I use to dip bread in, but I'll give you one hint: DON'T FORGET THE ROSEMARY! Rosemary is delicious! I also served with it tomato sauce for dipping.

Ratings

Taste: 5 out of 5

Level of Difficulty: Easy

"V" is for Vidalia Onions: Bacon and Vidalia Pinwheels

Today's alphabetical vegetable is vidalia. Vidalia is sweeter than it's other onions friends and can really be used in anything. I opted for the pinwheel recipe because the picture on the website looked just too good to pass up. Unfortunately, mine didn't turn out as pretty as theirs, however they are just as delicious! I changed the main ingredients slightly (and lost the butter - gross!) but otherwise they are the same:

vidalia onion
turkey bacon (its supposed to be healthier)
parsley
crescent rolls

A few adjustments I'd make to the recipe next time include: adding more onion and instead of the crescent rolls, I'd go ahead and get another type of Pillsbury role. The crescent type of role made it nearly impossible to create the large version the recipe calls for. Unless you're an expert at opening those cans and unrolling the dough perfectly so you can press the perforations together, I'd say, forget it and buy a different type (like the pizza). I made two versions because of the first dough-fiasco and the mini rolls turned out much better looking.

If you have a sweet tooth, this recipe is for you! Because of the onion and the rolls, it was a lot more sweet than I was expecting!

Ratings

Taste: 4 out of 5

Level of Difficulty: Easy

the star of today's show!

the stuffing

mini rolls, about to go into the oven

final product!

my apron :)

Alphabet Review!

Today marks week three in the blog! As you will notice, I skipped "x" and will probably have to skip "v" and "u" too. I've researched actual vegetables that begin with this letter but am coming up short. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to let me know!

Check back soon for this week's vegetable!

(this is the website I am primarily using for my quick reference: A Veggie Venture and PLANTanswers).

"W" is for Watercress: Watercress Guacamole (and finishing your Yellow Squash & Zucchini leftovers)

Today's alphabetical leafy green is watercress which is apparently pretty hard to find fresh (at least in Richmond anyway). But I was determined to use it because its an anti-cancer superfood. Watercress is said to "reduce DNA damage to blood cells" (Source) and a vegetable that can be used in pretty much anything to add a little freshness. I opted to make guacamole because anything with avocado's is a winner and I wanted to create the ultimate leftover meal. The watercress guacamole was very simple with the only ingredients being:

avocado

lime

watercress tops

salt

I normally add more to my guacamole but since I was following their recipe opted not too. The watercress added a lightness and freshness. In the future, I definitely plan on continuing to use watercress! The recipe above used three avocado's but unless you plan on eating it all at once, I would only use one at a time (eyeballing the rest of the ingredients is easy). If you still can't finish the smaller portion you've made, put saran wrap on top and cover to prevent the browning, which happens incredibly fast.

But then, what about the zucchini and yellow squash that was unused in the last two recipes? Well, instead of making chips like I had planned, I sauteed the leftovers in olive oil and garlic, toasted tortillas and bought some canned refried beans to create the ultimate delicious leftover meal!

Ratings

Taste: 5 out of 5

Level of Difficulty: Super Easy

Photos

Todays vegetable

Yum!

"Y" is for Yellow Squash: Yellow Squash, Spinach and Sausage Quiche

Technically yellow squash is also considered a fruit, but considering the everything about yams gross me out, I decided to overlook the detail. I got today's recipe from my mom. Her quiche is the best. I modified her recipe by adding the yellow squash, adding more spinach and leaving out the cheese. In the end though, the yellow squash got lost in the other flavors and I think the spinach stole the show. Its a delicious dish but the yellow squash didn't end up playing a major roll. With my leftover squash, I am going to make yellow squash chips. I'll update again with photos of those, once they're made! My ingredients for the quiche were as follows:

Pie crust

parmesan cheese

spinach

yellow squash

sausage

green onion

garlic

half & half

eggs

bread crumbs

Here is a similar recipe for yellow squash quiche that uses a few alternative ingredients.

Ratings

Taste: 5 out of 5

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Photos of process

mixing and cooking the filling.

the pie crust with sprinkled parmesan cheese.

before going in the oven.

out of the oven!

enjoy!

"Z" is for Zucchini: Pan-Fried Zucchini Cakes (with Marinara Sauce)

I got todays recipe off the jar of All Natural Classico pasta sauce. The recipe's called Pan-Fried Zucchini Cakes (with Marinara Sauce). I only modified the recipe based on availability. I cut it in half because I only bought four zucchini and I didn't get as much out of the vegetable as I thought I would (I was expecting leftovers but once I dried them, I only had two cups!). The ingredients are as follows:

Green onion
Italian bread crumbs
eggs, lightly beaten
zucchini
Classico Marinara with plum tomatoes & olive oil pasta sauce
olive oil
flour

If you'd like to make it, follow the link I posted above which will direct you to Classico's website!

Ratings

Taste: 5 out of 5

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Photos of process

The batter.

Being fried.

Letting them cool.

Final product!