Cheesy Squash Casserole Tweetcipe

My CSA basket has given up more than its fair share of squash this summer…butternut, patty pan, zucchini, trumpet and yellow squash. I grilled it, baked it, boiled it, sautéd it with onions, made ratatouille with it and stuffed it. I was pretty tired of it in all its culinary forms until I remembered my Mom’s squash casserole. As I recall, the original recipe called for ingredients like Velveeta cheese, canned green chilis and cream cheese. I also recall that it tasted very good!  So I decided to recreate her recipe and update some of the ingredients. Try my version and tell me what you think!

Cheesy Squash Casserole

4 medium sized yellow squash (substitute 1 zucchini if you want), trimmed and cut into chunks

1 medium onion, diced medium

2 T butter

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

¾ cup green chilis, chopped (I used roasted Hatch chilis that I had previously frozen, but canned is OK, or for something different use fresh or jarred roasted red peppers)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a casserole pot sauté the onion and squash in butter. When the squash is partially cooked, remove pan from heat. Stir in the cheese, chilis or red peppers, salt and pepper. Add the beaten egg and stir well. Cook in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes. The casserole is done when you see a few brown spots on the top.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Note: Frozen squash works well with this recipe. Just sauté the onion in butter, then add the thawed, drained squash and follow the rest of the recipe as written.

Pork and Hatch Chili Stew Tweetcipe

It would be hard to miss the long green chilies in the produce section that go on sale at the grocery stores in my part of world around this time each year.  They are chilies that are named for the little New Mexico town where they are grown: Hatch, New Mexico. Often you can buy the green chiles, already roasted, at the grocery store during Hatch chili season, starting in August.  The chilies freeze well, so I buy enough to make this stew throughout the winter.  This is an easy, quick recipe that results in really tender pork and flavorful broth.  If you like thick broth, stir in a cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking.

You can make the stew ahead of time and freeze it or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Pork and Hatch Chili Stew

adapted from Food and Wine Magazine, Sept. 2012

1/4 cup grapeseed or safflower oil

2 pounds trimmed pork shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes plus the bone

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 pound roasted hatch green chilies, a mixture of mild and hot according to your taste *

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

Lime wedges, warm corn tortillas and rice, to serve with the stew

Scrape the blackened skin from the peppers and remove most of the seeds. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole. Cook the pork over high heat, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, green chilies, and garlic. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover partially and simmer the stew over moderately low heat until the pork is just tender and the broth is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt and black pepper. Garnish the stew with more cilantro and serve with lime wedges, corn tortillas and rice.

*the original recipe calls for a mixture of Anaheim, Serrano and Poblano peppers

Chilled Cucumber Soup Tweetcipe

What’s easy to make, refreshing to eat, seasonal and not too fattening?  Another recipe I love from The Sugar Mill Cookbook.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

4 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” chunks

1 ½ c chicken broth

1 ½ c sour cream or plain yogurt

2 small garlic cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I use champagne vinegar)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish (optional):

Chopped tomato

Chopped green onions

Chopped chives

Minced dill

Combine all ingredients except your chosen garnish in a food processor or blender.  Puree until smooth.  You may have to do this in batches.  Chill.  Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with garnish.  Serves 6.

Chicken Drummettes Tweetcipe

Want a quick chicken recipe that everyone in the family will like and, if there’s any left over, makes a great afternoon or midnight snack?  When I don’t feel much like cooking I do one of two things –strongly suggest to my husband that he should take us out for dinner, or bake these chicken drummettes. You know what I’m talking about: some people call them buffalo wings. The trimmed chicken wings are white meat, for those who are counting calories, and inexpensive. You should be able to find them in the store with the tips already removed. I add a quick salad to complete the meal.

Chicken Drummettes

Chicken wings, tips removed (plan on 6-8 per person)

Your favorite dry rub or a combination of 3-4 dried herbs/spices (use your imagination)

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Grapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover the bottom and sides of a baking sheet pan with foil.

Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and drizzle grapeseed oil over them. Toss them until they are evenly coated in oil.  Lightly sprinkle coarse salt over the chicken.  Add pepper and spices. Toss drummettes again until they are evenly coated.

Spread the drummettes on the baking sheet in one layer. Cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned, turning the drummettes half way through.