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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Fried Zucchini Pasta

A couple of weeks ago I did a guest post over at Mess Makes Food...  If you have never checked out her site, you really should!  She is a great resource for vegetarian recipes.  And even though the Hubs & I aren't vegetarians, we do try to limit the amount of meat we eat during the week simply to help stretch the grocery budget :)

Anyways, I thought I would share the recipe with y'all today just in case anyone missed it! :)





INGREDIENTS:
2 medium zucchini, sliced thin
1/4 cup flour
salt & pepper to season
1/2 pound linguine noodles
1/2 cup olive oil (may need some additional)
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
shredded Parmesan cheese

LETS COOK:
1. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the flour.  Season with salt & pepper.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the zucchini in small groups and fry until browned & crisped on both sides, it only takes a just a few minutes.  Use a slotted spoon and transfer the zucchini to drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Repeat until all the zucchini is fried.
3. While you are working on your zucchini, cook your pasta according to package directions.
4. Drain the pasta.  Return the pasta to the pot & toss with the basil & dressing.  Feel free to sprinkle some cheese down in there too :)
5. Transfer the pasta to a bowl & top with the zucchini.  Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.


RECIPE INSPIRED BY: yumsugar



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Mom's Test Meal Mondays!!


THIS RECIPE PROUDLY SHARED AT THESE FABULOUS PARTIES

Monday, September 3, 2012

My Weekly Menu

 


BREAKFASTS:
Slow-Cooked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (should give me breakfast twice)
French Toast Sticks, Fruit
Chocolate Chip Pancake Bites, yogurt


LUNCHES:
Hot dogs, mashed potatoes, applesauce
Grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries
Chicken Mac & Cheese, Carrots
Chicken & Rice, carrots & peas


DINNERS:
Balsamic Bacon Pasta Salad
Sweet & Sour Chicken, Rice
Zucchini Parmesan, pasta, garlic bread
Chili rubbed pork chops with lime butter, sweet potatoes, rolls
BLT sandwiches, chips
Date Night
Spinach & Artichoke dip



Be sure to link up your
favorite potluck & cookout dishes



THIS MENU PROUDLY LINKED TO: I'm An Organizing Junkie

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Mom's Test Meal Mondays #6

 
Welcome to week #6 of Mom's Test Meal Mondays y'all!! I'm so excited to have y'all joining me in the kitchen again! We had some amazing slow-cooker recipes shared last week! If you missed the features, you really should go check them out!!
 
I hope you are all having a great holiday weekend!  I hope you are getting to spend time with your family & friends and enjoy some good fun & food!  This week in honor of the holiday we are going to share our favorite potluck/cookout recipes!  And to kick us off, my amazing friend Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama, who just so happens to be celebrating her birthday this weekend too, is sharing a scrumptious potato salad recipe with us!
 
 
 
Inspired by some gorgeous veggie finds at my local farmers market (and some fresh green beans from my parents' garden), I decided to combine all that summer freshness into one delicious and healthy potato salad.  Not only is this potato salad better for you (no heavy mayonnaise here!), it is also really flavorful and can be served cold or warm.  I had it both ways- warm right after I made it with dinner, and cold the next day and both were equally tasty. ;)
 
I have a favorite vendor at the farmers market for my potatoes each week.  They grow and sell such a unique variety of local potatoes.  From Yukon Golds to Cranberry Reds, and All-Blue to Russian Banana Fingerlings.  I am pretty sure my husband and I have tried just about every variety they offer by now.  Their booth is always my first stop when I visit the market.  I have to get our weekly potato fix before they are sold out.  For my Summer Market Potato Salad, I used a combination of their All-Blue and their Yukon Golds.  You could use a combination of any potatoes, or just one kind of potato.  But the All-Blues were just too beautiful to not use in this salad...

What you will need:
2 lbs potatoes (any variety or combination of varieties as long as they as smaller)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste


Heat your oven to 450 degrees.  Clean the potatoes under warm water.  Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2 inch chunks.  Place in a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water.  Bring to a boil and continue to cook the potatoes until they are almost fork tender.  Remove from heat, drain in a colander, and set aside.
While the potatoes are boiling, combine the cut up zucchini and summer squash in a medium sized bowl.  Pour a touch of olive oil over them and toss well to coat.  Turn out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Now for a quick blanch on the green beans.  Bring salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Boil the green beans for 3 minutes.  Quickly drain in a colander and then plunge into an ice bath.  This can be in a large bowl or sink filled with cold water and ice. 

Combine the potatoes, squash, zucchini, and green beans in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, olive oil, fresh chopped parsley and basil, and cider vinegar.  Pour the Dijon dressing over the veggies in the large bowl and toss well.  Taste your potato salad and add salt and pepper to your liking. 

This salad makes about 8-10 servings and is perfect for a barbecue or family get-together.  And since it is mayonnaise free, it is safe to leave at room temperature. 
 
 
How perfect is this for a cookout?!?  Thank you so much Carrie for such a great recipe!  I know y'all loved this recipe, so make sure you head over and check out the rest of Carrie's site!   You can also follow her via Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest.
 
So now, lets see what y'all are enjoying this weekend!
 
Just the reminders:
  • Myself & Carrie would love to have you as new friends!! Please take a minute to follow us both via GFC, Twitter, FB, or any other social media you prefer ~ you can find my links in the sidebar & Carrie's are listed above.
  • Please stick to the theme for the week and only link up your recipes that go with the theme.
  • Please feel free to grab the button in the sidebar or add a direct link back to the week's party that you are linking up to
  • And finally, go make some new friends ~ spend a few minutes checking out some other recipes that you might want to try out yourself & comment! Everyone loves comments!!
And remember, if anyone is interested in being a co-host for Mom's Test Meal Mondays, please email me at momstestkitchen (at) yahoo (dot) com! I'd love to have you!