Baked Zucchini

 429.  Summer time always provides us with plenty of beautiful vegetables and zucchini is always at the top of my list.  They are lovely and so versatile to work with as well as the flavor that will compliment any  pairing whether sweet or savory.  This is a savory dish, although using some of the same methods as my classic recipe HERE, the recipe was adapted from Antoni Porowski's cookbook for "Baked Zucchini".  

His recipe is vegan but I use ground beef in my recipe.  I followed each step but made a meatball-like filling for the deep well you create by scraping out the seeds.  Often times I will chop up the seeds and flesh removed and mix it with the filling, if the seeds are young and tender.  A light marinara sauce was a perfect base for this recipe HERE.

The breadcrumb topping was a really nice addition, although, next time I would use a finely ground parmesan cheese.

Topped off with chopped basil leaves and a side salad, this was a beautiful summer meal.  Thank you zucchini...you've done it again.  Made it on my "Summer Favorites" list.

"When I pass a flowering zucchini plant in a garden, my heart skas a beat."

~ Gwyneth Paltrow

Spiced Madeleine Cookies

213. My "little baker" has been in the mood to bake lately. With a batch of Cheese Biscuits a couple days ago and then Banana Muffins the next, she's been amazing me! Today, she made Spiced Madeleine Cookies! What a lovely recipe this is. It came from the "Fairies Cookbook". We picked it up at a PTA School Bookstore and have been so pleased with the recipes!

The recipe is called Little Mermaid Shells on page 57.

Spiced Madeleine Cookies

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temp

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

1 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melted chocolate or white chocolate

Sprinkles or "Jimmies"

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Combine sugar and eggs with the whisk attachment and whip in as much air as possible to make the batter light and fluffy. Approximately 3 minutes.

Stir in cooled, melted butter.

Add flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix well to combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Spray Madeleine molds (molds shaped like clam shells) generously with nonstick cooking spray and then fill each mold with about a tablespoon of batter.

After the molds have been filled, tap the pan lightly on the countertop to even out the batter in each mold.

Bake until lightly browned, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool for 1 minute and then remove from pans and cool on rack.

Dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate or white chocolate and decorate with sprinkles or jimmies. Or dust with powdered sugar.

Store in air tight container up to 5 days.

She made them all by herself...I'm so proud!

This recipe has such a wonderful taste, texture and the cookies baked beautifully. I am going to add it to my Christmas cookie list and maybe try other flavors.

"Nothing is more effective than sincere, accurate praise, and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment."

~ Bill Walsh

Asparagus-Parmesan Souffle

155. I am very sentimental about certain cookbooks. They remind me of special times and special meals in my life. When I was newly married, my honey and I discovered a wonderful cookbook called The Silver Palate Cookbook written by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. It was delightfully "gourmet". From the hand drawn sketches to the exotic ingredients. Back then I could only dream of what these flavors tasted like.

We read this cookbook, cover to cover and both came to love the recipe for "Asparagus-Parmesan Souffle". We bought a souffle baking dish and began to collect the ingredients. And crazy us...we made this as a side dish for company without ever testing the recipe. It turned out beautifully, not a surprise. As we found every recipe from this wonderful cookbook to be a treasure!

Have you tackled a souffle'? They are not as hard as you think. I decided this year on Easter we would make this wonderful recipe and my honey, daughter and I worked together. There are many steps and it is smart to have everything ready to go when you need it.

Here is a link to the actual recipe on line: Asparagus-Parmesan Souffle

"You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook's year. I get more excited by that than anything else."

~ Mario Batali

Spätzle Dumplings

61.  One of my families favorite side dishes is a German Dumpling called "Spätzle", meaning "Little Sparrow" in German.  Years ago, we had the opportunity to eat an Amish meal in an actual Amish home.  Three families would prepare a five course meal and serve it family style in their home.  The tables stretched through the living room, dining room and into the library. We were with 25 other people to celebrate a birthday.  The food was outstanding and one of my most favorite dishes was "Spätzle".  The Amish make their dumplings a little bit different, more along the lines of pasta/egg noodles.

My recipe for this delicious dumpling is from 

The New Settlement Cookbook.  

In this cookbook it is listed as "Spatzen" (Egg Dumplings), which is a variation of the name but the recipe is the same.  Basically, the dough is flour, egg, salt and water or milk.  You can either drop them by spoonful into boiling water or force the dough through a Spätzle Hex which is similar to a Ricer.  There are many varieties of Spätzle tools for making these dumplings.  My tool is the Spätzle Sieve purchased in Ohio Amish Country.  The rustic method is to place the dough onto a small board and with a cutting tool or knife, quickly cut off portions of the dough into the boiling water.  If you go onto You Tube and search for "Spätzle", you will be amazed with the variety of methods used and some very hilarious!  It is up to you as to the size, shape or consistency of the dumpling.  Google "Spätzle" as well, there is a variety of sites with recipes, history and tips to follow.

Spatzen (Egg Dumplings)

1 egg

¾ cup flour

⅓ cup water

½ tsp salt

Beat egg well.  Add the flour water and salt.  Stir to make a wet dough.  Drop by teaspoonful into boiling soup (or boiling salted water).  Allow to boil for 10 minutes.  

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

With my Spätzle Sieve I have found it difficult to use.  The square box that rests on top of the sieve, that rolls back and forth, sticks and comes off, causing a dangerous scenario, being that it is over boiling water.  So, to remedy this problem, I make my dough a bit more runny so it drips through the sieve freely.  My dumplings are not noodle shaped but mini dumplings.  The shape doesn't matter...it is the taste that counts!

This recipe is a wonderful accompaniment to your meal in place of rice or potatoes. 

I served Spätzle with Baked Pork Chops and Honey Carrots.

"GenieBen Sie Ihre Nahrung"...Enjoy your food!

"Food is our common ground,

a universal experience."

 ~ James Beard

Fresh Clams

56.  Living close to the ocean, avails you to fresh seafood and shell fish.  Every day, we pass one of the best Seafood Restaurants and Seafood Markets in the area...Jordan's Lobster Farms.  

You can get any type of shell fish

or seafood and they make "the most" awesome 

New England Clam Chowder...I have ever tasted!!!!  

Yesterday, we decided it was a seafood day!!!  

We stopped by Jordans and picked up chowder and fresh clams, littlenecks.

  

My honey is such a great cook and he has a wonderful recipe for Linguine and Clam Sauce.  It is from his Time Life Books recipe collection.  While he was in the Navy, he subscribed to "Time Life's Foods of the World" and read every book and recipe while on a ship at sea.  

We have used these books over and over.

They are a great resource of information.  

His recipe is from "The Cooking of Italy" series and is

"Spaghetti con le Vangale"  or Spaghetti With Clam Sauce

There is also a wonderful recipe for "Linguine with Clams and Fresh Herbs" 

from Bon Appétit,

February 2005 on the Epicurious site as well as several other yummy choices.

This recipe is one that is so very easy yet so delicious.  

Adding fresh clams gives such a wonderful added flavor. 

We used linguine and littleneck clams.

This is definitely a dinner treat! 

So here is the clam sauce...

I just love when they open...

like they are singing!!!  They

were so fresh

.

Linguine con le Vangale...

If you love clams...this is so easy, you have to try it!

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,

teach a man how to fish,

and he will eat for a lifetime."

~ Chinese Proverbs