Le Chef de Partie

I've always enjoyed cooking and, now that I live by myself, I seem to have lots of time to experiment and learn how to do things in the kitchen.  For example, I've learned that, if you leave a bag of raw potatoes in the cabinet, they eventually sprout tentacles and attempt to stage a coup with the egg noodles. 

I've also been experimenting lately with guacamole and pico de gallo because they're reasonably healthy foods, and because I really enjoy cutting vegetables.  I've even gone on YouTube to watch how chefs dice potatoes, celery, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro.  Tonight, I learned how to mince garlic without using a garlic press!  Yay, me!  And no, I don't need to be reminded of how I have no life.

I'm going to share a couple of recipes.  Not because I consider myself anything of an expert, but because these are things I enjoy eating, they're relatively cheap and easy to make, and it may provide some poor schmuck out there a substitute for Ramen noodles or sandwiches for dinner.

Stuffed Zucchini
3-4 medium zucchinis
1 pound of ground turkey, beef or Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow pepper
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 TBSP Italian spices
1 - 8 oz can of Hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheese

1) Cut the ends off the zucchini, then cut each one in half, lengthwise.  With a paring knife and a spoon, make shallow cuts in the pulp and hollow out each half to make a canoe-shape.  Save the pulp!
2) Bring a pan of water to a boil, then submerge the zucchini shells in the water for about 2-3 minutes, then remove and place them on a paper towel to cool.
3) Dice or cut up the zucchini pulp and put it in a saucepan along with the diced peppers and Italian spices.
4) Brown the meat and onions together.  I recommend a little garlic salt or seasoned salt to add some flavor.
5) Drain the grease, then add the meat/onion mix to the saucepan with the other veggies, then add the tomato sauce.
6) Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes, stirring frequently to mix everything together.
7) Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
8) Put the zucchini shells in the baking dish, and sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in each.
9) Spoon the veggie mix into the shells.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of all the filled shells.
10) Bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

*I like this dish because it's simple, but there's a lot of room for experimentation.  It can be a low-calorie dish simply by using ground turkey and fat-free cheese, or you can go the spicy route and use spicy Italian sausage, crushed red pepper, garlic and jalapenos in the mix.  Mushrooms, olives, anchovies ... all of these would be interesting additions, too :-) 

Guacamole
4 - ripe avocados
1 - diced tomato, medium
1/3 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 - cloves, minced garlic
1/2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TSP garlic salt

1) Depending on your preference, you can put these ingredients in a blender or food processor and whip it all into a creamy puree.  Personally, I prefer using a potato masher and mixing it that way, since I like a chunkier guacamole.

*There are a million different recipes for guacamole out there, some using parsley, red onions or jalapenos.  I prefer mine since it's easy and quick but, as with the stuffed zucchinis, there's a lot of room for experimentation.

**You'll notice I included some links in the recipes.  These are YouTube videos of how to prepare these veggies.  It's not rocket science, but watching the pros' techniques can be pretty helpful and make life a little easier.

Once again, let me say that I enjoy cooking and just felt like posting a couple of recipes I enjoy so someone else can enjoy them, too.  Of course, I welcome any feedback or recipe suggestions.  I also welcome any ideas about how to get rid of the 84 pounds of minced garlic sitting on my counter.