Zucchini Cakes

I found this recipe on a cooking blog that I follow called The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I thought it would be great to try with all of the fresh zucchini I have! They were really yummy. It satisfies my craving for fried food without feeling too guilty since it's full of zucchini!

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini
1 TBSP minced garlic
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese (I just used mozzarella since that's what I had)
2 whole eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Wash and cut the end of one large zucchini. Shred it using the large holes of a cheese grater. Squeeze the shredded zucchini with a paper towel until you've removed as much liquid as possible.

Place zucchini into a medium sized bowl. Add minced garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed.

Head olive oil (about 1/4 inch deep in bottom of skillet) to a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough drop a glob of the zucchini into skillet and flatten a bit. After about two minutes, turn the cakes over and cook other side until golden brown. About another 2 minutes.

Serve with marinara, ranch, or just eat plain!

Cabbage Salad

1 head cabbage, rough chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 lb bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
1/2 carton mushroom, sliced

Dressing
1/2 bottle mayo
1/4 cup rice vinegar, one with yelow lid
1/3 cup sugar

Gas Station Stuffed Pork Chops

Crab stuffing:
1/4 of each, red, yellow and green bell peppers, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic butter
1 pound fresh crabmeat
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 fresh egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pepper jack cheese

Dice the bell peppers and onions. Saute the bell peppers and onions in garlic butter. Set aside to cool. Combine crab meat, bell pepper and the rest of the ingredients, mix very well, set aside.

Asiago Sauce:
About 1/2 pound shredded asiago
2/3 cup half and half
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

For the sauce:
Bring whipping cream and half and half to a boil. Add the asiago cheese, remove from heat. Pour over cooked capellini pasta.

Blackened seasoning:
1/2 cup Spanish paprika
1/2 cup cayenne pepper
1/2 cup Black pepper
1/2 cup salt
1 cup chili powder
1 cup granulated garlic
1 cup granulated onions

For the seasoning:
Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.
Cut a pocket into the pork chop and stuff it with the crab mix. Season with the blackening seasoning. Grill pork chop.

Place grilled pork chop over noodles and sauce, serve.

Blue & Yellow Muffins

6 Tbl unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
4 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 1/2 c milk
4 eggs
2 Tbl honey
1/2 c finely diced red bell pepper
2 jalapeno finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 Tbl finely chopped cilantro
1 cup blue cornmeal
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/3 cup flour
1 Tlb baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp kosher salt

1. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and preheat oven to 400.
2. In a small pan melt butter, add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 sec. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Divide mixture evenly between 2 bowls.
3. In another bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, honey red pepper jalapenos, corn and cilantro. Pour mixture into a measuring cup and add half of the mixture to each of the large bowls with the onion mixture.
4. Put the blue cornmeal and yellow cornmeal in 2 separate bowls. To each bowl add 2/3 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking pwd, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp salt. Mix each cornmeal mixture into a bowl with the liquid mixture.
5. Pour an equal amount of each batter side by side into each muffin cup and bake for 16 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 min and then remove to a cooling rack. The batters can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Makes 18 muffins

Brownies

8 eggs

2 tsp salt

2 cups of butter, melted (yes, that's right)

1 1/2 cups cocoa

4 cups sugar

4 tsp vamilla

3 cups flour

1. Beat eggs with a mixer in a large bowl. Then add sugar, salt, vanilla and beat for 1 min.

2. Add melted butter and blend. In another bowl mix flow and cocoa with a whisk until well blended.

3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until well combined.

4. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet (12 x 17) and bake at 350 for 20 min. Cool for 15 min and spread with frosting.

Frosting

4 cups pwd sugar

1/2 cup soft butter

1/2 cup cocoa

milk

Blend pwd sugar, butter and cocoa with enough milk to make the frosting easy to spread. Spread over the brownies. Keep spreading as the frosting melts to make it nice and even on top. Allow brownies to cool before cutting.

Yes, I used real butter and exactly the amount of cocoa called for. They are very good!

Giada's Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil, for drizzling

*Giada's instructions were to knead by hand, but I just did it in my KitchenAid, and it turned out perfect

Put water in mixer. Add yeast, stir until dissolved. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Add flour and salt, mix until smooth and elastic. Drizzle the inside of a clean bowl with olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Using a fist, deflate the dough in the center and cut into 3 equal size pieces. Form the dough pieces into 3 balls and place into 3 oiled bowls. Cover and let rest 1 hour. May refrigerate for up to 1 day wrapped in plastic wrap.

Dutch Oven 7-Up Chicken

1/2 lb bacon, cut in chunks
6-7 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1 onion, chopped
2 cups baby carrots
8-10 small red potatoes, cut in half
2 chicken boullion cubes
1 cube butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can sprite, 7-up, or cream soda

Brown bacon in dutch oven. Take out and set aside. Drain most of grease out of oven. Cut chicken breasts into half or thirds. Brown chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Add chopped onion, bacon, carrots, and potatoes. Then add boullion cubes, butter, soup and soda. I usually don't use quite all of the soda. Put lid on oven. Cook approx 45 minutes. Stir one or twice while cooking to check moisture. Add more liquid if needed. Can either use 14 coals on top and 12 coals on bottom, or use a camp chef burner on low heat with with 14 coals on top or a tent to circulate the heat.