Thursday, July 31

Zucchini Enchiladas

Don't be fooled... this is a Mexican dish, not an Italian dish! But since I loathe cilantro I had to find something else to top it with. And of course I have plenty of oregano :)

This recipe is a little more time consuming than it would lead you to believe. I would advise cooking this one in two nights... night 1: cooking and shredding the chicken and night 2: adding the chicken to the rest of the preparation.

Enjoy!
Ingredients:
4 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder or to taste
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 cup corn
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
Directions:
Place the zucchini halves in boiling water for a minute, remove and let cool.
Hollow out the zucchini halves with a small spoon reserving the removed flesh.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the reserved zucchini flesh, chicken, corn, oregano, 1/2 cup of enchiladas sauce and cilantro, cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.
Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish, place the zucchini in the dish, stuff them with the filling and top with the remaining enchilada sauce and the cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the zucchini is nice and tender and the cheese has melted, about 30-40 minutes.

Tuesday, July 8

Zucchini Noodles with Lobster

Still loving my vegetable spiraler! Especially now that the weather has warmed up and cool, light dishes are more appetizing than warm heavy ones.

If you've missed my previous posts about zucchini noodles here's a quick primer. If you don't have a spiraler you can also use a Julienne peeler and it doesn't take too much longer.

Now for the really fun part....the lobster! Depending on how many you're serving you may want to use imitation lobster as the real thing can be pricey (around $13 for one tail at my grocery store!) Imitation lobster is mostly Alaskan Pollack which is very sustainable so not to worry:) And as the garlic sauce is very flavorful you could probably substitute just about any white fish.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 zucchini, trimmed
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup lightly packed coarsely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup lightly packed coarsely chopped parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
Fresh found black pepper, to taste
2 cups multicolored baby tomatoes, halved
2 cups coarsely copped cooked and cooled lobster meat (about 10 oz)

Directions: (serves 4)
Working 1 piece at a time, secure zucchini into a spiraler and crank long strands that resemble spaghetti noodles. In a bowl toss noodles with 1/4 tsp salt and transfer to a colander for about 15 to 20 mins to drain excess water.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine lemon zest, garlic, dill and parsley. Add oil and lemon juice and mix until combined.
Arrange noodles on a large tray lined with a clean, dry towel. Cover with a second towel and gently pat to absorb any excess water. Add noodles to bowl with herb mixture and toss gently to combine. Season with pepper and additional salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with tomatoes and lobster.