Great Recipes

I promised to post a couple of recipes. It’s zucchini time, and there are only so many breads and cakes two people (and their friends) can eat. So I’m always on the lookout for main zucchini dishes. Here’s a good one that we tried last night. Dave turned up his nose, but ended up liking it enough to approve it as a “make-again.”

Zesty Zucchini Quesadillas

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper (I used green), finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced (I used a yellow onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I left this out)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I left this out)
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (optional) (I used this; use one that has good flavor)
• 4 whole wheat or white flour tortillas (8″ diameter)
• 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 2 cups (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• sour cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in the cilantro, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato, lime juice, chili powder, and hot-pepper sauce, if using.

Spread one-fourth of the zucchini mixture evenly on one half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons pine nuts and one-fourth of the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook the quesadillas for 5 minutes, turning once, until the cheese is melted.

Cut the quesadillas into wedges and top with a generous amount of the tomato mixture. (I also added sour cream.)

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 444 calories, 18 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 31 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 561 mg sodium

• from Your Organic Kitchen: The Essential Guide to Selecting and Cooking Organic Foods, by Jesse Ziff Cool.

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This recipe is utterly delicious. I made it for a big group of friends and there wasn’t much left! The following recipe is the side dish I made—I was trying for a Caribbean theme (and solving that zucchini problem).

A pork roast with pineapple and spices, cooked in the crockpot. Serve this pork roast with rice.

Cook Time: 9 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 pork roast (about 3 lbs)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 can crushed pineapple (8 oz)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup cold water

Preparation:

Cut trimmed roast in half, if necessary, and place in Crock Pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients except flour and water; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove roast. Drain pineapple and reserve cooking liquid. Return meat and pineapple to cooker. Add water to liquid to make 1 3/4 cups. Pour into saucepan. Blend flour and cold water together to form a smooth paste. Stir into hot reserved liquid. Cook and stir until thickened. Pour over roast; serve with rice, if desired.

• from About.com, Southern Food

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Caribbean Vegetables

• from myrecipes.com