When I was a new blogger I’d constantly try to take baked casserole meals like this one out of their dishes and photograph them on a plate, presenting one of the most homely meals possible to my readers.

I have found the light in both respects.  Chili powder is something that really, really can be wonderful or be pretty sub-par depending on your source.  Moreover, when recipes call for two types of chili powders, you’re really missing out by not making the recipes as specified!

And casseroles pretty much always look much more fantastic in their baking dishes than slopped onto your plate.

I’ve made meals such as this countless times.  Generally, I wing it.  This time, however, I followed a recipe from Vegetarian Times.  This meal was really excellent which is why I’m sharing it with you!  I added it to my meal plan because it used up more of the corn tortillas I had purchased for my tacos.

Tortilla Pie – Mexican Lasagna (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

So then how do I respond to the Omnivore when he asks me what’s for dinner?

Asian Tacos.

Yeah.  I took the easy way out.  I could have said ‘moo shu’ and he would have said, “Huh?” and we would have had this dance of defining and questioning that ended in nearly the same place: soy spiced veggies in homemade-sort-of-soft-tacos.

Next time we have it, though, I’ll be sure to say Moo Shu! and he’ll remember exactly what that means, because this dish is so good that it leaves a mark on your mind, and your belly (if you eat too much as we did).

One Year Ago: Tomato Sauce with Basil and Olives
Two Years Ago: Dessert Sushi

Vegetable Moo Shu Wraps (adapted from Vegetarian Times)
* I cooked an extra portion of meat from our Thai Beef Salads and added it to the Omnivore’s portion

Finally.  Summertime.  Real vegetables.  I was getting so tired of onions, potatoes, cabbage, and broccoli.  Now we get brightly colored, highly nutritious, FUN vegetables.

And better yet, they’re locally grown.  I get to support my neighbor and the veggies don’t have be shipped in days in advance.  That is like an ingredient in and of itself.

The Omnivore’s favorite part of the meal was the tomatillo salsa.  Of course, he asked me what the heck tomatillos were and I responded with a litany about the relationship to a gooseberry (what’s a gooseberry?).  His verdict, however, is that they are a cross between a lime and a green tomato.

And they are delicious in Mexican food.  This recipe is cooked entirely on the grill, from the salsa, to the fillings, to the quesadillas themselves.  The result is better than our local Mexican restaurant and go ahead and make a double batch of the tomatillo salsa – you’ll want a midnight snack of chips with that stuff!

One Year Ago: Fresh Salsa
Two Years Ago: Pear, Blue Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches

Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Tomatillo Salsa (adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

And then the idea of stuffed zucchini came to me.  I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to eaten with my hands.  Would they be floppy?  Too hot out of the oven?  How would they taste room temperature (some people, I find, actually have self control and don’t just immediately shovel all the food in their mouth that is set in front of them).

Well, what did you think I was going to put in my zucchini?  Meat?

Sweet potatoes and black beans really are the perfect combination.  The texture here in this recipe is substantial and interesting and the spices combined with the rest of the ingredients is a home run.  The filling is based off one of my favorite meals ever, sweet potato and black bean burritos.

They are baked just long enough to highlight the flavor of cooked zucchini but remain substantial enough to be eaten with your hands in a few bites.  I tasted one prior to the photo shoot (to decide if the recipe was blog worthy, after all) and after the photo shoot so I can attest they are delicious room temperature.

One Year Ago: Balsamic Glazed Chick Peas

Stuffed Zucchini
4 large-ish zucchini
1 large-ish sweet potato
1 cup black beans
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 T chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cook sweet potato as desired (steam, boil, bake) and remove skin.  Mash with a fork and incorporate black beans, mashing along the way.  Stir in the remaining ingredients until evenly distributed.

Hollow out zucchini by slicing zucchini in half and then by scoring a v-notch and popping out the interior of the vegetable.  Whittle away as much of the interior as you can without compromising your zucchini boat.  Mound sweet potato filling in zucchini boats.

On a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, line stuffed zucchini and bake for 20 minutes.

Whilst living together, the ‘Vore generally insisted we go out to eat for dinner during the weekend.  I generally dug my heels in, then decided that it was a battle not worth fighting, and conceded.

These days, though, the Omnivore is craving my cooking.  What a sweet man!

So, as I was brainstorming ideas of what to make for him during my short 36 hour stint in the same state, I decided it needed to be vegetable heavy.  I suspect he eats only carbs and meat while I’m gone.  I’ve gotta get some roughage in him!  And these vegetable kabobs were a wonderful way to do that.

The veggies marinated for about three hours while the Omnivore was out teaching yoga.  (Cool, or what?)  When he got home, I wiped the nap from my face, skewered the veggies, threw some corn on the grill, and within 20 minutes we were eating.  Perfect for spending more time together.

One Year Ago: Black Eyed Pea Salad

Marinade (inspired by this recipe)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 T maple syrup
8 leaves of basil, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch salt, pinch pepper

12 button mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 onion
1 zucchini

Clean and cut vegetables into kabob size.  Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over cut veggies.  Toss to coat.  Let ingredients marinate for at least three hours, or overnight, before grilling.

And the inclusion of lemon zest in this recipe was the reason I singled this recipe out when I was looking through recipes for Asian lettuce wraps.  So, as long as you have a zester, this recipe is quick and easy for a weeknight.  Otherwise, you’ll be like me, using a paring knife to carefully remove the zest and not the pith from the lemon, and chopping it to oblivion so that it achieves a zest-like character.

The lemon zest added the most wonderful dimension to this recipe.  And before you ask, let me just make this clear:  I’ve never eaten at PF Chang’s so I have no idea if this recipe is similar to that one.  But it is so darned good that it doesn’t matter if it is a knock-off recipe for PF Chang’s or not.

Looking for a vegetarian lettuce wrap recipe? Veggie Loaded Lettuce Wraps

One Year Ago: Vegetarian Gyros

Asian Lettuce Wraps (2 servings, inspired by Our Best Bites)
1/2 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
1 zucchini, diced
2 scallions, slices
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly minced ginger
2 T soy sauce
3 T chopped cilantro
1 tsp sesame oil
sesame seeds
iceberg lettuce

In a nonstick pan, cook ground turkey and zucchini.  Add water chesnuts, lemon zest, juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.  Lightly cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and fold in cilantro and scallions.  Divide mixture among 6 iceberg lettuce leaves and top with sesame seeds.  Serve warm.

2 servings, per serving
Calories 216.6
Total Fat 10.3 g
Protein 23.2 g

#1) Zucchini – We all know I’ve tried to convince the man to love zucchini like I do.  It just isn’t happening.

#2) The quiche-like-nature of this meal.

Recently, the Omnivore and I were at this thing. Some kind of event or something.  I don’t remember much beyond the food that was served there.  Amongst the food was a spinach quiche.  And soon enough the Omnivore found he had been served a wedge of quiche by a little old lady, and to boot?, we were seated at the same table as the little old lady.

And that little old lady kept asking the Omnivore how he was enjoying her quiche.  And the ‘Vore was plowing through that quiche like no tomorrow and my mouth was agape.  I stuttered, “I had no idea you liked quiche so much, honey!”

And then he shot me the we’ll-talk-about-that-later look.

When we made it to the car at the end of the thing, the first statement uttered was not about how great the event was, or how nice the weather is, or how it’ll be great to get home.  Nope.  His first statement was, “I do not like quiche.  Please do not serve me quiche.  I’ve never liked it and I never will like it.  I only ate it to be nice.”

And so tonight when he came home from work, and asked “What’s for dinner?  It smells great!” I was nervous.  More or less a zucchini quiche.  What was a thinking?  No amount of cheese or bacon could get the Omnivore to enjoy this meal.  I responded tactfully:

“Delicious salad with your homegrown tomatoes, honey, and a tart.”

“Like a sour tart?” He replied.

“No…”

“A pie tart?” He queried.

“Yes, pie!  Pie for dinner!”

And with that, the Zucchini, Sweet Onion, and Bell Pepper Tart was served.

He immediately picked any visible zucchini off the top of the tart and tossed them onto my plate.  More for you, honey! he grinned.  And then he took a hesitant bite.  And then he exclaimed exactly what I was thinking.

This damn quiche is damn good. The sweet onions and peppers were perfectly soft and the consistency was creamy, not eggy (his criticism of quiche in general).  It felt rich and delicious.  The crust was perfect.  This is a must make, people!

One Year Ago: Raisin Walnut Whole Wheat Bread

Zucchini, Sweet Onion, Red Pepper Tart (adapted from CookingLight)
For the crust
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or 1 cup + 2 T AP flour)
1/8 tsp salt
1.5 T olive oil
1/2 cup + 2 T water
1 tsp baking powder

Combine salt, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Add oil and water and knead to form a dough.  Pat into a 4″ circle, wrap in saran wrap, and refrigerate about 15 minutes.

Roll crust out into an 11-12″ circle and press into a tart pan or springform pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

for the filling
2 eggs
2 egg whites
2 cups chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped SWEET! onion (recommend vidalia)
2 cups chopped zucchini
2 cloves minced garlic
1 t fresh thyme or 1/4 t dried thyme
1 oz or 1/4 c shredded cheese (Swiss, cheddar, Gruyere)
1 oz or 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup nonfat milk
2 T powdered nonfat milk

Beat together eggs and egg whites.  Using a pastry brush, spread mixture over tart crust and bake crust for 8 minutes at 375*.  Cool on wire rack.  Meanwhile, chop vegetables.

Saute onions and peppers for about 10 minutes until browned.  Add garlic and zucchini and cook 10 more minutes.  Add thyme.  Mix together remaining eggs, milk, and powdered milk.

Spread vegetable mixture into crust.  Pour milk and egg mixture over crust.  Do not overfill, it is okay if you have some remaining.  Sprinkle cheeses on top and bake at 375* for 45 minutes.

6 servings
Calories242 (33% from fat)
Fat 8.8g (sat 2.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.9g)
Protein 12.5g
Carbohydrate 28.9 g
Fiber 2.4g
Cholesterol 84mg
Iron 2.6mg
Sodium 466mg
Calcium 251mg

I buy the same list of ingredients each week at the grocery store, barring some exceptional sale.  So I often start with the ingredients first rather than the craving and work from there.  This process lends itself to two specific results: 1) a helluva lot of substitutions or 2) creativity.

But this specific time, I wasn’t feeling innovative (option 2) and there was only one recipe I could identify in my cookbook collection that called for both the ingredients I was hoping to use.  That recipe was Mollie Katzen’s Sweet Potato and Zucchini frittata.  It calls for 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and since I’m not on dairy these days, that idea was out.

Insert Google.  Another great recipe resource.  Unlike cookbooks you love and trust, recipes found on Google may be total flops.  However, when you cook frequently you can generally read a recipe and anticipate results pretty accurately.  When I spotted this recipe, I knew I loved the ingredients, and I had all of the components on hand.  It was great and is great for a summer side dish.  I made the recipe vegan by omitting bacon and parmesean cheese, but if that’s your persuasion, be sure to check out the original recipe.

One Year Ago: Vegan Chicken Patties

Grilled Sweet Potato and Zucchini Salad (4 servings, adapted from here)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium sweet onion, cut in a large dice
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups of loosely packed baby spinach, chopped
3 T red wine vinegar
1 T extra-virgin olive oil (may be increased up to 6 T)
1 T fresh chopped rosemary
1 T chopped fresh oregano
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat grill to medium and spray with cooking spray.  Place sweet potato rounds over hottest portion of flames and zucchini over more indirect heat.  Grill 10-15 minutes until grill marks appear and potato can be pierced with a fork, turning over halfway through the cooking process.  (Alternatively, roasting or steaming these vegetables is fine as well).  Meanwhile, saute onion stove top until tender and slightly translucent.  Thaw corn as direction on package.  In a small bowl, whisk together spices and herbs with vinegar and oil.  In a large salad bowl, combine freshly washed spinach with corn, using the heat of the thawed corn to wilt the spinach leaves.

Remove vegetables from grill and chop into desired sizes.  Add to salad bowl.  Pour prepared dressing over salad and toss gently.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving warm or room temperature.

Per serving
Calories 173.1
Total Fat 4.2 g
Total Carbohydrate 33.0 g
Dietary Fiber 5.2 g
Sugars 2.8 g
Protein 3.5 g

I justify the Omnivore’s hesitance about the squash with the hazmat orange appearance of the vegetable.  I mean, we have been coached from childhood to avoid this color.  Barriers on the interstate? Hazmat orange Poisonous under-the-kitchen-sink cleaners?  Hazmat orange.

That must be why someone put the word BUTTER in this squash.  To make up for the offensive color.  Yep.  And that’s why I keep giving the Omnivore this vegetable.  I mean, anything starting with Butter and ending with Nut must.be.delicious.  At least I think so.

I loved this recipe because of the cinnamon addition to the spice mix.  The flavor is unique and very different from what is usually inside burritos.  Delicious, healthy, and satisfying!

1/2 medium butternut squash, 1/2″ dice (inspired by this blog)
1 onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
1 medium zucchini, cut into 2×1/2 inch x 1/2 inch sticks
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp lime juice
1 cup chick peas
6 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 cup shredded monterey-jack cheese (optional)

Roast butternut squash at 400* for 20 minutes.  Or boil/steam for 3-4 minutes.  Whichever you have time for .  Roasting is tastier.  Sautee onion in a pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.  Add zucchini as well as cumin, salt, chili powder, and cinnamon.  Cook until tender.  Add  squash and chickpeas.  Cook until flavors combine, 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle lime juice over mixture.

Microwave tortillas 15 seconds to make them pliable.  If desired, add cheese to tortilla before filling with squash stuffing.

Honestly, the reason you shouldn’t bother serving this to your kids is that you need to hoard it all for yourself.  The Omnivore put it this way: this is the best soup I’ve ever made.  I need to put it in the rotation.  And it doesn’t matter that it contains zucchini (the most loathsome veggie) this stuff is freaking awesome.

What’s also awesome is that it is amazingly creamy with no cream at all.  And it is quick.  And it uses garden fresh herbs and vegetables.

Wait.  There’s one bad thing about this recipe.  It only makes enough for two servings.  So double it.  That is all.

I thought about adding bacon to the Omnivore’s bowl.  But then I got lazy.  And I’d made soft pretzels as a side dish, anyway, so I was golden in his eyes.  You could add bacon, though, if you wish.  Or sausage.  Oh, hell, I don’t know.  I don’t even remember what chicken tastes like anymore.

Green Soup (serves 2, adapted from epicurious)
2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
4 cups broth, divided
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
salt and pepper
sour cream, for garnish

Julienne skin (only) from half of zucchini with slicer; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drain in a sieve until wilted, at least 20 minutes. Coarsely chop remaining zucchini.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 3- to 4-quarts heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup with basil in blender.

Bring remaining cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanch julienned zucchini 1 minute. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls with julienned zucchini mounded on top and garnish with sour cream.