My local market has been flooded with fresh local summer squash. I love it ! I normally use it as a side dish, but here is a main dish using this wonderful veggie. The great northern beans make this dish very filling. Make sure you take the extra step to use FRESH oregano.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 summer squash (yellow), halved lengthwise, then sliced
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 (15-oz.) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed well
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

On medium, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Next, add the squash, zucchini, oregano, salt, pepper. Toss to combine and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans and vinegar. Raise the heat to medium and cook while stirring for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan and serve.

So far, this winter has been brutal!  Between the back to back snow storms and the frigid cold, it has been hard to catch a break.  Last week, I decided to make some spicy vegetable chili in my slow cooker.  I figured that would help warm me up.  Any for you meat-lovers, you can easily add beef or turkey, etc. to this recipe.

I’ve had a surplus of fresh veggies in my refrigerator, so I decided to use them all today in my fried rice recipe. Of course you can use frozen vegetables, but nothing compares to the taste of fresh ingredients. I didn’t use any egg in this fried rice recipe, so it is perfect for you vegetarians out there.

3 cups white rice (cooked)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3/4 cup carrots, chopped
3/4 cup green beans, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small red chili pepper, chopped
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Cook your rice ahead of time according to the package directions and set aside. In a wok heat sesame oil. Add carrots, onions, chili pepper and garlic and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the carrots begin to become tender. Add in the green beans and squash and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat and add the rice and soy sauce and stir fry for another minute or until heated thoroughly.

Serves 4-6

I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought tons of fresh vegetables, but I still had some random veggies left over from the week before, so I made a vegetable stock with them before they went bad.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
2 stalks celery, including some leaves
2 large carrots
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of asparagus stems
8 cloves garlic, chopped
8 sprigs fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 quarts water
Directions:

Chop washed vegetables into 1-inch chunks.
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables and spices. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables.
Keep refrigerated and use in a week or freeze it for later use.

Lately I have been trying to eat healthier and also consume less meat. I love tacos and veggies so it is only natural to combine the two. This recipe was inspired by a vegetarian taco recipe that I found in Real Simple magazine.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
Kosher salt
black pepper
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
5-ounce package baby spinach
8 small flour tortillas, warmed
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese
3/4 cup salsa

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Saute for about 3-4 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Add the corn and cook another 2 minutes. Add the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Toss until the spinach is wilted. Fill each tortilla with the veggie mixture, goat cheese and salsa.

Serves 4

1 cup dry white wine
1 lg shallot; chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped flat-leafed parsley leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs chopped drained capers
4 flat anchovies; rinsed, patted dry, and chopped fine
6 (1-inch-thick) boneless halibut steaks (each about 7 ounces)
3/4 lb Russet potatoes (about 1 1/2)
2 tbs olive oil plus additional if necessary
Garnish: flat-leafed-parsley leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400F and lightly oil a shallow baking pan.
2. Make sauce: In a heavy saucepan boil wine with shallot until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove pan from heat and whisk in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. Add oil in a stream, whisking until combined well, and season with salt and pepper. Keep sauce warm.
4. In a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, capers, anchovies, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pat halibut steaks dry and season with salt and pepper. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on top of steaks.
6. Peel potatoes and quarter lengthwise. Grate potatoes coarse, preferably using a food processor. Pat a heaping 1/4 cup potato evenly on mayonnaise mixture on each steak.
7. In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Carefully arrange 2 steaks, potato sides down, in oil and cook, pressing down occasionally with a slotted spatula, about 5 minutes, or until potato is golden brown and cooked through. Carefully invert steaks as browned into oiled pan (potato sides should be up) and season with salt and pepper. Repeat procedure with remaining steaks, adding more oil to skillet if necessary.
8. Bake steaks in pan in middle of oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until just cooked through.
9. Serve steaks with sauce and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6

1/2 lb Gruyere cheese; shredded
1 9″ unbaked pastry shell
3 tomatoes; peeled; chopped and drained
3 tbs instant minced onion
3 tbs hot water
Salt; pepper
1 tsp dried basil; crushed
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Scatter Gruyere cheese over pastry shell. Spread layer of tomatoes over cheese. Add onion, which has been soaked in hot water until softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add basil. Beat eggs and milk together and pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350F 45 minutes, or until done.

Servings: 8

1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic; crushed
2 green bell peppers; finely chopped
1/3 cup butter
1 can tomato paste
8 md tomatoes; very ripe, peeled and diced
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup liquid drained from large can ripe olives
1 bay leaf
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
5 cup cooked lobster
Hot rice

Lightly brown onion, garlic and bell pepper in butter. Add tomato paste and tomatoes; simmer 30 minutes. Add wine, olive liquid, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Uncover; simmer 30 minutes more until sauce thickens. Add cooked lobster. Simmer 15 minutes and serve immediately over hot rice.

Servings: 8

1 tbs olive oil
2 small onions; thinly sliced
1 lg Russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper; to taste
6 flour tortillas; 8 inch
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 medium ripe tomato; chopped
2 fresh or pickled jalapeno chile peppers; thinly sliced

1. In medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add half the onions and cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat 2 non-stick baking sheets with nonstick spray. Arrange 4 tortillas on baking sheets. Divide potato mixture among tortillas and spread evenly. Top each with 1 tortilla.

3. Coat tops of quesadillas with nonstick spray. Bake, turning once, until lightly browned and heated through, about 10 minutes. Cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges. Arrange sour cream, tomatoes, jalapeno and remaining onions in separate serving bowls. Serve with quesadillas and pass at the table. Makes 24 wedges.

1 head cauliflower, separated into bite size florets
Coarse salt, as needed
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, cracked
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 jarred roasted red pepper, drained, and diced into small bits
16 oil cured olives, drained, and chopped into small bits
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley tops, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Coarse salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1. Cook cauliflower in 1-inch boiling water covered for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Drain, sprinkle with salt and return pan to stove top uncovered.

2. Set heat at medium and add oil, garlic, anchovies (optional) and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan. Break up anchovies with the back of a wooden spoon until they melt into oil. Add diced red roasted pepper, chopped olives and parsley to the pan and combine.

3. Add cooked, drained cauliflower to the pan and toss to distribute the red, black and green confetti. Add the red pepper. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste, and serve.

Servings: 4