Category Archives: veggies

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

Posted in sides, vegetarian, veggies by

In the food blogger world, we’re often working ahead. Like, I’m currently working on Christmas cookies, as absurd as that sounds on this 80 degree summer day. Sometimes I feel like I’m living three steps ahead, not in the moment, so I was super excited that more than 80% of you were still up for summer recipes when I asked on Facebook this week.

Hurray, summer!

I feel like I’ve missed most of it, honestly. The move chewed up so much of my time that I feel like I’m frantically playing catch up now before school starts.  Grilling is something I’m catching up on – we finally got our grill ready to go this week. This was the first thing I made.

This “recipe” is really flexible – it’s more of a method. You can use any vegetables you have on hand. Want it to cook faster? Cut the pieces smaller. Want the veggies to caramelize a little more? Don’t stir as often. Sub the balsamic for fresh Parmesan. Add a nice, crusty loaf of bread and serve it as a meal. So many options!

It can also be served warm, cold, or at room temp which makes it so flexible for potlucks or entertaining.

BalsamicGrilledVeggies

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables
(adapted from Stop & Shop)
Serves 6-8 as a side

1 eggplant
2 zucchini
1 red pepper
1/2 red onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, julienned
2 Tbsp. balsamic glaze

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil and season with slat and pepper.

Add to a grill basket. Grill for 20-25 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

When done, transfer to a serving bowl. Top with fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Fresh Corn Salsa (4)

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Corn and Zucchini Skillet #farmersmarketweek

Posted in sides, vegetarian, veggies by

Yesterday, I talked about the plethora of summer zucchini. Today, let’s talk corn.

farmersmarketweekheader

Since joining the CSA, our summer corn consumption has jumped a lot. This is partly because the corn we get is really, really good and partly because corn is one of our farm’s biggest crops, so there’s a lot to go around.

I love when there’s a plethora of things, because it gets me to break out of my comfort zone more. In pre-CSA summers, we’d do grilled corn on the cob whenever I picked up corn. But now that we pretty much always have, I feel like I have license to play around a bit more.

This simple but flavorful skillet was born out of my experimenting. I had corn and zucchini to use up – and a bunch of fresh herbs waiting to be used. Add in some fresh parmesan and this side dish was a sure hit!

ZucchiniCornSkillet

Corn and Zucchini Skillet
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Serves 6

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 small zucchinis, coin sliced
2 large ears of corn, cleaned and kernels cut off
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the corn and zucchini. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the herbs and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Fresh Corn Salsa (2)

Hitting your local farmer’s market today? Here is some more inspiration for you!

Thursday #FarmersMarketWeek Recipes

Fresh Corn Salsa #farmersmarketweek

Posted in condiments, vegetarian, veggies by

farmersmarketweekheader

One of the things I love about being part of a CSA farm is that I’m learning a lot about how to prepare food. Like, last year I got schooled in sweet corn. Do you cook it? Then you’re doing it wrong!

Fresh from the field corn is so, so good raw. One day when we were there, they taught the kids how to pick and husk the corn in the field, and told them to try it raw. It’s even sweeter raw, and the kids gobbled it up. For the rest of the summer, it was their snack of choice and I didn’t get a chance to cook another ear!

This easy salsa uses farm-fresh sweet corn. If you have a local source, that’s your best option. We love this with chips, but it’s also great tucked in burritos and to top tacos.

FreshCornSalsa

Fresh Corn Salsa
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Makes about 2 cups

3 large ears of sweet corn, cleaned and cut off the cob
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Stir together the corn, pepper, onion and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Pour over the corn and toss to coat.

Fresh Corn Salsa

Looking for more #farmersmarketweek inspiration? Here is what my fellow bloggers are cooking up today!

Tuesday #FarmersMarketWeek Recipes

 

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Posted in main dishes, vegetarian, veggies by

House update: we were outbid on the house we liked. Womp, womp.

I’m trying to comfort myself by reminding myself of all the negatives. Like, the super pink early-90s kitchen and the extra bathrooms to clean. I’m also trying to relish the fact I no longer have to worry about showings – which means I can actually do some meal planning! And after all the fast food I’m excited about all the vegetables.

This spaghetti squash version of pad thai has been one of my favorite Lenten dinners so far. If you’re a slow chopper like me, this will take a bit to prep – but it’s flavorful and the contrast of the cooked squash with the other raw veggies is great!

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
(adapted from Tasty)
Serves 2

1 spaghetti squash
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp.  sesame oil
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. Sriracha
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, coin-sliced
1 red bell, diced
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 onion, diced

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the water, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, lime juice, Sriracha, peanut butter, and garlic to make the sauce.

When the spaghetti squash is done, shred the inside with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the sauce and remaining ingredients until well combined. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

 

Grilled Stuffed Mini Peppers

Posted in snacks, vegetarian, veggies by

The weather is getting better! The snow piles from the nor’easter are nearly gone and we’ve had a few evenings where it’s not frigid by dinner time – so we’re starting to fire up the grill.

Cave Tools recently sent me a pepper grill rack to try out (you can see my review here) and we finally busted it out to make these delicious little peppers. I think most people automatically think jalapenos stuffed with cheese and bacon for something like this, but I wanted to make something that felt light and fresh – and that was more toddler-friendly.

These were perfect! I can’t wait to make them again once we have lots of fresh herbs in the garden.

CaveTools4

Grilled Stuffed Mini Peppers
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Makes 12

12 rainbow mini peppers
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Clean and core the peppers.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, dill, basil, green onions, garlic, and lemon zest until well combined. Stuff peppers with cream cheese mixture.

Using a rack, grill over medium heat until the peppers are softened and the cream cheese puffs slightly. Serve immediately.

Chinese Restaurant Green Beans

Posted in sides, sized for 2, veggies by

Are you sick of green beans yet? I’m not. Green beans are my favorite and I’m regretting not getting my act together and doing a fall planting. I’m savoring the last of our summer crop.

I cooked these up as a side dish to go with some pork potstickers. It was a great combo and two of my favorite Chinese food dishes. It mmade me feel like we had gotten takeout – such a nice fake out!

ChineseGreenBeans

Chinese Restaurant Green Beans
(from Sweet Makes Three)
Serves 2 – 3

1Tbsp.  reduced-sodium soy sauce
1Tbsp. honey
1Tbsp. water
1Tbsp. unsalted butter
2Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed
½ tsp. salt, to taste
1Tbsp. minced garlic

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey and water. Set aside.

In a pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the green beans and salt and toss to coat. Cook 7-8 minutes, until beans are slightly browned and shrunken. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Add in the soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Cook for about 30 seconds, until the sauce becomes glaze-like. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Green Beans in Peanut Sauce

Posted in sides, sized for 2, vegetarian, veggies by

This was sort of a thrown-together dish – something to go with the Thai-spiced chicken skewers and something that would use up some more green beans. It ended up being one of my favorite things of the week.

I’m always a fan of quick sides and this fits the bill. It was the perfect accompaniment to our dinner and a dish I know I’ll be making again soon!

GreenBeansInPeanutSauce

Green Beans in Peanut Sauce
(adapted from The Taste Place)
Serves 2

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. green beans
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ginger

Over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the beans and cook for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over green beans, toss and cook until heated through.

Baked Green Bean Fries

Posted in sides, vegetarian, veggies by

Green beans are the new tomatoes. And by that I mean we have about a metric ton in the garden. Our go-to is to saute them with garlic, salt and pepper but with so many I’ve been trying to prepare them other ways so we don’t have green bean burnout.

When I told Mark I was making these, he was like, I don’t know about those. They were, thankfully, well received. I like that they were baked, not actually fried, and that it was a great way to sneak in some veggies where we would have normally done potato fries.

GreenBeanFries

Baked Green Bean Fries
(slightly adapted from Smarty had a Party!)
Serves 2

2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. backyard brick oven seasoning
1/2 lb. green beans
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
Sriracha mayo, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Wash and trim the green beans.

In one bowl, whisk together the panko and seasoning. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and eggs.

Dip the green beans into the egg mixture, roll in the panko and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with sriracha mayo for dipping.

Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Posted in sides, sized for 2, vegetarian, veggies by

We have zucchini in the garden this year. I feel like shouting it from the rooftops because our zucchini never seems to work out. Having an abundance now is a huge novelty and I’m happily working through some of the recipes I’d saved from previous years.

This side is pretty simple, but it’s a great one to have in your repertoire – easy, fast and delicious.

CheesyZucchiniBake

Cheesy Zucchini Bake
(slightly adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen)
Serves 2-3 as a side

1 large zucchini, cut into half moon slices
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. Herbes de Provence
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup shredded mixture of provolone and mozzarella, divided
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a small baking dish with non-stick spray.

Toss the cut zucchini with the basil, green onion, herbs, parmesan and half of the shredded cheese until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to baking dish. Bake for 2-25 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over the top and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is nicely melted.

Grilled Sriracha Broccoli

Posted in sides, vegetarian, veggies by

We’ve been making good use of the grill this summer – remaking lots of our favorite recipes from years past and trying lots of new things too. This falls into the “new” category.

Side dishes, in general, tend to get easily forgotten around here. After prepping a main dish, I usually just go for sides that are quick and easy – salads, fresh-cut veggies, dinner rolls, etc. This broccoli was just as easy, but definitely not forgettable. I’m sure this will be a staple for grilled dinners going forward!

GrilledSrirachaBroccoli

Grilled Sriracha Broccoli
(from A Taste of Home Cooking)
Serves 3-4

1 large head of broccoli, cut into three sections
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil

Place the broccoli in a bowl or baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together all other ingredients to make the glaze. Pour the glaze over the broccoli and spread around with a pastry brush.

On a hot grill, place the glazed broccoli flat-side down and grill for 4 minutes. Flip and grill for an additional 2-3 minutes, until slightly tender. Serve immediately.