Use It Up Day One: Squash Casserole

Don't adjust your monitor, I really did just blog two days in a row.  I know, right?  I'm proud of me, too.

Day one of Use it Up wasn't terribly creative, but it was tasty!  I call it "A Meal of Two Souths."  We had pan-fried pork chops that I rubbed with a whole bunch of spices (onion powder, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, cilantro).  I've never liked pork chops much (partially because they aren't kind to me), but I have finally learned how to cook them in a way that tastes good and stays juicy.  It's fairly simple but worth knowing.  Steps 1-6 here give you the basic idea.

seasoned and seared

I had a ton of chopped cilantro left over from a taco salad party, so I decided to make chimichurri sauce for the first time ever.  Chimichurri is a cilantro-based sauce popular in Argentina to serve on steak.  Here's the recipe I used.  It was pretty good!

pulsed and served

And to round out our Argentinian meal I made squash casserole, which any true Argentinian will tell you they've probably never heard of.  Oh well.  It's southern (think: ya'll-land) just not as southern (read: Cazuela de calabaza es tan norteamericano.)  Southern food is GOOD, people, but it's not known for being good for you.  In the south, you can go out to eat and order a "Vegetable Plate" (choose any three!) that contains macaroni and cheese, french fries, and fried apples.  Go to a good-ol' Southern Baptist Church potluck supper and you'll be luck to find any vegetable that hasn't been breaded, fried, creamed, or candied, which is why I usually bring a salad.  But, I do love some southern food, and any vegetable is better than no vegetable, right?  So, tonight, I present to you a vegetable that has been creamed, cheesed, breaded, and baked.  You're welcome.

Squash Casserole

• 6 cups diced zucchini and yellow squash (or other squash)
• 1 medium chopped onion
• cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers - In the spirit of using it up, I did not have Ritz so I substituted regular bread crumbs.  It was fine, but you really want that buttery taste Ritz crackers provide

sauteed and mixed

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter bottom and sides of a glass casserole dish (I've used an 8 by 8 square, a 7 by 11 rectangle, and a medium Pyrex circle.  All turned out fine.)  Saute the squash in hot oil over medium heat for about 15 minutes.  Line a colandar with a cotton dishtowel (not terry!) and dump squash in to drain.  While squash is cooling, saute the onion for about 5 minutes or until it becomes translucent and slightly browned.  Squeeze excess moisture from the squash, then mix together squash, onion, sour cream, spices, and cheese in a large bowl.  Spread into casserole dish, then top with crackers.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crackers are browned and mixture is slightly bubbly.

Not the most flattering picture, I realize.  Don't let that deter you.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel

I guess I took a little break. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I haven't blogged in a week. Relatedly, I haven't cooked much new in a week. My ESL class is on Spring break. I haven't done my Bible study homework in a couple days. It's Easter so there's no coupons to cut this week. I've only been playing Words with Friends once or twice a day instead of my usual 10 or 11 times (I know, it's bad). I haven't cleaned my house in....well....yeah. Anyways, it's been kind of nice and also kind of weird. I haven't intentionally cut out anything - actually, I've just been doing other things instead. I sewed Malachi a new lovey. My mom and sister came over and helped me make flower beds in my yard. I made these for a new neighbor. I'm going to get some administrative stuff done for my ESL program. I've really enjoyed frozen pizzas and eating out. I read a book in two days.

Breaks are really nice sometimes. It's fun to just break the routine and do something out of the ordinary. I am a type A personality, but I'm also really spontaneous by nature.

I went a little (or a lot) crazy in the produce section last week at the store, so I cooked with two things that are not a part of my regular repertoire - butternut squash and fennel. I have used butternut squash for baby food and this, but fennel was a first. It was good!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Fennel and Tomatoes

~1 2-lb butternut squash
~1 fennel bulb and about 2 tablespoons chopped fennel greens
~1/2 chopped onion
~1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
~olive oil
~3 cloves chopped garlic
~1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (if you like, to balance the sweetness of the squash)
~salt and pepper
~basil

Peel and dice the butternut squash (good instructions here - it's actually not that hard). Chop the fennel bulb into crescent slices. Toss squash, fennel, onions, and garlic with oil and spices. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes for the last 15 minutes or so. Eat as a side, or toss with some pasta, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh Romano cheese.

Easy Pan-Fried Vegetables

Things I've learned in the kitchen:

1. Don't cook grease-popping food with bare feet.
2. Double the spices and cheese in any cookbook recipe.
3. Taste as you go.
4. Butcher knives are sharp.
   
5. Anything dropped on the ground will eventually get eaten.
6. Sometimes you slave over a scratch-made recipe and it doesn't taste any better than store-bought. If this happens, savor the flavor of "effort."
7. Many expiration dates are suggestions.
8. Cream cheese-frosting cannot substitute for actual cream cheese when baking.
9. Your mother was right.
10. Go with your gut.

Easy Pan-Fried Vegetables

~2 to 3 pounds of zucchini and yellow squash
~1 small onion
~8-ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
~4 cloves fresh garlic
~1/2 stick butter
~1/4 cup white cooking wine (or dry white)
~salt and pepper

Slice zucchini and yellow squash into disks. Chop onion into 1/2-inch pieces. Melt butter in a large pan (we use an electric skillet - you can cook in batches for a small skillet, or halve the recipe). Add vegetables and garlic and stir. Cook on medium, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooking wine, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat or about 10 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove lid and turn up heat to brown.