Jenn’s Cook Book

An adaptation from my Mexican Potatoes, this recipe combines the tastes of chili, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic and cayenne pepper with onion and potato.  

6 large potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425F

Wash and scrub potatoes. Use a knife to remove any bad spots and cut into wedges. Place all ingredients in a large, heavy-duty zip locked bag. Turn or shake bag until potato wedges and chopped onion are well coated in seasoning.

Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan. Spread potato mixture into an even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender (depending on the size of the wedges), stirring every 15 minutes or so.

To serve: top with sour cream, green onions, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, peppers, and/or bacon bits.

From Cooking Light magazine, via MyRecipes.com (see Links), this summer cooler is great to enjoy as the last summer days turn to autumn. Recipe may be halved.

6 cups water
3 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-6 limes)
lime slices, for garnish

Place 1 cup water and 3 cups blackberries in a blender and process until smooth. Press blackberry puree through a sieve into a large pitcher and discard seeds. Add remaining 5 cups water, sugar, and lime juice to pitcher. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime slice.

The blackberries used below came from a local Farmer’s Market:

If you like oil and vinegar on your salad, you will love this vinegarette. Based on a basic recipe in Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, I whipped up this vinegarette using fresh basil and garlic and apple cider vinegar.

1/4 cup fresh basil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch of sugar
2/3 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a blender, food chopper, or processor and combine. Refrigerate vinegarette in an air-tight container up to 2 weeks.

My favorite salad mix: baby spinach, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrot, raisins, and walnuts topped with this tasty dressing.

Here is Turmeric-Mania Recipe #3, also from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. “Curries can be quite mild or extremely spicy. It all depends on the type of curry powder that is used to make them - and how much is added. Feel free to adjust the recipe according to your own taste.” I served this dish with Coconut-Ginger Rice and raisins.

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder (mild, medium, or hot)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 in chunks
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, preferably “zesty” flavored (do not drain)

suggested accompaniments:
rice
plain yogurt
raisins
toasted almonds
store-bought mango chutney

Place flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in the same skillet. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and salt, cook for 1 more minute.

Add potatoes and 1 cup water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender but still offer slight resistance when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and 1/4 cup water.

Return chicken to skillet along with any juices in the bowl, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with desired accompaniments on the side.

Shown below, served over Coconut-Ginger Rice and sprinkled with raisins. The slightly sweet flavor of the rice and raisins compliments this dish well. The potatoes, onion, and garlic used were all from the Farmer’s Market:

Another recipe from Everyday Food magazine, this is very similar to the Cucumber Onion Salad from Simply in Season. The mild, nutty flavor of yellow squash is mixed with lemon, shallot, and thyme. Because I did not have any shallots, I used some sweet onion instead. Red onion would also give this dish a little kick. Look for yellow squash that are firm, small, and heavy for its size (smaller squash have fewer seeds and better flavor then big squash). Farmer’s Markets should still have plenty of summer squash available.

3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 medium squash (about 1/2 lb each)
1 shallot or 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Halve squash lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add squash, shallot or onion, and thyme. Toss to combine. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Chill, if desired.

Shown below (we did not halve the squash, only sliced thinly):

Here is my first recipe for Turmeric-mania, using fresh zucchini with a pre-made curry mix from McCormick. This particular brand of curry powder combines coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper, and ginger (whew!). The recipe below is from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, and “a cup of this soup is delicious, served hot or cold.” Enjoy Turmeric-mania Recipe #1.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, about 3 medium/2 large, sliced 1 inch thick
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add sliced zucchini and potato, plus 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway, liquids will expand), until smooth. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Sauteing onion:

Adding garlic and curry powder:

Simmering zucchini:

Serving soup garnished with toasted almond slivers:

Here’s another version of the Zucchini & Macaroni Salad, with yellow squash and onions added. This is a larger dish, meant for potluck-type events. The pasta I used is called Gemelli, but any kind of twisty, short pasta would work (try something fun!).

1 (16 oz) box of pasta
3 medium zucchini, quartered length-wise and thinly sliced
2 medium yellow squash, quartered length-wise and thinly sliced 
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
2 tbsp and 2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/4 tsp black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta per package directions until al dente. Drain and spread on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Drizzle with 2 tsp of olive oil (or as needed to prevent pasta from sticking).

Over medium-high heat, saute garlic and onions in 2 tbsp olive oil to 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash and toss, sauteing 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

Combine pasta, squash mixture, and basil in a large serving dish. Toss well with vinegar and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

There are several recipes online for Blackberry Lemonade, but I didn’t really like any of them. This is a quick and easy way to add something new to plain lemonade. You could make your own lemonade, the old fashioned way, but this calls for something with a little more speed and a little less squeeze. This would also be great with pink or berry flavored lemonade mixes. I used some from the Farmer’s Market that were still good but a little mushy, so this is perfect for berries that might be a little unappealing to eat.

1 package instant lemonade mix (i.e. Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Country Time)
1 quart fresh blackberries, about 2 cups 

Prepare lemonade according to packaged directions (use sugar if called for). Combine 1 cup prepared lemonade and blackberries in a blender. Pulse until smooth.

Pour blackberry mixture through a strainer and into lemonade. Discard solids. Stir lemonade well. Chill or serve over ice.

Seen below, garnished with mint (just for fun):

From the magazine Everyday Food, this dip uses Vidalia onions, which are considered one of the mildest variety of onions. The cooking time in this recipe concentrates the sugars in the onions for extra sweetness. The serving suggestion is for potato chips, but crackers, pretzels, or small slices of bread would also go great with this versatile dip. I like how easy it is to make, and that you can use reduced-fat products without sacrificing flavor (look for 1/3 less fat cream cheese, not fat-free). Vidalia onions should be in season at Farmer’s Markets, I found one large onion to use instead of 2 smaller ones.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 Vidalia onions (1 lb total), finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
potato chips, for serving

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions, season with salt (save pepper for after cooking time, it can burn). Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with pepper and let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, and chives, seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired. Use a food processor, chopper, or blender to bring dip to desired consistency (as smooth or as chunky as you prefer). Chill dip until thickened, about 1 hour. Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days. Serve with chips, or try it with raw veggies like baby carrots.

Shown below, garnished with some leftover chives:

I bought a massive yellow squash from the Farmer’s Market, as well as a huge bunch of basil and several sweet Walla Walla onions. What does that equal? Another Jenn Original Recipe, of course! Substitute any of your favorite summer squash as desired. You could also add sliced peppers and/or tomotoes.

1 large or 2 medium/small yellow squash
1 sweet onion, diced
1 cup torn basil leaves
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut ends off yellow squash and halve length-wise. Cut into thin, half-moon slices. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

In a large pot or skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onions and saute until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add sliced squash and toss. Cook 5-7 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat.

While squash is still hot, top with torn basil leaves and toss well. Allow 1-2 minutes for basil leaves to wilt slightly. Top with additional salt and pepper, to taste.