Bite sized yellow squash with marinara sauce and shrimp

I had a hard time trying to decide what to call these little delicious bites of yumminess! So I just called them what they are!

These little delights make a great side dish with pasta or chicken, and are even delicious on their own. And they make a great appetizer too!

I preheated my oven to 350.  While the oven preheated, I prepared the shrimp.  I used deveined and peeled shrimp with the tails removed. Place the shrimp in a bowl and coat with olive oil. Next comes the seasoning, and you can use whatever you like.  I used a little season salt, ground cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, a little cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.  Coat the shrimp thoroughly, scatter over a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until cooked through.

While the shrimp are baking, slice the yellow squash in rounds, about ½ to ¾ inches thick.  Place on a plate and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Heat up a grill on your stove or just use a fry pan. Grill or cook until JUST tender and remove from the heat.

Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Add a spoonful of marinara sauce and top with one or two of the cooked shrimp. Sprinkle with a little shredded mozzarella cheese and back until the cheese melts.

Don’t they just sound delicious!!  Enjoy!

 

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Mimi’s Garden – Fall Gardening Chores, Part 2

I’m working on my vegetable gardens to prepare for fall. It can be a messy one too! And I’ll miss walking through my yard to my veggie gardens and plucking yummy food for my tummy.

This year I neglected some of my tomato plants and did not keep them as groomed as I like. They grew like weeds too, I am still getting tomatoes and it’s almost the end of September. Night temps have been in the 40-50’s already. So I had to get busy!

     

Since each tomato plant was more a bush, it took me a little longer this year to give them their fall haircut. LOL I start by cutting back the smaller branches, and finding the top if each stem to cut back. Any new flowers and smaller branches need to be removed so the plant can concentrate on growing the fruit that is already on the branch, not producing new growth. That is why the top of the branch needs to be cut off too; it would continue to grow, it’s a vine after all. Again, this will stunt the growth of the plant so it can focus on the existing fruit.

So any branches without tomatoes I removed and the others all were trimmed. I also removed any tomatoes that looked in rough shape.

    

Next up, the pepper plants. I totally removed one plant, it had completely done its job and had no more blooms.   I still have 3 more pepper plants, thankfully they still have peppers growing. I didn’t have much luck with these plants, I was hoping for a large supply so I could jar roasted red peppers. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year.

For my fall garden I planted 2 types of lettuce seeds, spinach, and radishes. I’ve never planted them this late so I am not sure how things will go, but they do well in the cooler temps in the spring so hopefully I will have the same good luck in the cooler autumn temps!

     

My herb garden consists of 3 large pots. Last year 2 of my thyme plants and 2 rosemary plants survived the winter and came back in the spring. The rosemary didn’t grow very well for me this year though. All that sage, I started making sage bundles to burn, and I added some summer flowers in the middle of the bundles. Cannot wait to try them!

But for all of the herbs, I have been drying them for use over the winter, pasts are HERE and HERE.

I also grow mint in pots, but I have already tended to them. This was the second summer for the plants and they barely came back so I emptied the pots and will start fresh next spring. I prefer growing the mint in pots because the mint plant is so invasive and will take over the garden bed. Unfortunately, growing it in pots only produces 2 or 3 years of mint and then it dies off. The pots become totally root bound.

After all this work is done, I get to enjoy a winter break and plan next years gardens. Will I set up any new raised beds??? Maybe… But maybe not, I can barely keep up with what I have now! I love playing in the dirt though, and growing flowers and food. It is so rewarding and a blessing from God to be able to do so.

Happy Autumn friends!

Summer Herb and Shrimp Salsa Nachos

I love nachos and tacos! And I have to admit, I like my “usual” and very seldom do I want to stray from those yummy recipes. But, I also like to play around with different ingredients to my favorite dishes, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

This worked!

Now, I’m having tummy issues and sour cream and avocados I cannot have. But if I could, those ingredients would be in this nacho recipe.

Also, this would work as a taco – a taco is exactly what I had planned to do BUT I did not have tortillas in my freezer (yes I keep them in the freezer). I did have these incredible corn chips though, so that’s what I used and made it nachos.

For the nachos, I just layered each of the ingredients. For the tacos, you can put all the ingredients into a bowl, stir to combine and then add to taco shells or tortillas.

I used deveined shrimp with the shells and tails removed. I lightly coated them in olive oil and tossed them on a foil lined baking sheet. Then I added finely diced red onions, salt and pepper, chopped thyme, and smoked paprika. I love smoked paprika! Bake at 350 degrees until done.

I put a layer of corn chips on a plate. While the shrimp cooked I finely chopped iceberg lettuce, a bell pepper, radishes, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers. As each ingredient was chopped, I sprinkled it over the corn chips. I also used grilled corn in this recipe. When the shrimp were cooked, I chopped them and topped the nachos with them.

I had planned to chop parsley but…. My parsley plant has some Black Swallowtail eggs so I am NOT touching it!!!  But I did use some other herbs, thyme. rosemary, mint and basil.  Cilantro would be delish in this!

Then I squeezed some lime juice all over the nachos and dinner was served.

You can top with sour cream, guacamole, sliced avocados, etc.

Vegetable Gardening

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I tried vegetable gardening. My tomatoes turned out great but the carrots, not so much. They looked like pencils. I cannot even remember what else I tried to grow but I did not have a clue what I was doing.

Fast forward to this year, this is my second year of veggie gardening since moving into this house and it “almost” didn’t start out well. Let me back up to last summer though.

I bought a raised bed, a cedar garden box. Assembled it myself, filled it with garden soil and then filled it with tomato and pepper plants, and a few onions.

My plants were huge and were producing tomatoes and peppers. Then a bad storm blew through town and tore my plants up. I managed to save about half of each plant. I was so blasted mad but there was nothing I could do.

Everything was continuing to grow quite nicely but then the next garden drama arrived. Bottom rot hit my tomatoes. AGH!  A sweet volunteer at work told me he had a spray he could give me, a spray he mixed. Just spray all the veggies I had, that was my instruction. He said it won’t hurt anything.

Well, it killed EVERYTHING. Even my new flowers that were near the veggies that caught some mist of the spray.  I was devastated. I worked so hard to get this garden going and now it was gone. Completely dead.

This year I bought another raised bed garden box and knew that I would not be accepting any homemade spray or solutions. I am however, grinding up egg shells and using coffee grounds in the garden soil. I did my research and have read that these provide nutrients for the plants. Fingers and toes are crossed…

    

Using eggshells is easy.  Collect your shells, wash them off and let them dry completely.  Then using a coffee grinder or food processor and go to work.  Store them in an airtight container.  Add them to your garden soil, and work them down into the soil.

So far, everything is fine. But again, it didn’t start that way. We had an early spring this year with amazing warm temps in April so I anxiously planted my veggies. I looked at the forecast online and listened to the weather guys on TV (I know, I know LOL) and I truly thought it was safe.

And then winter returned, with a vengeance. I swear I heard Old Man Winter laughing at me and telling Mother Nature to hold his beer. And she graciously helped him out.

I covered my plants and prayed. Old Man Winter sent cold temps and horrible winds that shredded the heavy plastic I used to protect my plants. I kept going outside and readjusting everything but when the plastic was beyond usefulness, I gave up. I thought I must be nuts to put that much time, money and energy into gardening when clearly I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

So, I left the plants alone knowing I was not going to plant anything for a few more weeks. I did go and buy 2 more tomato plants and a few more pepper plants. And the next thing I knew, the plants that I gave up on, the plants that I swear had died, sprang to life.

I also wanted to try broccoli this year. It was a whim. And I did not research. The plants got huge! I bought 4 baby plants, and I ended up giving 2 to my niece. The battle I have with these are the cute little white cabbage butterflies lay eggs on them, and then they eat the plant when they hatch from their eggs.

Thankfully, the cardinals know the little boogers are there and are helping me to get rid of them. I love my little red helpers, and I really love when they sing their little songs while they visit.

 

    

 

I love spending time outside, connect with nature and tending to my gardens, but this heat. WOW. I usually have to cut my grass every 3 to 4 days, and I section off my yard so I can do a little each day. So I haven’t had much time to post any food recipes but I have been having tummy problems so I’m not really cooking.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the BRAT diet. If you haven’t; it’s just bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. I’m slowly introducing some foods back into my system, sort of a test to see what I can and can’t eat. Basically I’m making myself sick, WTH!! Then on top of the tummy issues, I have RA and Fibro pain so I mow and rest, garden and rest.

So while I am working on improving my gut health and tending to my gardens and yard, I’ll be writing about those things. And crafting. And furniture refinishing. I’ll get back to my recipes as soon as I can!

Zucchini Ravioli

Anyone that is close to me is aware of my love of pasta. But this dish may have just replaced my love of stuffed shells and ravioli!

It’s not a dish that whips up super-fast, it takes some time! And there are a few steps.

In a bowl I mixed ricotta cheese, grated parm, shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 egg and torn basil, as well as salt and pepper. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

I sliced off the ends of 3 zucchini and then used a cheese slicer to start slicing long strips of the zucchini.

I few hints that I picked up when slicing the zucchini is that you need it to rest securely on the cutting board. After taking the ends off, make one or two slices down the zucchini and then use that as the bottom. You can then slice safely on the top.

When you get to the point of not being able to slice much more but you think you can get a few more slices, just stop. Toss it in a bowl and use it for a different recipe, maybe grill the leftover pieces. It’s not worth struggling to get another slice or two.

Keep in mind the size of the zucchini. Size does matter!!! The thicker or fatter the zucchini the better, meaning if you buy the skinny zucchini you will not have much to use for the ravioli. You can still use them you just will have smaller ravioli.

And finally, do not buy the zucchini if it is curved, you will not get good slices.

So, back to making these delicious little pockets of heaven!

Pour some marinara in baking dish. On a work surface like a cutting board, lay 2 strips of the sliced zucchini, overlapping then about halfway over themselves. Then in the opposite direction, lay 2 more slices. You should end up with a large plus sign.

Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the center of the zucchini strips and then fold over each side to make a square… a zucchini ravioli square! I use the zucchini on the bottom to make the first fold.

Place the zucchini ravioli in the baking pan with the seams in the marinara sauce.   Depending on the size of the zucchini and the thickness to which you slice them, you may need several zucchini to fill the pan you are using.

I had 3 medium zucchini and I ended up with a total of 12 raviolis.

After you have them finished and they are in the baking pan, cover with the rest of your marinara sauce and top with either more parm and/or mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.

I tested them by poking them with a fork, the zucchini should be tender allowing the fork to gently glide through the ravioli.

A loaf of crusty, hot bread and a glass of wine and you’ve got a nice little treat for dinner. I love this recipe!!

Zucchini Ravioli

3 zucchini, sliced long way

15 oz Ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1-1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

Marinara sauce, I used a 45 oz jar

Basil, about 6 leaves torn

Mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of the parmesan in a bowl along with the egg.  Mix in the basil.  Set aside.

Coat the bottom of your baking dish with a little marinara sauce and set aside.

Take 2 slices of the sliced zucchini and lay side by side but slightly overlapping. Do the same with 2 more in the opposite direction to make a plus sign. Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the center of the plus and then using the bottom slices first, fold into a ravioli.

Place seam side down in the sauce.

When the baking pan is full, cover with the remaining marinara sauce and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.

Rosemary Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots

How’s that for a long title for a vegetable! HA

When I was little I despised cooked carrots. Now, I love them but having them smothered with a gooey sweet glaze makes them even more lovable!

These are so easy and so delicious that I make them often.

I just take about 3 to 4 carrots and chop off the tips and ends then carefully slice them long way, into about 2-4 slices, depending on the size of the carrot. You will want to try to make them all about the same size so they bake evenly. Place them on your cookie sheet, with sides please.

In a small bowl whisk honey, brown sugar, a splash of olive or avocado oil (my new favorite oil), salt and pepper, and chopped rosemary. Pour about half to three quarters of the mixture over the carrots and coat them well.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Take them out pour the remainder of the mixture over the carrots and toss around a little, pop back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until tender but not smooshy. Is smooshy even a word? Just don’t overcook them, unless you like them that way!

I’ve also added a little balsamic vinegar in place of the brown sugar. And replaced the rosemary with thyme sprigs.

And I have made boozey carrots too, they are delish!!

But these are the best!

Rosemary Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots

2 servings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3-4 carrots

2 tablespoons honey

1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar

Salt & Pepper

1 large sprig of Rosemary, stripped and coarsely chopped

1 tsp olive oil (or avocado oil)

1. Chop off the tips and ends of the carrots, clean and dry. You can also remove the skin.
2. Slice each carrot long ways into about 2-4 slices, depending on the size of the carrot. Place carrots on cookie sheet with sides.
3. In a small bowl mix the remaining ingredients and stir well or lightly whisk until the brown sugar is incorporated into the honey.
4. Pour about half to three quarters of the honey mixture over the carrots and coat well.
5. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
6. Remove the carrots and coat with the remaining honey mixture and bake again for another 10 minutes or until tender.