Recipes, Recipes

Lately, I've been hitting the jackpot, so to speak, with recipes. That is unusual. Most of the time, I slave over some new recipe, only to try it and be fairly to mostly disappointed. Maybe my luck has changed! :) I posted this recipe awhile ago, and have made it a couple more times since - still great. But if you are looking for some new ones, consider this your lucky day, my friends!

Recipe #1
Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
(the link will take you to the original recipe that is complete with photos - my friend Julie sent this to me, and I'm so glad she did!)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini (about 10")
• 4 oz Italian turkey sausage (I used 3 bratwursts - YUM!)
• 1/4 C diced red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
• 1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or about a teaspoon of dried)
• 2/3 C Italian cheese blend (the kind pre-bagged with parm/mozz/asiago/etc)
• 1 T Italian style bread crumbs
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

1. Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on.
2. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling.Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
3. Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stove top. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
4. Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down.Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside.
5. Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
6. Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook.If you're doing this inside, it will take a little longer seeing as you can't close the lid to keep in the heat. You also might want to broil them in the oven when they're finished to help the cheese on top get nice and bubbly.

You can serve them as a main dish and pair it with a green salad and some crusty bread. Or cut them into thirds for a side dish or appetizer.

Recipe #2
Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Butter
(From Real Simple Magazine, Sept. 2009)


Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 4 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (about 2.5 pounds)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 pounds cherry tomatoes

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, and thyme; set aside.
2. Season the pork with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and grill until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, divide the tomatoes among 2 pieces of heavy duty foil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Close to form 2 pouches. Grill the pouches alongside the pork, gently shaking occasionally, for 8 minutes.
4. Top pork chops and tomatoes with the garlic butter just before serving.

Serves 4

If you try either of these recipes, be sure to come back here and let us know how it turned out, or if you tried anything different with them! I haven't tried it yet, but I think the stuffed zucchini could also be done with a mexican flare - Rotel, taco seasoning in the meat, and mexican blend of cheese. Anyway, enjoy the recipes and let me know what you think!