Tag: soy-free

Summer Squash Stuffed with Cherries, Rice and Pecans

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Adding fruit to savory dishes is one of my favourite ways to use them; they add a pleasant sweetness, which plays well with the neutral taste of summer squash. The stuffing mixture also works well in peppers and eggplants, or on its own as a salad (sautéing the leeks first).

Summer Squash2

Summer Squash Stuffed with Cherries, Rice, and Pecans

1 cup brown/wild rice mix
2 large summer squash or zucchini (about 1 foot long)
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1 cup pitted cherries, chopped
2/3 cup chopped leek greens
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Make rice according to package directions. You can do this step in advance.

Meanwhile, using a melon baller, hollow out summer squash or zucchini. Reserve innards for another use (like the Fruit-Infused Ratatouille). Place squash or zucchini on a baking sheet.

When rice is finished, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the pecans, cherries, leeks, and thyme with the rice, adding salt and pepper to taste. Scoop the mixture into the squash and zucchini.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the squash and zucchini are soft, leeks are tender, and the cherries begin to omit juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fruit-Infused Ratatouille

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This is perfect to mix and match your favourite vegetables minced if you don’t have all of these on hand. The sweetness of the fruit complements the fresh herbs and abundance of veggies. Serve over polenta, pasta, or as a side dish.

Ratatouille

Fruit-Infused Ratatouille

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 field tomatoes, chopped
3 nectarines, pitted and chopped
3 peaches, pitted and chopped
1 small handful fresh basil, minced
1 tablespoon minced oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and onion, sautéing until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, nectarines, and peaches, and let cook about 8 more minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in basil and oregano, then mix in tomato paste. Reduce heat, and let simmer until thickened.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini, Herb, and Roasted Tomato Salad

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Fresh oregano, thyme and basil highlight this brightly coloured salad that delivers garden freshness into a single dish. Add a few cups of cooked cannellini beans and serve atop greens for a light lunch.

zucchini-salad

Zucchini and Summer Squash Salad with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 medium tomatoes, cut in half (use any variety, as long as you love it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium zucchini, sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler*
2 medium summer squash, sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler*
2 shallots, minced
3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted**
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon (15mL) olive oil and garlic. Spread onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with dried basil, oregano and thyme. Roast in oven until the tomatoes are tender and start to shrink, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let come to room temperature.

When the tomatoes finished cooling, toss the zucchini, squash and shallots with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the fresh basil, oregano and thyme. Toss with tomatoes and pine nuts, then season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

*When peeling the zucchini, peel only the outer edges, until you get to the seeds. The middle of the zucchini and squash won’t peel well. Reserve for other uses.

**To toast pine nuts, heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts, stirring frequently, until they start to brown and are fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small dish to cool.