One-Pan Swordfish w/ Ratatouille

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Seafood Nutrition Partnership. All opinions are 100% mine.

Over the years I've mentioned my penchant for seafood, which I think really took hold after my trip to Scotland's Inner Hebrides. I imagine any coastal location has a way of making you a believer—eating seafood moments after it was pulled from the water is an experience that everyone should have at least once in their life. But alas, I don't reside in a coastal area.

Fortunately it's easy to get your hands on good quality fresh and frozen seafood in this day and age. Flavor factor aside, eating fish and seafood just makes me feel a tad more virtuous. While I'm sure that's part mindset, it's actually a truth, since seafood is high in Omega-3s, healthy fats that are essential for heart and brain health.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich w/ Goat Cheese (aka The Frodo) inspired by Baker's Blues

Nine years! That's how long I've hoped that, and waited for, this book to come out. Back in the summer of 2006, I devoured the first two books in this trilogy by Judith Ryan Hendricks while occupying a quilt in my backyard, sounds of my then 2,3, and 8 year old kids somewhat muted in the background. I couldn't put them down. They were the catalyst for my need to bake bread. If it weren't for those little ones who kept me so tired, I'm pretty sure I would have found work in a bakery, where I had to be in at 3am.

I'd actually logged a little early morning bakery time during my culinary apprenticeship a number of years before that—and enjoyed it—but these books just sucked me in and brought it to a whole 'nother level. Of course, I was also set to move to Seattle and just insert myself into Wyn's life. (I have been to Seattle since then, and wouldn't have regretted the move one little bit.) I purchased a copy of The Tassajara Bread Book, which was/is very important to Wyn, online immediately.

Although it took some time and practice...and 4 or so more years to actually completely conquer my fear of yeast (not to mention sourdough)...I've now shared 130+ yeast bread recipes right here on All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. Any time somebody asks me why I started baking bread, I tell them about the books Bread Alone and The Baker's Apprentice, and that summer 9 years ago.

Summer Vegetable Goulash

A couple of weeks ago, a friend mentioned that she'd been trying to make a good vegetarian version of goulash, but she hadn't gotten it quite right yet. I made a few suggestions for when she was ready to try again, and then went back to business as usual. Or not. The thought of a vegetarian goulash niggled at the back of my mind for a solid week, until I decided I needed to make some in my own kitchen.

It's funny though, because at first I thought - vegetarian goulash!? The thought was basically an oxymoron in my mind. I mean, I grew up in the Midwest, and in these parts, hearty stews and casseroles always had meat in them. When I thought goulash, I thought ground beef in a paprika-spiked tomato base over noodles that was "lightened" up by stirring through a big scoop of sour cream...and then finished with melty cheese.

But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try a meatless version. With the abundance of summer vegetables in evidence on my kitchen counter and table, as well as dotting the road with stands every few miles, now was definitely the time to do it.

Zucchini Cheddar Bread

Happy National Zucchini Day! With zucchini madness in full effect right now, I'm constantly on the hunt for new and exciting ways to use zucchini. As much as I love a good zucchini quick bread, after already making four loaves in the past couple of weeks, I decided to incorporate zucchini into a savory yeasted loaf. Three loaves, actually.

You may remember last November when I shared this Spice-Swirled Cranberry Sweet Potato Bread as part of the Three Loaves Movement. Three Loaves encourages the use of sustainable and seasonal ingredients, and I can't think of anything more appropriate to the season than zucchini!

One loaf for my family. One loaf for a friend. One for someone in need. This recipe makes three large free-form loaves—as in, 2 pounds each. While it tastes delicious alone, it's pretty darn tasty toasted, as the bread for a grilled cheese sandwich, and alongside a nice brothy bowl of soup.

Savory Tomato and Zucchini Pie

It's the last Friday of the month, and you know what that means - Friday Pie Day! But really, where did July go? I blinked and somehow here we are. Summer "vacation" seemed so much longer when I was a kid. Now we're just a few weeks away from my own kids heading back for another school year.

But aside from that pending doom, what other two things can you count on when the last day of July is staring you in the face? Tomatoes and zucchini, that's what! It's funny, because I've gotten pretty lazy (busy really, but I could have carved out some time somewhere...) and haven't planted a garden in about 4 years. Yet, my kitchen is still overrun with zucchini thanks to my neighbors. And personally, I don't think one could ever have to many fresh from the backyard tomatoes.

So, I thought this would be a good time to combine the two and make one savory pie. I also added basil, another thing that just screams summer. I should have just called it Summer Pie!

Garlicky Duck Stir-Fry inspired by Eat Drink Man Woman

"Eat, drink, man, woman. Basic human desires."

This month's Food 'n Flix pick is a true "foodie movie". A delight for the senses, Eat Drink Man Woman is set in Taiwan and centers around widowed Master Chef Chu and his three unmarried adult daughters who still live at home. Each Sunday they come together to connect over a lovingly crafted elaborate family meal. The daughters are being pulled in their own directions by love and careers while they notice that their father's once flawless food is starting to lack flavor because he has lost his sense of taste.

Sound familiar? Well, if you haven't seen this 1994 release before, maybe you've seen the 2001 flick Tortilla Soup. Tortilla Soup is the American remake that features a Mexican-American family living in Southern California. I think both movies are equally delicious in their own right.

Triple-Chocolate Brownie Cookies with Zucchini

As if the fact that they are studded with zucchini, white chocolate, and walnuts weren't tempting enough, these cookies also have the fudgy, chewy texture of a brownie. Let's just call that double-your-pleasure.

I've mentioned this before, but I thought it was worth saying again—I have some pretty great neighbors. For many reasons, but why I bring it up now is because of our little "food trade system" we've fallen into over the years. For the most part, they share raw produce and I share prepared food. This would be because they tend to their garden and even forage for mushrooms once a year, while I seem to spend all of my time in the kitchen developing and testing recipes.

They hand over large bags (seriously) of produce, and I come back at them with jars, boxes, and plates of jams, preserves, breads, and other baked goods. It's a fairly great system. I like to offer up  goods from my "wild garden" like grapes, mint, chamomile, compost squash, and wild garlic, but lately that's all I seem to have since time is something I'm always chasing and rarely catching up with. I've never been fond of running.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Sea Salt and Lemon Zest

Who's ready to break out their grill? Oh wait, you never put it away? Me neither. Well, to be fair, we roll ours into the garage for storage once it's cool (I don't have a patio), so it's "put away", but never out of commission. I've been known to grill in the middle of winter with the snow falling all around me. It's a pretty awesome experience, actually. If you've never done it, I recommend trying it at least once. The heat from the grill creates a little bubble of warmth in the midst of all the white. You may just decide to grill all winter long.

That being said, I grew up around the grill. Summer meant parties and cook-outs.  I can't remember there ever being a grill-master in our midst, everybody just took turns. Now, that being said, I didn't really even realize that there was such an art to grilling until I was an adult. Our kind of grilling was always lighting the charcoal, waiting for it to turn gray, and then throwing our food on.

For the most part, that's still how I do it today. But I now understand and admire the skill and dedication it takes to be a true master of the grill. So, when I had the chance to be part of the blog tour to introduce Grill To Perfection by Andy Husbands, Chris Hart, and Andrea Pyenson, I jumped at the chance. The blue ribbon on the front cover says everything: "35 Time Kansas City BBQ Society Grand Champions". Nice.

Zucchini Fritters

Do you feel a sort of pride when you hear about a fellow food blogger...especially one that you sort of "know"...is coming out with a book?  Oddly enough, I do.  I  mean sure, I also feel a teensy-tinsy bit jealous.  But hey, it's my own fault that I have not yet devoted the time and energy it takes to develop my own book, right?  Right.  But still that sense of camaraderie and kinship prevails.  And that was definitely the case when I heard that the incredibly sweet Faith from An Edible Mosaic would be releasing her cookbook by the same name this November.

So yes, I was excited when Brandy asked me if I'd like to participate in A Mid-East Feast.  This would be a chance for me to fall in love with Faith's book before it was even available to the public.  Over the next four weeks, we will be trying out a few of the recipes and writing a review.  You're in store for something good!  First up, we're trying out these Zucchini Fritters, or Ejet Kousa.

You say fritter, I say frittata.  Or mini, flat omelet.  I pictured something else entirely...at least in texture.  I mean, I saw the picture of these little fritters in the book, so visually I knew what to expect.  But in my mind, I was picturing biting into those doughy-style fritters that I am so familiar with.  But when I saw the batter, I immediately thought omelet or frittata.  And as I scooped portions into the pan, they looked and spread like an omelet.  And then I couldn't resist burning my fingertips to rip into the first one out of the pan.  And the gloriously eggy bite filled with the flavors of onion, garlic, and zucchini tasted like a frittata.

And you know what?  It was fantastic - what a pleasant surprise!  Although I can picture myself lighting up at just the thought of them in the morning, you can also add them to an appetizer (or maza) platter.  Add a stack of flatbreads, some briny olives, and either some juicy, ripe slices of tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper or some nice tomato jam...you're golden.

Zucchini Fritters {EJET KOUSA}

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: saute appetizer side snack vegetarian sugar-free nut-free soy-free zucchini eggs Middle Eastern

Ingredients (serves: 4 as a part of a maza platter or 2 as a meal)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• ¾ lb (350 g) zucchini (about 1 medium), grated
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed in a mortar and pestle with 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ bunch fresh parsley, minced
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Canola oil, for frying

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini and cook until softened and the water has evaporated, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Lightly beat together the eggs, flour, parsley, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the zucchini mixture.

Add enough canola oil to a large nonstick skillet to lightly coat the bottom; heat the oil over medium heat.

Drop the batter into the hot pan using a small (about 2 tablespoon) or large (about 4 tablespoon) scoop. Fry until set and golden on one side, about 2 minutes; flip and cook until set and golden on the other side, about 1 minute.

Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil, and cook the remaining egg mixture the same way, adding more oil to the skillet as necessary.

Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

Powered by Recipage

____________________________________________________________________________

I am very excited to be taking part in A Mid-East Feast, a 4-week event celebrating the upcoming release of the cookbook An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith of An Edible Mosaic.  Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny is hosting and eight other food bloggers, including myself are participating.  Join us as we try a few of Faith's recipes and get cozy with this beautiful book.  If you have a moment, stop by and check out everybody's posts and be prepared to get hungry for A Mid-East Feast!

Brandy - Nutmeg Nanny | Amanda - Fake Ginger | Jeanette – Jeanette’s Healthy Living | Gina – Running to the Kitchen |Joanne – Eats Well With Others | Heather - girlichef | Natasha – Five Star Foodie | Megan – What’s Megan Making | Rachel – Baked by Rachel  

____________________________________________________________________________

I am also sharing this post with: