Going Green

Did you know that over 380 billion plastic bags are consumed in the US each year? Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade - breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.

A cheap and simple way to make your life a little greener is buying reusable grocery bags. Last winter, I bought some reusable bags at my grocery store and try to use them every time I go. They're usually about a dollar a piece and are very durable. Ours are big enough to only need four, even on our "restocking the pantry" days. Yes, I felt a little silly the first time I went into the store with my own bags, but now I'm very proud to set them on the counter and say "I brought my own." I don't always remember to bring them and that serves as a reminder of how wasteful plastic grocery bags are. Even if you do forget, you can stash those plastic bags in your reusable ones and take them back to the store on your next trip or find uses for them throughout the house. Most stores have a recycling bin for their plastic bags right beside the entrance.

You don't have to do a lot to make the world a little cleaner. Go here: http://www.reusablebags.com/ for more info on how you can make a difference.

Baked Zucchini Chips

These should be renamed Baked Zucchini Heaven because they are absolutely delicious. I've done them twice, once as a side dish to pan seared salmon and another with garlic chicken and white rice. Because this is a very basic recipe, it allows for a lot of wiggle room to compliment your main dish.

1 medium sized zucchini

1 cup of unseasoned breadcrumbs

1 egg

cayenne pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. I varied mine a little bit and found that while thinner slices are a little crispier, the thicker ones will have more flavor. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings. When I paired this with salmon, I added about 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. This gave it the heat and spice that went well with the fish. With the chicken, however, I added more garlic powder and only a dash cayenne and it turned out nicely. Either way, you have to season these generously our they won't have much flavor. In another small bowl whisk up your egg. Originally, I just used egg whites. It's a healthier approach, but it turned out thin and bland. The second time around, I left the yolk in and the chips were a little thicker and had a much richer flavor. Coat each slice in egg, then cover with breading and repeat. The second coating isn't necessary and is a little messier, but you'll get a nice, thick crust on the zucchini. Set slices on a baking sheet.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes, flipping the slices over after 4-5 minutes. When the slices are golden brown, they're ready to eat. They taste great dipped in ranch, but if you get the seasoning right, you don't need it. I'd suggest not leaving some for leftovers because they get soggy when reheated.

Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

The majority of my meals are based solely on what is on sale at Ralph's. Gotta love a recession. This meal cost about 25 dollars and made 6-9 servings.

Mushroom Marinara

28 ounce can of tomato puree

small can of tomato paste

can of diced tomatoes

4 white mushrooms

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tablespoon of basil

3/4 tablespoon of oregano

Mince garlic and slice mushrooms. Put ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and let simmer until mushrooms have softened. Easy, huh?

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

6 cucumber sized zucchini

1/4 of a yellow onion

1 clove of garlic

1 pound of italian turkey sausage

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

2 eggs, beaten

dried parsley

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon of basil

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Scrub zucchini and cut off ends. Boil for 7-10 minutes or until they are moderately soft. Don't let them get mushy. Remove from water. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp. I used an ice cream scoop and it worked wonderfully. Press out excess water and set pulp aside to use later.

Brown onion, garlic and sausage. Mix with pulp, bread crumbs, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, basil and butter. Line zucchini shells in baking dish and fill with mixture. Dot each piece with butter. Cover with marinara and sprinkle with parmesan and parsley.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. While this is baking, boil a package of angel hair pasta. Remove zucchini from oven. Let cool and chow down!

Gangster Pie

I asked my boyfriend what he wanted for dinner and he told me "hamburger pie". I suggested shepherd's pie instead. Obviously, there are no shepherds in LA, so while we live here it's going to be called Gangster Pie.

4 potatoes

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of milk

6 tablespoons of butter + 1 tablespoon for sauce

salt and pepper to taste

2 pounds of ground lamb

1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

2 cups of frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup of beef broth

1 tablespoon of flour

1 tablespoon of worcester sauce

1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese

paprika

Peel, cube and boil potatoes until soft. Drain and put in large mixing bowl. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash it up! I like mine chunky, but that's really up to you. Set aside.

Saute onions in vegetable oil in skillet for 3 minutes. Add garlic and c

ook for an additional minute. Add ground lamb and brown. (You can substitute beef or turkey instead of lamb. That is called "cottage pie".) After lamb has browned, add peas and carrots. Cook 5 minutes. Add broth, flour, butter and worcester sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the flour is no longer visible. Cover and let simmer until sauce has thickened.

Spread meat and veggie mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with potatoes. Add cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove, let cool and enjoy!!

Oscar Night Dinner

I promise my pictures will get better as I go along. Cheap apartment means florescent lights and nothing looks good in florescent lighting. Anyhow, this turned out really well and was surprisingly easy. Total prep time was about and hour and a half.

I found this recipe for stuffed pork loin with I was lazily browsing the internet one day at work. While it looks difficult, it turned out to be very easy. I paired it with some sauteed brussel sprouts, red potatoes and mushrooms. Tasty!

Pork Loin with Spinach-Bacon Stuffing

2 pound pork loin roast
1/2 cup chopped onion (I substituted this with a large shallot. It's a little milder and sweeter.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 ounces of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
6 slices bacon, cooked well done, drained and crumbled (I used turkey bacon. It's waaay healthier.)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (I actually forgot this ingredient...still turned out great, though)
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Butterfly the pork loin by cutting it horizontally to within 1/2-inch of the other side. I had never butterflied something before, but it's not as hard as it sounds. Lie it flat and cut into it, then turn it on the side, flay it open and continue cutting until you are almost through. Don't cut it all the way through! Open it out and take out your aggression on it with a meat tenderizer until it's an 8x8 square. I just thought about terrible L.A. drivers and BAM!...I had a square.

Meanwhile, cook the onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, remove from heat.

Press well-drained spinach between several sheets of paper towels to remove all the moisture.

Add onion mixture, bacon, cheese, mustard, basil and pepper. Mix well. At this point it will smell amazing...but don't eat it, you need it!!

Spread spinach mixture on pork. Roll up into a spiral. I had to get help with this because the meat is floppy. Tie it up with some cooking string/butcher's twine. *You can get this from the butcher at your grocery store.* I used 4 pieces of string to make sure it was secure.

Place pork in shallow pan and roast at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. It took about an hour in my oven. The internal temp should be about 155 degrees.

Slice to serve and remove the string!

Garlic Sauteed Brussels and Red Potatoes

5 red potatoes, sliced
1/2 pound of small brussel sprouts, halved
5-7 whole mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste

Okay, so I just made this up as I went along. Tinker with it as you like.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute until golden. Add your veggies and sprinkle in salt and pepper. It took well over 45 minutes for my veggies to soften, so I'd start this and then begin to prepare your pork. You'll need to stir it fairly often, especially if you don't have a non-stick pan. Cook until potatoes have softened.