Roasted Zucchini Medallions, Cheesy Wild Rice With White Beans, Tomato Coulis

Is it a stuffed zucchini? I'm not sure what to call this vertical creation, but that's what I was thinking about when I started making dinner - stuffed zucchini. The kind we're all familiar with that's sliced lengthwise, seeded, and overflowing with our favorite stuffing.

But while looking at the zucchini I had just picked, I noticed some larger ones and my mind starting working.

And before I new it, this dish was created.

How it was done

This dish works best with a wider zucchini to get a sturdy base. But, if you can't find one, slice a regular size zucchini on a diagonal to create a large enough base to build on.

Rice
Start by cooking rice according to instructions on the package. I used a 1 cup of rice portion.

While the rice is simmering . . .

Zucchini
. . . slice zucchini somewhere between 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices. Sprinkle a little extra virgin olive oil on a baking sheet, lay out zucchini slices and sprinkle them with a little more extra virgin olive oil. Season lightly with pepper. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven and slice size.

Check zucchini after 15 minutes or so. I don't like mushy zucchini so I tested for firmness and continued roasting a few more minutes until I was happy with the results. Remove from oven and set aside.

Back to the rice
When the rice is almost done, mix in 1 can of drained cannellini or navy beans, heat through until water is absorbed (can also be added when rice is completely done - wild rice seems to take longer to absorb water so I got impatient!). Then add about 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (or your favorite kind). I used Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and I thought it tasted wonderful!

I pressed the cheesy rice mixture into a small casserole dish and when cooled down a little, I used a round cookie cutter to get the shape. But, to make it simpler, the rice mixture could be scooped right out of the pan with an ice-cream scoop and placed on top of the zucchini that way.

Tomato Coulis

The tomato coulis can be made in a food processor while the zucchini and rice are cooking. I used my small food processor for convenience. 

Chop one tomato. It's the perfect time to make this with fresh garden tomatoes coming in along with the zucchini. Add tomato pieces to the food processor, a small shallot and 1 large basil leaf like I used, or 2 medium, or 3 small. Salt and pepper to taste. Garlic would have been great but I didn't have any. Other herbs would be nice also, like oregano and/or parsley.

Set rice mixture aside. Don't refrigerate - I think it dulls the tomato flavor. The zucchini and rice can be made ahead but I think making the tomato coulis before serving will produce the freshest flavor.

Make it look pretty and serve!

Medium rare inside = perfect!

* * *

Leftovers

My daughter made her own creation one night with some of the zucchini medallions and coulis - she added leftover salsa, Parmesan cheese, and torn bread! And the rice mixture was a side dish with lunch one day. The last bit was lunch by itself another day.

White Bean Grilled Panini With Basil, Tomato, And Mozzarella

Bring on the flavors of summer with this delicious grilled panini adapted from A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock And Roll's recipe for Provolone White Bean Grilled Panini With Tomato & Basil.

I didn't want to make changes to Jenn's recipe. It sounded great just as it was with white beans, basil, tomato, provolone, mayonnaise and red onions. I could just imagine that creamy blend and looked forward to those flavors.

But when I looked for the provolone at around 7 pm last night it was gone! My little cheese robbers ate it without my knowing. All that was left was fresh mozzarella so I made a little change. The mayonnaise, I thought, would go well with the smokey flavor of provolone but I didn't think so with mozzarella. So I substituted extra virgin olive oil for mayonnaise in this version. I also didn't have a red onion so I used a shallot. However, I'm still thinking about her recipe and can't wait to make it her way. My son would have preferred it also since he loves sandwiches with mayonnaise.

White Bean Grilled Panini With Basil, Tomato And Mozzarella
Ingredients for 4 sandwiches:

1 medium shallot, minced
Between 1/4 -1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
About 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pepper to taste

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

2 balls of fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced

Italian bread, preferably a grain mix or wheat, sliced

1 can white beans, cannellini or navy, slightly smashed

Mix shallot, basil, oil, and pepper together first and let sit while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Slice tomato, cheese, and bread. Slightly mash beans.

To put this panini together:

Combine oil, shallots, basil, and pepper.

Slice Italian bread and lay slices out on sheet pan. I bought "rustic" Italian bread from the farmers' market over the weekend, thinking it was a grain blend like last week, but it doesn't look that way. I might have grabbed the wrong bag.

Slice tomatoes and cheese. Spread basil mixture over each slice of bread then layer sliced tomatoes over half the bread. Oops! Here is where I should have added the beans. Add beans before the cheese so it helps keep the sandwich together. Don't forget the beans!

Lay down thick slices of mozzarella.

Warm up the grill. Cook over medium heat. Press sandwiches down with a weighted pan. Flip when nice grill marks are achieved.

I can just imagine how amazing this sandwich will taste when my fresh garden tomatoes come in. Can't wait.

To make Jenn's creamy panini go here: http://alittlebitcrunchyalittlebitrock.blogspot.com/2011/05/provolone-white-bean-grilled-panini.html.

Rotini With Zucchini And Cannellini In Parsley Walnut Pesto

Here's a pasta dish I put together on a Meatless Monday a few weeks ago.  A quick meal using up what was available in my kitchen that day.

Julienne the zucchini about the length of the rotini and saute in a little olive oil for a few minutes until crispy tender, not mushy.  Season with a little salt and pepper if you'd like.

  

Boil one pound of Rotini and start making the pesto.

Pesto:  I didn't have basil or pine nuts on hand, so I used parsley and walnuts. I browsed around to check my portions while I made this, and liked this recipe, http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/parsley-walnut-pesto-3625.  Mine varies a little. 

In a food processor, add 1/2 cup olive oil (I used extra virgin olive oil), 3/4 cup walnuts. Pulse a few times, then blend in 2 cups torn parsley leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, fresh lemon juice (from half a lemon), pulse to blend and adding up to about 1/2 cup of pasta water (or oil if preferred) as needed to achieve desired consistency. 

After draining the pasta, mix in pesto, zucchini, and a can of drained cannellini beans for added protein.

While mixture sits a few minutes to build flavors, brush olive oil onto slices of Italian bread and toast under a broiler.  Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and rub toasts with garlic.  Slice and serve with pasta. 

With a potato peeler, shave fresh parmesan cheese over the top.  Season to taste and serve it up.

Vegetarian Chili With Mango

In my mind, twenty inches of snow go hand-in-hand with a warm bowl of chili, especially since we are skiers in New England.  Just about every time we ski, chili is our go-to snack.

I made a vegetarian chili because I'm trying to reduce our beef consumption. Plus, we had meatballs this week, although with ground beef from sustainable farms, and we'll have pot roast this weekend.  And when I think of how much ground beef those ski resort kitchens serve in their chili, I feel pretty good about my decision.

I started with beautiful fresh produce.

The mango, below, is photographed separatey because it was an afterthought. When I started snacking on it, I thought it would be good in the chili!  (If you haven't cut a mango, watch this link for easy instructions:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvLdPjpELyU)

Three-Pepper Chili with Mango and Black Beans:

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 mango
1 medium sized onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
1 28 oz can low sodium organic diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of cayenne
2 15 oz. cans no salt black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
Salt to taste

Roughly chop peppers and mango, dice onion and mince garlic.  Saute peppers and onion in a medium size dutch oven or stock pot on medium heat with olive oil until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute about 1 minute being careful not to burn.  Add mango, green chiles, diced tomatoes (I used Bionature which has a lot of puree), vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin and cayenne.  Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.  Add black beans and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes.  Add cilantro or parsley, mix and serve.  Add salt if needed.

I gave the peppers a rough chop because they were so beautiful I wanted to be able to see and taste them rather than let their colors and flavors be overwhelmed by the stew.  After the peppers, onion, and garlic were tender, I added the mango and look at those gorgeous colors!

I admit I really couldn't taste the mango.  Maybe it should be added with the beans (after the vegetables cook for 30 minutes) but I think it gave the stew a little sweetness.  A nice addition, though, and provides extra nutrients, and if your kids won't eat a mango this is a good way to sneak it in their diet (my kids didn't even notice).

Fresh chopped parsley and an organic blue corn chip for me:

 And freshly grated organic cheddar cheese for the kids.

Sour cream would also be delicious on top.

Nutrition Information:

Black beans are antioxidant superstars, rich in cholesterol-lowering fiber and provide folate and manganese for heart health.  Tomato puree provides that great antioxidant, lycopene, essential to fighting free-radicals and maintaining healthy bones.  Peppers are high in vitamin A and C, have powerful antioxidants, and red pepper provides more lycopene.  Mangoes are a "super fruit" with antioxidants, fiber, many vitamins and minerals, and an excellent source of potassium for heart health.