Zucchini Casserole

I remember following Grandpa into the backyard where a lush green vine climbed the fence and sprawled into the grass.  He would rummage through the leaves and pull out a brilliant green zucchini.  It was like magic.  I always hoped he would take it in for Nonna to make some zucchini bread.  More often than not, though, when Grandpa brought in a zucchini, he was going to make zucchini casserole.

As a kid, I didn't care for zucchini casserole.  However, when I saw the recipe as I was perusing through Nonna and Grandpa's recipe cards, I knew I had to try it again.  With an abundant supply of zucchini at the market, it was the perfect time to make this casserole.

The recipe is quite straightforward and easy to prepare.  The only modification I made was to the cream of chicken soup ingredient.  Instead of using the cream of chicken soup, I made a roux with about two tablespoons of butter and three or four tablespoons of flour.  I then added a cup of chicken stock to the roux, added a little salt and pepper brought the mixture to a boil.  I cooked it until thick, and I had a simply made substitute to the store bought variety.

I followed the rest of the recipe as written, and it was ready to bake in no time.  With the herb stuffing and creamy consistency, the casserole reminded me a lot of something I would serve on Thanksgiving or in the fall.  It is very good, though, and the zucchini adds a nice freshness and a vibrant green color to the dish.  I am thinking about serving it on Thanksgiving in lieu of a traditional stuffing dish, as long as I can find good looking zucchini.

I didn't know what I was missing as a kid, but I am glad I have rediscovered this casserole.  I will not hesitate to use my zucchinis for this dish instead of zucchini bread.  I am sure it will become a staple at our table during the abundant summer zucchini season, just as it was at Nonna and Grandpa's.

Zucchini Casserole

Printable Recipe

2 lbs. zucchini, sliced

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded carrot

8 oz. herb stuffing mix

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan, cook zucchini, and chopped onion in boiling water (salted) about 5 minutes.  Drain.  Combine soup and sour cream.  Stir in shredded carrots.  Fold in drained zucchini and onion mix. 

Combine stuffing mix and butter and spread this mixture in the bottom of 12 x 9 baking dish.  Spoon vegetable mixture on top.  Then sprinkle remaining stuffing mixture on that.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown.

Print those recipes!

I am pleased to announce that the recipes posted here on Family Tree-Eats are now available in a printer friendly format.  With each recipe posted, there is now a "Printable Recipe" link that will take you to a page formatted specifically for printing.  Now it is that much easier to make Family Tree-Eats recipes part of your own collection.  Happy printing everybody!

Nonna's German Sweet Chocolate Brownies

Taken from latent chestnut:

The brownies were a cinch to prepare and filled the house with the sweet smell of chocolate as they were baking.  Waiting for them to cool was an act of patience I don't soon want to repeat, but I stayed strong.  My patience was rewarded as soon as I tried one.  Still a bit warm from the oven, the brownie was rich, dense, chocolaty, sweet and chewy.  My idea of a darn good brownie.  I have posted the recipe below.  The original recipe calls for margarine, but I substituted butter without any issues.  I also omitted nuts from mine.  We're a nutless brownie kind of group in my house.  I also chose not to put icing on the brownies this time, though I'm sure it would be delicious!

German Sweet Chocolate Brownies
Printable Recipe

Makes 16
1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate
1/4 C (1/2 Stick) margarine
3/4 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
1/2 C Flour
1/2 C coarsely chopped Nuts

Melt chocolate and margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over very low heat; stir constantly until just melted. Remove from heat. Stir sugar into melted chocolate. Stir in eggs and vanilla until completely mixed. Mix in flour until well-blended. Stir in nuts. Spread in greased 8-inch square pan. Bake 350 degrees – 25 min. (DO NOT OVERBAKE) Cool in pan. Cut in squares.
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If you wish icing -
Over low heat melt 4 (1 oz.) squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate with 1/4 C (1/2 Stick) margarine. Stirring constantly until just melted. Spread over Brownies. Chill. Cut into squares.

Amaretti

Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, these amaretti are a real treat.  The almond flavor is wonderful in these macaroons as well.  A delicate and delightful little cookie.

In order to make them, I had to do some deciphering in order to put together the finished product.  On the recipe card, it calls for "1/4 shelled blanched almonds", and I didn't know what measurement to use for the "1/4".  Since it calls for 1/2 pound of sugar, I decided to use 1/4 of almonds.  That measurement made the most sense to me. 

The next hurdle was the oven temperature.  Since the recipe states to bake the amaretti in a moderate oven, I chose to bake them at 350 degrees.  The recipes also says that they will bake in 5 minutes, which was not long enough for this batch.  I ended up baking them for about 15 or 20 minutes until they were light brown.

The amaretti turned out well.  I have never had them before, so I did not have a point of reference as to what they should be like.  I think this is a recipe that I will have to play around with before I find the perfect way to make them.  The flavor was wonderful, so I will revisit these again.  If anyone has any suggestions or knows the correct measurements and baking temperature, I would love to know!

Amaretti   (Macaroons)

Printable Recipe

Makes about 1 doz.

1/2 lb. Sugar

1/4 shelled blanched Almonds

1/4 t Almond extract

2 egg whites

Chop and pulverize almonds; mix thoroughly with half of sugar and extract.

Beat egg whites until very stiff.  Add balance of sugar; beat again.  Add almond mixture; mix thoroughly.  Shape into balls or cookies about 2 inches in diameter.  Place on greased cookie pan about 1 inch apart.  Bake in moderate oven about 5 min. or until light brown.

Funghi Imbottite

I love mushrooms, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make these funghi imbottite.  Although this was in the stack of family recipes Aunt Joan gave me, I do not remember ever eating these.  It's too bad, too, because they are delicious!

This recipe is very simple to prepare and the stuffing comes together very quickly.  I used freshly greated Parmesan for the cheese, and dried parsley because I didn't have any fresh on hand.  I had some stuffing left over, but I guess the amount needed depends on how big the mushrooms are.  I may have filled them a bit too much because I didn't account for the mushrooms shrinking as they cooked.  I baked them at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes.

The stuffed mushrooms were very tasty.  The slight crunch of the golden brown stuffing and the buttery softness the inside matched with the firm yet tender meat of the mushroom was a magical combination.  The flavors of the garlic and onion were subtle but not bland, and the saltiness of the cheese was present as well.  Served with a salad, this makes for a wonderful summertime meal.

Funghi Imbottite (Stuffed Mushrooms)
Printable Recipe
Serves 4 or 6.

1 Lb. lg. mushrooms

3 T grated Cheese

1 clove Garlic, chopped

1 sm onion, chopped

1 C bread crumbs

1 T chopped parsley

2 T melted butter

6 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean and remove stems from mushrooms.  Mix thoroughly bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, butter, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.  Fill mushroom caps.

Pour 2 T of oil in bottom of baking pan.  Place mushrooms in pan, stuffed side up.  Pour balance of oil equally over all mushrooms.  Bake about 20 min. in medium oven.  When mushrooms are tender and tops brown, remove from oven.  Serve very hot.

Yogurt Cake

This time I used Rapadura sugar and lemon juice in the batter and a lemon glaze.

My favorite cake recipe.  This cake is super moist and the recipe is receptive to experimentation, so you can really get creative.  The cake is not too sweet,  easy to digest, and nourishing.   I use whole milk yogurt (cream top) from Farm Peter.   Recipe is from the book Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier, a gift from my mom.   Clotilde says:
'You can add citrus juice or zest to the batter, fold in berries, chocolate chips, or nuts;  substitute ground nuts or cocoa powder for part of the flour; slice the cake in two and spread raspberry jam, lemon curd or ganache in the middle; or dress the cake with whatever frosting or glaze you like.'
(I can't wait to try an avocado buttercream frosting!)

The recipe:
Printable Recipe
1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus 1 teaspoon to grease the pan.
1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, preferably whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light or amber rum (optional but recommended)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
a good pinch of fine sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease the sides of a 10 inch round cake pan or springform pan with oil and line the botton with parchment paper if the pan is not springform.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt and sugar.  Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla, oil, and rum, if using, and whisk again.
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and salt.  Pour the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and whisk until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and  bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the pan to loosen.  If you're using a springform pan, unclasp the sides.  Otherwise, flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back on the rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Clotilde has a blog you can visit, also called Chocolate & Zucchini.

Chopped Beef Toasts

A fond food memory from my childhood, I remember eating these chopped beef toasts fresh from the oven and savoring every scrumptious bite.  Nonna or Grandpa didn't make these for me very often, and I don't think my mom ever made them at home, so I was delighted when I saw there was a recipe for them.  Once I found the recipe, it went to the top of my list of new things to try.

The toasts are very easy to make and I had dinner ready for the family in about fifteen minutes.  I used my my own fresh ground beef for the recipe, which is a blend of half sirloin and half chuck.  The recipe also calls for meat condiment, which is an ingredient I have not heard of.  A quick internet search for 'meat condiment' did not yield any answers either.  So, I used homemade mayonnaise.  I thought the mayonnaise would be a nice compliment to the meat and not lend any flavors that would overpower it.

An interesting part of the recipe that I did not realize until I was assembling the toast was that the meat is put on the bread raw; though I think that's what makes them so good.  As the meat cooks, the juices are absorbed into the meat creating a texture almost reminiscent of bread pudding.  Speaking of cooking the meat, the recipe states to grill at moderate heat for five to six minutes.  I wasn't sure how to 'grill' the toasts, so I baked them at 450 degrees for five minutes and put them under the broiler for another minute.  Using this method, they tasted just as I remember them.

The beef toasts were a big hit with the family.  Ari ate his whole piece and asked for more and once we got Emilie to try it, she ate her whole serving as well.  Valerie kept talking about how good they were, too. 

If anyone knows what 'meat condiment' is, or how the toasts were traditionally cooked or 'grilled', I would love to know.

Chopped Beef Toasts

Printable Recipe

(2 servings)

1/4 pound chopped raw beef

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon meat condiment

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

4 slices white bread

1.  Mix the beef, onion salt and condiment.

2.  Spread the bread with half the butter and toast on one side.

3.  Spread the untoasted side from crust to crust with the chopped beef; dot with the remaining butter and grill at moderate heat from 5 to 6 minutes.  Serve very hot.

HFS

Upon waking up from dreaming about berries, Aunt Sue sent me this recipe.  Healthy Fruit Shake!  I decided to make Valerie and I these shakes before our run this morning.  Thick, creamy, cool, and refreshing, the HFS is just what we needed to get in gear. 

I made the shake with frozen blueberries and fresh bananas.  I did not have lecithin granules on hand so I had to do without those.  The shakes were delicious and very filling, and I love the addition of Spiru-tein.  The blueberry banana combination was a winner,and I think strawberries would be a nice addition as well.  This healthy fruit shake is a wonderful way to start the day!

HFS
aka Healthy Fruit Shake
Printable Recipe

1 Cup of orange juice
1 or 2 bananas, fresh or frozen
2 C frozen berries
2 T Vanilla Spiru-tein (optional)
2 T Lecithin Granules (optional)

Blend orange juice and bananas.  Add the berries and more juice if needed as you blend ‘til smooth. This recipe is highly adaptable to whatever juice and/or fruits that you have on hand.  Makes about 4 cups.

Corn Pancakes

It was always an exciting time when Grandpa got out the electric griddle to make corn pancakes.  I don't think there was a time he made them without us gathering around the kitchen table to watch.  He always knew just when to flip them, perfectly golden brown every time followed by two pats of the spatula on the pancake.  They were always delicious and I liked to eat them as they were, without syrup or any other toppings.

I did not find a recipe when I was looking through the box of Nonna and Grandpa's recipe cards, but I know he always used Jiffy Corn Muffin mix.  Lo and behold, there is a corn pancake recipe on the side of the Jiffy box.  I decided to try that recipe feeling confident that is the one Grandpa used.  He always added corn to the batter as well, which was a nice touch.

The pancake batter comes together very quickly and easily.  I fit about six pancakes on my griddle and found that they cooked rather quickly.  Once I got the hang of it, they were ready in no time and I couldn't help but give the pancakes two pats with the spatula after every flip.  They tasted just like I remember them, so delicious.  The pancakes were light, fluffy, and a had wonderful corn flavor.  I still prefer them plain, but I did enjoy one with a little honey on it.  They were quite a treat and brought back a lot of memories. 

Corn Pancakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

1 egg

2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup corn

Directions

Preheat griddle and lightly grease.  Combine all ingredients and stir to combine.  Batter will be slightly lumpy.  Cook on hot griddle and turn when bubbles appear around the edges.

Nonna's Pizza

I am still thrilled that Eva sent me this recipe, even though it has been over a year ago.  The post I did on latent chestnut best describes what this pizza means to me, and there is not much left for me to say.  One thing I didn't do was share the recipe on latent chestnut and I am more than happy to do it here on Family Tree-Eats.  I absolutely love this recipe, and I have made it many times for family and friends over the last 12 months. 

If anyone has any memories or stories they would like to share about Nonna's pizza, I would love to hear them.  Please feel free to leave them in the comments section, or just e-mail me!

Nonna's Pizza

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups lukewarm water

2 1/2 tablespoons baking yeast

1/2 teaspoon onion powder or garlic salt

4 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, onion powder/garlic salt, and flour, and stir until combined.  Flour board and knead dough.  Put olive oil in bottom of new bowl, put in kneaded dough.  Seran wrap it and then put a towel on top of that.  Leave until doubled in size.  Then, knead dough again and cut in half.

Spread dough into two 14x2 inch round pizza tins.  Add cheese on top of dough, then sauce.  Put grated parmesan on top.  Put on toppings and bake for 25 minutes.

*Note*

I remember Nonna's pizza had a whole wheat crust and Aunt Mare told me she used a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour.  I do not know what ratio she used, but I find that 3 cups of all purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour makes a delicious crust.