What's cookin'?

I love to cook. I have always loved being in the kitchen, first as a child where it was the center of the family; later, I enjoyed creating my own recipes and recreating meals I had enjoyed in restaurants. Growing up in the '60s and '70s in an Italian family, macaroni was dinner at least twice a week. We also learned to love Jiffy-Pop, Cheez-Whiz and other assorted "healthy" fare. Vegetables were never center stage, and salad was often just iceberg, cukes and tomatoes. Weight was never a problem for me either, but as the years go by,I find that the old metabolism isn't what it used to be. In my twenties, I could skip a few Twinkies and lose 5 pounds to get into that cute outfit for a weekend date. Now, in my very, very, VERY late 20's, losing 5 pounds takes nothing short of a miracle! I used my love of cooking and interest in healthy eating to cultivate a repertoire of healthy and delicious new recipes, as well as healthier dishes inspired by old favorites. My project last summer was to research and develop ways to increase my collection of vegetable recipes. Not vegetarian, but vegetable-centered, I have tried to use spices, herbs, and various cultural styles to keep dinner interesting, exciting and worth going back for seconds. I am not a nutritionist, but I have done a good amount of reading, and think I have a handle on what's good for me and what should be avoided. Welcome to my first blog. Feel free to try any recipes that interest you, and share your own! Together we can answer the question....What's healthy for dinner?!!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Zucchini Cups

These are so cute, and easy to make.  I take a couple of zucchini and trim off the ends, making the bottoms flat.  Then I cut them into four or five equal parts, about 3 inches each.  I stand them up on the cutting board and scoop out the center, creating little "cups".  Next I make the stuffing: I chop up the scooped-out zucchini, slice some scallions, and again, whatever happens to be in the fridge.   A few leaves of arugula or fresh spinach, a few tablespoons of diced red pepper, chopped walnuts or almonds, etc.  Tonight I just sauteed the squash and scallions, toasted some pignoli in the pan, then softened a little bit of goat cheese right in the skillet.  I spooned the mixture right into the zucchini cups, then baked them at 400 for about 40 minutes.  The cup part should still be a bit firm, but not crunchy.  This makes a nice presentation as a side dish, but I am thinking of maybe making a salmon mousse and making it for lunch or a light dinner, or maybe making the cups a little shorter and using them as appetizers, filled with hummus, crab dip, egg or shrimp salad, etc.  So many possibilities!
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