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Sep 18
Sauteed Squash Side Dish Recipe
Get Squashed!
This sauteed squash side dish recipe is a great option for light summery meals or brisk Autumn nights. Pictured here with roasted organic chicken thighs (recipe coming soon), this side dish is an easy, healthy accompaniment to a variety of proteins including fish and pork. And although not technically a squash, eggplant works great in this dish as well.
Sauteed Squash – What you’ll need:
- 3 (large) to 6 (small) assorted squashes including yellow squash, zucchini, or eggplant (pictured)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and/or butter
- 2 tsp Kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 clove of garlic, minced fine
Sauteed Squash – What you’ll need to do:
Slice the squashes on the bias (at an angle) into about 1/4-inch pieces, discarding the very top and bottom pieces. Place a large saute pan over medium heat and then add the olive oil and/or butter to the pan. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme to the pan. Then add the sliced squash. Give it a quick toss in the oil, then add the salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.
Cook with the lid on for about 10 minutes, giving it a toss occasionally. You want to brown the pieces that are at the bottom of the pile; the browning gives the squash a great flavor. Then add the minced garlic and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, again with the lid on the pan. When the squash is completely tender, turn off the heat. You can keep the dish covered and it should stay warm and steamy for a while if the rest of your dinner isn’t yet complete.
For additional kitchen tips, check out this article on how to organize and store herbs and spices.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.masterchomp.com/sauteed-squash-recipe/
Sep 16
How to Organize and Store Dried Herbs and Spices
Maybe you’re like most people who have a cabinet full of assorted McCormick jars that fall out on your head whenever you open the spice cabinet. Or maybe you have a fancy countertop spice rack taking up space and exposing your fragile herbs and spices to harmful sunlight that breaks down flavors.
If you’re looking for a neat and economical way to organize your herbs and spices, a simple turntable (Lazy Susan) and a set of spice shaker jars will do the trick quite nicely. You should be buying your dried herbs and spices in bulk anyway, so you’ll need a container for them besides whatever bag or tub they came. This way you can shake them out onto your foods if you’re not scooping and measuring them for marinades or rubs. Just label the spice jar with a permanent marker or use a label maker if you want something fancier.
I also have a set of magnetic spice tins that can be stuck to the side of the fridge, or better yet, to a magnetic strip mounted to the inside of a cabinet to avoid that light issue I mentioned earlier. These are good for things that you wouldn’t shake anyway like bay leaves or whole nutmegs.
You’ll have to measure your cabinet’s width and depth to determine the diameter of the Lazy Susan (also called turntables) you should buy. Double-decker models are also available.
The Lowdown on Herbs and Spices
Fresh herbs are almost always preferable to dried. Dried oregano is still pretty useful however. I also usually keep dried thyme and rosemary on hand if fresh isn’t an option. Dried parsley and cilantro are pretty much tasteless, so I never buy those.
Try to buy whole spices such as cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and even mustard seeds. For the best flavor, toast these briefly in a dry skillet, and then grind them in a mortar and pestle or a dedicated coffee grinder/spice grinder. Do not grind your coffee beans and spices in the same grinder. Also, ground spices tend to lose their flavor after 6 months, so toss those spice jars that have been sitting around your kitchen since the Clinton administration.
Lastly, try to avoid keeping your spices in a cabinet above the oven/range. Frequent exposure to heat will diminish their flavor just like light does.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.masterchomp.com/organize-store-dried-herbs-spices/
Aug 26
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Mozzarella Recipe
This heirloom tomato salad is ridiculously easy to make, and it’s so refreshing and delicious! How can you go wrong?
Upon seeing an overload of heirloom tomatoes at the market, I was inspired to make this summery, Italian side dish. It works really well as a side dish for some roasted chicken or as an appetizer or salad course.
This dish is a slight variation on Jamie Oliver’s “Tomato Mothership” recipe from Jamie at Home. If you’d like to watch the original video, he describes some of the preparations in greater detail.
Heirloom Tomato Salad – What you’ll need:
- 1 to 2 pounds of various heirloom tomatoes, the more variety the better.
- 1/2 to 1 pound fresh mozzarella balls (depending on how much cheese you like)
- 1/2 pound mixed Mediterranean olives
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Heirloom Tomato Salad – What you’ll need to do:
Chunk the tomatoes into various sizes and shapes. This will give the heirloom tomato salad a rustic, homemade appearance.
The next step is very important:
Put the chunked-up tomatoes into a colander and sprinkle them generously with kosher salt. Give them a toss and sprinkle on a bit more salt. Let them drain in the sink or into a bowl for 20 minutes. This will remove the excess water and seriously intensify that delicious tomato flavor.
Next, transfer the tomatoes into a big salad bowl, and finely GRATE one garlic clove over the tomato mixture.
Add the mozzarella balls and olives, and then add the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle generously with the extra virgin olive oil and give it a splash of vinegar. Then give the whole mixture a thorough toss.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving to let the flavors mingle.
NOTE: If the mozzarella balls and/or olives are already marinated, you may need to use less olive oil when assembling the salad.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.masterchomp.com/heirloom-tomato-salad/