Poco-Cocoa

Last night I tried this recipe from Cooking Light. It looked easy enough, and seemed similar to other simple, brothy soups that we like. Although it turned out a bit more yellow and monochromatic than I would have liked, it was delicious. I used dried thyme, added with the broth at the beginning, but fresh thyme would probably result in a prettier soup. I might try adding some chopped parsley next time, or maybe using zucchini, just to add color. Justin actually liked the pale simplicity of the soup.

I liked the addition of the lemon juice; it gave the soup a fresh flavor, and it reminded me of a lemony chicken and rice soup that we used to serve at the Lake Austin Spa Resort back in the day. Yum.

Summer Squash and Pasta Soup

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup uncooked ditalini (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add squash; saute 2 minutes. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in juice, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Cooking Light magazine.

I couldn’t believe how much Justin loved this dinner. I mean, it was really good, but he LOVED it. Needless to say, I’ll be making it again soon. The quesadillas are so fresh-tasting, and I love that you don’t have to pre-cook the zucchini for the filling. It softens a little and goes perfectly with the cheese and jalapenos. The salsa is so simple, I plan on using it for snacks and with other dishes. It’s a great way to use up chipotle chiles…it always seems like recipes only call for one or two chiles, and you can only buy them by the can. This recipe is from my new favorite cookbook, Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley. I can’t say enough good things about this cookbook…it’s beautiful, the recipes are simple but unique and flavorful, and it’s divided up by seasons. I highly recommend checking it out.

Notes: (Of course I changed the recipe.) I used half the recipe, and it made enough filling for 5 quesadillas (10 tortillas). I opted for whole wheat tortillas, and just toasted the quesadillas on a comal (cast-iron griddle) without brushing them with oil. And of course I used Colby-Jack instead of Monterey Jack cheese.

Black Bean and Zucchini Quesadillas

• 2 pounds zucchini, coarsely grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus additional to taste
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 12 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, with seeds, finely chopped
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches in diameter)
• Olive oil for brushing the tortillas
• Chipotle Salsa (recipe follows)

In a colander, toss together the grated zucchini and salt with your hands. Squeeze the zucchini to remove a lot of its liquid.

In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, beans, cheese, scallions, and jalapeno.

Brush 4 of the tortillas with oil on one side. Turn over the tortillas so the oiled side is on the bottom. Divide the bean mixture between the tortillas, spreading it to the edges. Top each with a plain tortilla and brush the top with oil.

Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Place a quesadilla in the pan and cook until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Alternatively, arrange the quesadillas on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, about 6 inches from the heat source, until the cheese melts and the quesadillas are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with salsa.

Chipotle Salsa

• 5 to 6 ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained if desired, and finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Coarse salt

In a small bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Add some of the adobo sauce if you desire a hotter salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley.

Now that it’s just me and Justin at home (my niece flew back home yesterday), I’m starting to get back into my normal groove. I went grocery shopping today; my cart was full of vegetables and beans, pastas and pitas. I’ve planned some yummy menus for this week, so stay tuned for new recipes.

But first, a little something for my sweet tooth. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a bag of mixed dried fruit bits, thinking that I would snack on them during the day. I didn’t. They haven’t gone to waste, however. They are now folded into these scrumptious oatmeal cookies.

I like oatmeal cookies, but the usual oatmeal-raisin combo gets old. I used to make a recipe that included Craisins and dates and pecans, but I’ve misplaced it, so I had to go searching for a new one. I found one on the Cooking Light website that I changed up quite a bit, and ended up with these sweet, crispy-chewy, perfectly spiced cookies. This is my new official oatmeal cookie recipe.

Notes: I used half dark and half light brown sugar as an experiment, but using all light or dark would be fine. I also used part rolled oats to give the cookies a denser texture, but all quick-cooking would work well. I froze half the dough, using a small scoop to pre-portion the dough into freezer bags.

Oatmeal, Fruit and Nut Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used freshly grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit bits (such as Sun-Maid)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine first 6 ingredients (flour through ginger) in a small bowl, and set aside. Combine brown sugars, granulated sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, egg whites, and egg in a large bowl; beat mixture at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Stir in oats and dried fruit bits, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in flour mixture.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 9 minutes or just until lightly browned (reverse cookie sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through cooking time to ensure even browning). Remove cookies from pans, and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light.