ZUCCHINI PARMIGIANA LOAF

3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
2 pounds zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4″ thick slices
salad oil
1/2 of a 15 1/2 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 of an 8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese

on a sheet of waxed paper, combine flour and salt; pour milk into pie pan. dip the zucchini in the milk, then coat them lightly with flour. in a 12″ skillet over medium high heat in 2 tablespoons oil, cook zucchini, a few slices at a time until golden, turning once. add oil as needed. drain on paper towels. in a greased 9″x5″ loaf pan, arrange 1/2 of the zucchini, spoon on 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with 1/2 of the parmesan cheese and then top with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. repeat layers. bake in a 350° oven for 40 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

SPINACH AND POTATOES AU GRATIN

4 red potatoes
9 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

preheat oven to 350°. wash potatoes; cut into 1/4″ slices.

arrange half of the slices in a greased medium baking dish.

drop spinach into a large pot of boiling water. cook 1 minute; drain.

rinse under cold water; squeeze out excess moisture.

place half of spinach on potato slices. drizzle on melted butter.

add half of salt and pepper.

arrange remaining potatoes, then spinach.

add remaining salt and pepper.

blend cream and nutmeg; pour over spinach.

bake 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender.

remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese.

bake 15 minutes longer, or until cheese is lightly browned and potatoes are tender.

if cheese browns too quickly, cover with foil and finish baking.

5 servings

MICROWAVE BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
pinch pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely crushed cornflakes
1 tablespoon butter OR margarine, melted

place the sprouts in a 1 1/2 qt microwave-safe dish. sprinkle with celery salt and pepper. cover and microwave on HIGH 8-10 minutes or until tender, stirring and rotating a quarter turn every 3 minutes. drain. sprinkle with cheese; microwave on HIGH 1-2 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. combine cornflakes and butter; sprinkle over sprouts.

8 servings

NOTE: recipe was tested in a 700 watt microwave

INSIDE OUT SWEET POTATOES

1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 large egg
6 sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon sherry, bourbon, or vanilla extract
8 large marshmallows
canola oil, for frying

preheat oven to 200°.

put the cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish or pie pan. beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. set aside.

combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, flour, orange juice, and sherry. working with your hands, use the mixture to encase each marshmallow, forming a ball. dip each ball in the egg wash and then roll in the crumbs. refrigerate while preparing to fry.

set a wire rack over newspaper or paper towels to cool and drain the balls after frying.

in a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375°.

fry the balls 1 or 2 at a time for 3-4 minutes, turning as needed, until lightly browned. remove with a spider or slotted spoon, and place the drained balls on the prepared rack and in the oven to keep warm while frying the remaining batches. serve warm.

8 servings

OVEN ROASTED GREEN BEANS

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

preheat oven to 425°.

trim the ends of the green beans and add to a large bowl.

toss with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

roast, stirring halfway through, until lightly caramelized and crisp-tender, 12-15 minutes.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

3 pounds fresh green beans
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 loaf crusty italian bread
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons extra,virgin olive oil
2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as button, cremini, shiitake), sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 cup heavy cream

bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp, they will be cooked more in the oven. drain them and set aside. butter a baking dish large enough to hold the green beans with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside.

heat the oven to 375°.

tear the bread into 2″ pieces, put them into a bowl, and add 1 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 2 tablespoons parmesan, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. stir well to coat and spread onto a baking sheet. bake just until the bread just starts to turn golden, about 10 minutes. remove from the oven and set aside.

meanwhile, melt the remaining butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add the mushrooms and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. pour in the heavy cream, add the remaining thyme and chives, and cook for another 5 minutes. add the green beans and stir well. put the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish, top with the croutons, and sprinkle on the remaining parmesan. bake until everything is hot and bubbling, about 20-25 minutes.

6-8 servings

BAKED STRING BEANS

1 package (16 oz) frozen french-style green beans, thawed
2 strips of bacon
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup hot water
1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
pinch of pepper

place beans in an ungreased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. set aside. cook bacon until crispy; remove with a slotted spoon. crumble and set aside. sir 1 tablespoon drippings into beans. dissolve bouillon cube in water. add garlic salt and pepper. pour over beans. cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. top with bacon.

6 servings

SUGARED ASPARAGUS

in a skillet over medium-high, heat butter and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. add asparagus; saute for 2 minutes. stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer 8-10 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. remove asparagus to a serving dish and keep warm. cook sauce, uncovered, until reduced by half. pour over asparagus and serve immediately.

4-6 servings

PEAS AMANDINE

1 package (16 oz) frozen peas
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons butter OR margarine
1 jar (4 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cups chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

cookeas according to package directions. set aside and keep warm. in a skillet, saute almonds in butter until lightly browned. remove with a slotted spoon; add to peas. in the same skillet, saute mushrooms and onion until tender; add to peas. season with salt and pepper.

8 servings