Zucchini Casserole

My garden is now in heavy production mode. I love it! I love to watch things grow...but what am I to do with all of this produce? That is question I asked myself yesterday. Hence the creation of this post and a slew of posts to follow...what to do with zucchini and other tasty garden produce.

My zucchini plant is on overdrive...as most are. My challenge with this is that I am the only one in my family that LOVES zucchini, so I spent some time yesterday finding different recipes that will help me use my produce in creative ways. Here is the first...Zucchini Casserole

Here are a few fruits of my labors that will be going into this particular recipe.


You start off my sauteing your onion. Mine made me cry...terribly...but fresh onion is worth every tear!



Next grate your zucchini. If you have a food processor, use it...it will make for quick and easy work.


Now that you have that, you can start adding all of your ingredients into a large mixing bowl.



Make sure and beat your eggs a little bit before you add them.



And try making your own Bisquick rather than using the store bought variety (which is totally fine if that is what you have on hand.) This particular recipe uses half whole wheat flour and oil rather than shortening...give it a try.

Now your recipe is almost complete...

...but don't forget those onions...tasty little things.

And mix it all up.

Put it all into a greased 9 inch pie plate and stick it in a 350 degree oven.

When it is done you will have this! It is one tasty treat. And the best part is...even "non-zucchini lovers" will devour this...my husband went back for seconds. The heavens were singing! I made mine for dinner, but it would be a tasty breakfast and an even tastier brunch. So, give it try!

Zucchini Casserole

by KarenPie

1 whole onion (finely chopped)

1/3 cups oil

1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

4 whole eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon parsley

3 cups zucchini, grated

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup Bisquick (I use homemade, the recipe is below)

Lightly saute the onion in some of the oil. While the onion is cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Don't forget the rest of the oil. Add the cooked onion and pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown across the top.

Homemade Bisquick

by KarenPie

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1-1/2 cups instant dry milk powder

1/4 cups sugar

1-3/4 cup canola oil

Mix all dry ingredients together in the bowl of your mixer. With the mixer running, pour oil in a steady, thin stream over the dry ingredients. Mix well. Store in a large, air-tight container in the freezer. Makes 13 cups.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

So, we have talked about Whole Wheat Bread and Cinnamon Rolls. Why not add another to the mix...Whole Wheat Pizza Dough! The best thing about this dough is it is just 1/6 of the Foolproof Bread Dough. So in one fell swoop you can whip out 2 loaves of bread, 1 batch of cinnamon rolls and a pizza! I did this last night and it was great! I had the main dish and dessert whipped out, just added a salad and Voila! I full and healthy meal with minimal effort.
To get the bread recipe, click HERE.

To make...

• Prepare your dough according to the bread recipe
• Roll out to desired shape
• Cover with toppings
• Bake in a 475 degree oven for 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
  

The other great thing about making your own pizza is that it is easy to store all ingredients. The crust has food storage written all over it, as does commercially bottled pizza sauce (although I am sure you could make your own and can it), cheese, meat, and veggies such as peppers and onions can easily be frozen, and you can store and use canned mushrooms and olives. The possiblities are endless. Who knew eating food storage could be so tasty!

Another Great Grain-Oats

Another one of my food storage staples is Oats. Rolled, quick, whole oat groats...however you decide to store them, they are a great item to have on hand. When we first started our food storage, we put all of our oats into a 6-gallon bucket. For us, that was a mistake. We used oats for cookies and the occasional batch of oatmeal, but that was it and after 4 years or so, our oats were VERY stale. The Church says that rolled oats can last up to 30 years, so why did ours go bad so fast? Probably because our oats were exposed to oxygen most of the 4 years it was stored. (Storing in buckets is a great idea if you rotate the stored item quick enough, or if the food is in its "whole" form and therefore can be stored a lot longer). I now dry pack all of our oats so that only limited amounts are exposed to the air at a time, that way, my oats will be good for a nice, long time.

Forms of Oats

Oat Groats - Whole grain of the oat, with only the outer hard husks removed.

Oat Flour - You can make this yourself by grinding rolled oats in a food processor or blender. Oat flour adds great flavor to breads and because of certain natural preservative in the oats themselves, it improves their shelf life. Oats contain no gluten, which is needed for bread to rise, so it must be mixed with a gluten-containing flour such as wheat. Substitute 1 of every 5 parts of wheat flour with oat flour. If your recipe is for a quick bread, no addition of other flours is necessary.

Steel Cut Oats or Scottish Oats or Irish Oats- These are groats which have been cut into two or three pieces. Cooking time is considerably longer than for rolled oats. This is a great option for people suffering from Celiacs Disease as McCann's Steel Cut Oats are gluten-free.

Rolled Oats- These are made by steaming the groats and flattening them with a roller.

Quick Cooking Rolled Oats -These are made by flattening pre-cut groats. They cook in about 5 minutes.

What To Store?

Deciding what to store is a personal decision, based on how you are going to use them. I like to store both quick and regular rolled oats for cookies, instant and baked oatmeal, and oat flour. I also hope to store some whole oat groats which will store for a LONG time and will allow me to make my own steel cut oats. If I am feeling really adventurous, I might even invest in a roller-flaker mill that will allow me to make my own rolled oats. (I have seen roller-flaker machines on display at the LDS Cannery and also at the Bosch Kitchen Center...they run around $100).

To get you started...


Baked Oatmeal ~ Heather Fairbanks

2 C Oatmeal

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 t Baking Powder

1 t Cinnamon

1/2 t Salt

1 C Milk

1/4 C Melted Butter

1 Egg, beaten

1/2-1 C dried fruit (i.e. apples, craisins, raisins and 1/2 nuts)

Bake in a 9x9 pan in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. (You can also double the recipe for a 9x13 pan).

You can also top your oatmeal with pear sauce from the LDS Cannery...tasty!

I don't have a Wheat Grinder...what can I do with my stored Wheat?

The answer to that is...many things. Although having a wheat grinder is an important element in rotating wheat, there are many ways you can still use whole wheat kernels without grinding them into flour.

Blender Wheat Pancakes

1 cup milk (1/3 instant dry milk & 1 cup water)

1 cup whole wheat kernels

2 eggs

2 TB oil

2 tsp baking powder

2 TB honey or brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Soak wheat kernels and milk in blender for 5 minutes. Blend on high for 4-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Blend on low. Add milk of needed. Bake on hot griddle. Makes 10 to 12 pancakes.

Wheat Berries

1 cup clean, whole wheat kernels

5 cups water

Combine wheat and water. Bring to a boil in a covered pot. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let stand for 1 hour. Bring to a boil for the second time. Simmer until tender (about 30 minutes). Drain. Use wheat berries for making Cracked Wheat

Basic Hot Cracked Wheat Cereal

1 cup cracked wheat (to crack your wheat, place wheat berries in a blender and pulse for a few seconds)

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

Combine and bring to a boil. Cook covered on low for 10-20 minutes. Add milk and sweetener for a tasty, hot breakfast.

Whole Wheat Cereal (in a thermos)

1 cup whole wheat kernels

2 cups boiling water

1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients in a quart-sized thermos; screw top lightly. Leave overnight. In the morning you'll have delicious hot cereal that is ready to eat.

You can also Sprout your wheat and use it in...

• salads
• sandwiches
• soups and stews
• alone or with other steamed veggies

What do you do with whole wheat kernels?

Legumes

For those who missed our class last Saturday or anyone wanting info on Legumes...here is a little something.

Legumes are an inexpensive and nutritious protein food which are high in fiber, low in fat, a good source of protein, carbohydrates, folate, and many trace minerals. Beans store well, cost little, and provide a punch for the nutrition dollar.

The Mayo Clinic has some great information on different types of beans and how to use them.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/legumes/NU00260

Cooking Beans:

• Rinse all beans and legumes in cold water.
• Soak the beans in 3 times as much water as beans. Lentils and peas do not need to be soaked. Make sure and discard soaking water.
• Quick soaking method- For each pound of beans, bring 8 cups of water to boiling. Wash the beans, add them to boiling water, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and soak for 1 hour. Discard soaking water.
• Add 1/8 tsp. baking soda and 1 T. cooking oil to each cup of beans while soaking. This will shorten the cooking time and decrease foaming.
• The slower the beans are cooked, the easier they are to digest.
• Beans will increase double to triple during soaking and cooking. (1 cup dry beans will produce 2-3 cooked).
• One pound of dry beans equals 6-7 cups cooked beans.
• Cooked beans freeze well and will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.

One major concern with bean consumption is digestive distress. A few things to try...

• Soak beans a minimum of 3 hours (8-12 hours better); disgard soaking water.
• Sprout beans before cooking-soak beans 2-3 days, changing water 3-4 times, until beans begin to sprout.
• Use Beano
• Continue to wash and soak beans until water is clear.

Bean flour is a great thickener and is finished and ready to eat in just 3 minutes.

A great and award winning legume recipe...

from Brooke Stucki

Chicken Chili Blanco

6 cans white beans

6 cups chicken broth

1 tsp chicken stock base (1 boulion cube)

2 onions chopped

1 tbsp. oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. green chilies, drained

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, but I put it in)

4 cups cooked and diced chicken

1 cup sour cream

3 cups co-jack cheese

Optional garnishes: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro chopped tomatoes and tortilla chips

Saute onions in oil until golden. Combine beans, broth, chicken stock base, onions, garlic, green chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and chicken in large pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add sour cream and cheese. Heat until cheese melts. Garnish as desired. I also use the crockpot and combine all the ingredients except the sour cream and cheese (no need to saute onions) and cook on low for 5 hours. Add the sour cream and cheese 15 minutes before serving to let it melt.