grilling Tag

04 Jul

Posted at 06:31h in Recipes by
6 Likes

Grilled summer squashOne of my favorite parts of summer is the time we get to spend cooking and eating outside.  Grilling vegetables brings out a depth of flavor that just cannot be matched on the stovetop, and we’ve been taking full advantage of that with this season’s CSA share.  One of the best veggies to grill is summer squash and its partner, zuchinni.

Eating summer squash provides us with cancer-fighting antioxidant nutrients Grilled summer squashvitamin A, vitamin C and manganese. We also get a healthy dose of essential minerals magnesium and potassium, as well as copper. However, because many of these nutrients live in the skin of the squash, we need to make sure we leave it intact. Grilling summer squash allows us to do just that!

Of course, squash can be cubed or cut into disks for kabobs, but I really like it when its cut into planks and placed right on the grates of a hot grill. The recipe below calls for this method of cooking; give it a try and let us know what you think. I’ve paired the delicious and nutritious summer squashes with superfoods, brown rice and Swiss chard, and healthy plant protein from chickpeas. All that wrapped up into a summery salad suitable for a main dish or a side — that’s tough to beat!

Grilled summer squash

Grilled Summer Squash & Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
3-4 summer squash and/or zucchini, sliced lengthwise, about 1/4″ thick
5-6 leaves Swiss chard, stems completely removed (slice the stem out from between the two halves of the leaves)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 sweet onion and some of its greens, chopped

Dressing
2 tbs olive oil (or other oil of your choice)
1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tbs juice
1/2 teaspoon agave
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh herbs of your choice (basil works great here), chopped
additional salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook the rice according to package directions.

Fire up your grill! Lay out the squash slices. Lightly spray each side with grapeseed (or other high-heat) oil, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the grill is heated, place the squash in one layer, cover and cook for ~3 minutes, until grill marks are apparent. Flip and cook another couple minutes, again until grill marks are apparent. Squash cooks very quickly on the grill and can become soggy (especially the larger ones) if left on too long, so be careful not to overcook. Remove from heat and let cool.

Blanch the Swiss chard in boiling water for 2 minutes, rinse in cold water and chop. Add chard, onion, chickpeas to a serving bowl.

Cut squash into a large dice and add to the bowl; you should have about 2 cups.  Gently stir in rice.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and then add to salad, stirring to combine everything. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve at room temperature, or chill.  This salad also make a great stuffing for tortillas or collard wraps.

Post and photos by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

21 Aug

Posted at 18:31h in Recipes by
2 Likes

Mmm… nothing says summer like a refreshing, juicy, crunchy slice of watermelon, does it? Big fat watermelons are in the share and at the markets again this week. This, of course, is a great thing, and not just because of the incredible taste — this big fruit offers up some big nutrition, too!

Watermelon is a natural thirst-quencher that has been shown to decrease the inflammation linked to health conditions from asthma to skin conditions. It also provides several beneficial antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene. And, because of watermelon’s high water content, calorie for calorie, it’s a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium.

Here are two new ways to get this delicious and nutritious fruit into your belly:

Watermelon two ways: Frozen & Grilled


Frozen — Cut watermelon into chunks, place on a clean cookie sheet (removing seeds as you go) and freeze overnight. Frozen watermelon chunks can then be used to make all kinds of smoothies, just add your favorite juice or water, a bit of sweetener and/or fresh herbs, and blend. Our most recent favorite flavor is a raspberry-lime watermelon smoothie: Mix 2 cups of watermelon chunks, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon raspberry agave and a squeeze of lime juice in a in a blender or food processor (or use a hand blender). Garnish with basil — or blend it in!

Grilled — Slice watermelon in 1″ slices. Place on heated grill for 2-3 minutes, flip and heat for another 2-3 minutes. You should see grill marks and the sugars from the fruit should become caramelized. Eat slices as is, or cut into chunks and serve on a bed of spring greens with vinaigrette dressing, a topping of feta cheese and/or nuts.

Post and photo by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder and -owner of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!