Tasty Tuesday

Once again, the time of year has come when my zucchini is growing to outrageous proportions and I've got to figure out some way of getting Budley to help me eat it. He is not, I repeat, NOT, a big fan of squash--or any vegetables, for that matter--which makes me wonder why I bother growing veggies at all when I end up giving most of them away, but I digress.

Budley has, on occasion, wanted to be vegan or vegetarian, and I have learned to laugh at this notion, and continue to serve him hamburgers, pot roast, and barbecued ribs. Thus it was, that as I gazed at the huge mound of squash sitting on the kitchen table, in desperation, I took my recipe for zucchini souffle and added ground beef to it. And voila! We have a new way to trick Budley into eating vegetables!

Hamburger Zucchini Souffle


Saute:
1 onion, chopped or grated
1 lb lean ground beef, seasoned with meat seasoning of your choice, or a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
4 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together:
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2-3 cups)
1 cup or more grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 long pkg saltines (whole wheat or regular), crushed
2 tsp of a salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder mixture (Paula Deen's House Seasoning)

Beat together:
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp pesto

Now, mix all of this stuff together, put it in a greased 9 x 13 pan (glass or metal) and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, or longer if you're like Budley and don't like your casseroles juicy. Let it set a few minutes before enjoying with the hunk of your choice!



























Oh, yeah... I almost forgot. Now that I've used up some of the squash, I've got to figure out what to do with all these cucumbers. Something tells me that my Yah Yahs will have some very interesting suggestions...

Tasty Tuesday Grilled Greek Zucchini!

Once again, the time of year has come when my zucchini is growing to outrageous proportions and I've got to figure out some way of getting Budley to help me eat it. He is not, I repeat, NOT, a big fan of squash--or any vegetables, for that matter--which makes me wonder why I bother growing veggies at all when I end up giving most of them away, but I digress.

Budley has, on occasion, wanted to be vegan or vegetarian, and I have learned to laugh at this notion, and continue to serve him hamburgers, pot roast, and barbecued ribs. Thus it was, that as I gazed at the huge mound of squash sitting on the kitchen table, in desperation, I took my recipe for zucchini souffle and added ground beef to it. And voila! We have a new way to trick Budley into eating vegetables!

Hamburger Zucchini Souffle


Saute:
1 onion, chopped or grated
1 lb lean ground beef, seasoned with meat seasoning of your choice, or a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
4 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together:
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2-3 cups)
1 cup or more grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 long pkg saltines (whole wheat or regular), crushed
2 tsp of a salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder mixture (Paula Deen's House Seasoning)

Beat together:
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp pesto

Now, mix all of this stuff together, put it in a greased 9 x 13 pan (glass or metal) and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, or longer if you're like Budley and don't like your casseroles juicy. Let it set a few minutes before enjoying with the hunk of your choice!



Oh, yeah... I almost forgot. Now that I've used up some of the squash, I've got to figure out what to do with all these cucumbers. Something tells me that my Yah Yahs will have some very interesting suggestions...

Tasty Tuesday Creamy, Fruity Greek Yogurt!

In the mood for something creamy, delicious, and relatively non-fattening?

No, Alicia. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about yogurt. Since I've been having to avoid the sweet stuff as much as possible, I've missed having yogurt on occasion. True, they make a fat-free or light versions, but they're still loaded with sugar.

I bought some Stevia in the Raw a while back, thinking I'd use it in lots of things. It's sweet, natural, and all that good stuff. Unfortunately, sugar isn't the only bad ingredient in most desserts, so the bag sat around, unopened, for a long time.

Then I discovered fat-free plain Greek yogurt. If you've never tried it before, it is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, and can pass for sour cream without any trouble at all. No cholesterol, very few carbs, and plenty of protein. I bought a carton of Dannon's plain Greek yogurt and added some raspberry extract. It wasn't bad, but I missed the pieces of fruit.

Then one day, I bought some strawberries. I used to make jam all the time, and nothing I've ever bought in a store can compare with the homemade variety. I miss it. I miss the smell of strawberries on the boil, pouring it into jars, and listening for the pop when the lids seal. Since I can't eat it anymore, I've stopped making it. But I hit on the idea to chop up the strawberries (about a cup), add 2 heaping tablespoons of Stevia in the Raw, stir it up, stick it in the microwave, let it boil for a minute or so, and see what happens. I let the sugar-free "jam" cool in the refrigerator, and then added it to the Greek yogurt.

OMG!!!! It's thick, creamy, fruity, sweet, cool, and delicious!!!! Plus, it's fat-free and the only sugar is what's in the fruit!

Since then, I've tried it with blueberries and raspberries, but I still like the strawberry the best.




















Enjoy your Tuesday!