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 zucchini pie

this savory dinner pie is good eats and will become a favorite (although you couldn't tell it by this picture....it doesn't do the zucchini pie justice).  it's like a quiche but without the crust (and the added calories a crust brings with it).    i used cilantro instead of basil, parsley, or chives and really liked that addition (but i love cilantro). 

this is a perfect dish to take to a potluck or picnic. zucchini pie is also great as a light dinner or lunch served with a tossed salad. 

i got this recipe from a lady named donna who is in one of my online vegetarian groups.  many of her recipe notes are included.

zucchini pie

3 cups grated zucchini
1 grated carrot (optional)
1 small onion chopped
1 cup flour
1 cup grated provolone or mild cheddar cheese (soy or rice cheese work fine and don't alter the taste)
1/4 cup canola or or vegetable oil
3 egg whites beaten or egg replacer to equal
3 tablespoons grated parmesan (works fine if you leave this out)
2 teaspoons chopped basil, parsley or chives (dried or fresh)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (regular or sea salt will work fine too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Spoon zucchini mixture into a 10 inch glass pie or quiche plate that has been coated with vegetable cooking spray.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.  This stores well as a leftovers.

posted by: artichoke72 at 22:53 | link | comments |
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Pho kin' A

Pho Phuong Lan
507 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
Fredericksburg, VA  22401
(540) 899-0668

A new Vietnamese restaurant opened in Fredericksburg about a week and a half ago.  We excitedly gathered our friends/neighbors and went to check out Pho Phuong Lan a few days after they opened.

Pho Phuong Lan is a nice, sparsely decorated, spacious, and clean restaurant located in a strip mall at the Fall Hill Ave. and Route 1 intersection.  The atmosphere is typical of many Vietnamese restaurants I have frequented, which was, in a way, comforting and promising.  I had high expectations.

The menu at Pho Phuong Lan consists mainly of Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup…pronounced “fuh”) with your choice of meat combinations that include eye round steak, well done flank, brisket, soft tendon, tripe, and Vietnamese meatballs.  For those who are not big fans of beef, chicken noodle soup and seafood noodle soup are available too.  The menu also includes rice dishes (com…pronounced “cohm”) and rice vermicelli dishes (bun…pronounced “boon”) that are available with pork, eggrolls, chicken, lemongrass beef (bo nuong sa…pronounced “baw nung sah”) or shrimp.  Appetizers, desserts, and various beverages that include exotic smoothies made with fruit such as durian, avocado, or coconut, Vietnamese coffee, jasmine tea, fresh Vietnamese lemonade, and soft drinks, round out the menu.

To start off, our waiter brought us complimentary fried, but not at all greasy, Vietnamese eggrolls (cha gio…pronounced “chah zaw”).  I suspect the free rolls were a grand opening special and not an everyday freebie.  Nonetheless, the eggrolls were delicious.  They were filled with pork, shrimp, crab (so says the menu), mushrooms, and veggies; fried until crispy; and served with nuoc cham (pronounced “nyuk chahm”), a sweet, sour, pungent, fish sauce in which to dip the rolls.  We also ordered fresh spring rolls (goi cuon…pronounced “goy kwan”) that were served with a decent peanut sauce.  The fresh spring rolls were filled with shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, lettuce, and herbs and wrapped in rice paper.  The tasty spring rolls exuded freshness.  My friend is a pescetarian (doesn’t eat meat, but includes fish and seafood in her diet) and Pho Phuong Lan accommodated her request for fresh spring rolls without the pork.

For the main course, I ordered bun tom nuong (pronounced “boon tome nung”), rice vermicelli with char broiled shrimp.  Bun is my idea of a perfect meal.  It is the epitome of harmony and balance, as well as contrast, all key concepts in Vietnamese cooking.  At Pho Phuong Lan, the rice noodle salad contained the vermicelli topped with shredded lettuce, julienned cucumber, fresh mung bean sprouts and a skewer of large, perfectly seasoned and cooked shrimp.  A small bowl of nuoc cham (Vietnamese table sauce) was served alongside to the dress the noodle salad.  I asked our server for and he gladly brought out a plate of herbs (thai basil and crisp, delicious greens that I couldn’t identify), sprouts, and chiles that usually accompany the pho.  I like to add these things to my bun.  Everything was extremely fresh. Pho Phuong Lan does bun better than most Vietnamese place.  My meal was excellent!  My husband also ordered bun, but he got chicken (bun ga nuong…pronounced “boon gay nung”) instead of shrimp.  He got an ample amount of grilled meat which he said was well seasoned and wonderful.  Our friend ordered and enjoyed the rice vermicelli with shrimp as well.

Our other friend ordered the pho.  He got his beef noodle soup with eye round steak and Vietnamese meatballs.  He was served a HUGE bowl of soup full of hot fragrant beef broth with a hint of ginger and anise, rice noodles, and meat.  He added the accompaniments of herbs, fresh mung bean sprouts, chiles, and a squeeze of lime.  He also added plenty of siracha, bottled hot chile and garlic sauce, for extra heat.  His soup looked amazing.

I highly recommend Pho Phuong Lan.  The restaurant exceeded my expectations.  Their food is authentic without being scary, is incredibly fresh, healthy, and flavorful.  The prices are affordable (our bill was about $35 for 4 adults).  I’m just thrilled that we now have a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant in town.  Lets just hope the locals will be adventurous and try Vietnamese food, fall in love with the cuisine (just as I have), and support the restaurant so that it will thrive and stay around.  I cannot wait to get back to Pho Phuong Lan.

posted by: artichoke72 at 19:59 | link | comments (6) |
restaurant reviews

Minestrone Soup 

I have been making this soup for years and it is just wonderful.  This soup can be easily tweaked for variations.  Chickpeas can be added instead of kidney beans.  Additional veggies, such as fennel can be added for a change.  16 ounces of tomato juice can be used instead of the tomato paste.  Increase or decrease the amounts of ingredients to suit your tastes.  i usually add more shell macaroni and leave out the spinach or kale (although it's equally as good with these ingredients).  I usually add more broth than this recipe calls for....i like mine brothy.  This soup freezes really well.

Minestrone Soup

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups vegetable stock

2 cans (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 - 3 tsp. dried basil

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced

1 cup fresh spinach or kale (optional)

½  cup shell macaroni (uncooked)

Sauté onions and celery in olive oil until tender.  Add garlic, sauté 2 more minutes.  Add veggie stock, cooked kidney beans, and basil.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste and dry pasta; return to a boil.  You can add more water at this point for a brothy soup.  Lower heat and simmer 5 – 7 minutes.  Add carrots and simmer 5 more minutes.  Add zucchini and spinach or kale and cook until tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

posted by: artichoke72 at 11:30 | link | comments |
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 Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

These tasty burgers are a quick and easy vegetarian meal.  They are filling and satisfying.  I recommend making the chipotle mayonnaise to go with the burgers, it's fantastic (and that's something because i detest mayo). 

The patties can be a bit crumbly, so be sure to mash the beans well and don't add too much corn.  I added a tad more salt and cumin than was called for in the recipe.

Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Burgers:
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained

Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Remaining ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves

To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.  To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated.  Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 411 (23% from fat); FAT 10.7g (satfat 1.9g, monofat 3.2g, polyfat 3.2g); PROTEIN 15.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 63.1g; FIBER 9.1g; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; IRON 3.9mg; SODIUM 837mg; CALCIUM 153mg;

recipe source:  Cooking Light, January 2005

posted by: artichoke72 at 15:03 | link | comments |
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