Pesto Chicken and Zucchini Kabobs

As my coworker Cindy says every Thursday, “It’s Friday eve!!”

Normally, on this holy of all holy days I am stoked. Only one more work day to get through till you get to relax for a full 48 hours.

Not this Thursday. Today has been filled with a new found dread. The dread of painting. Last weekend Wes and I spent a full three days painting his ceiling from poop brown to a nice white. It was awful. Seriously, horrible. But it looks amazing and in the long run will be totally worth all the sweat and soreness.

So this weekend we are gearing up for round two. Painting the walls. While I do think part two will be a little less painful, it is still going to suck.

While the paint is drying we will have to head out door for sustenance. So I’m firing up the grill with these tasty little morsels.

You will need…

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large chicken breast, cut into about 1 inch chunks

1 zucchini, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 yellow summer squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks

Homemade pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

10 wooden skewers, soaked

Start by lightly oiling and heating the grill to a medium high heat.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and pour about ½ the homemade pesto and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Toss the remaining pesto with the onions, squash and zucchini.

Skewer the chicken and veggies, alternating ingredients until all the chicken and veggies are skewered.

Grill the kabobs until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes a side.

Serve the kabobs hot by themselves or on a bed of rice or potatoes.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela   

Pesto Chicken and Zucchini Kabobs

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large chicken breast, cut into about 1 inch chunks

1 zucchini, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 yellow summer squash, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks

Homemade pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

10 wooden skewers, soaked

Start by lightly oiling and heating the grill to a medium high heat.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and pour about ½ the homemade pesto and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Toss the remaining pesto with the onions, squash and zucchini.

Skewer the chicken and veggies, alternating ingredients until all the chicken and veggies are skewered.

Grill the kabobs until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes a side.

Serve the kabobs hot by themselves or on a bed of rice or potatoes.

Herb Butter Grilled Lamb Chops with Summer Squash

I deserve some sort of punishment. I’ve been a bad blogger. Before I let you sentence me to something ridiculous like ten year peeling potatoes or trimming the ends of one million green beans, at least let me plead my case.

For starters, work has been insane. I know, I know. People always say that. But seriously, I went into work on Sunday. ON. A. SUNDAY. When did I become one of those people who work on the weekends just to get caught up? Whenever it happened, I don’t think I like it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m learning and growing, but oh my is it rough sometimes.

Things got a little more complicated last week when Wes moved into a new place and I was his trusty assistant. The good news about the move is that he moved into an awesome little one bedroom that we are both really excited about. The bad part about the move is that we moved till two on Friday moment and then decided (and by decided I mean I made us) to paint his vaulted ceilings. Genius. Straight Genius.

At this point, I’m pretty sleepy, with way more work to do, but nothing could keep me away from the kitchen.

Between the work and boxes and painting, I needed some Zen time in the kitchen and manning the grill.

And this is what came from it

You will need…

8 medium sized lamb chops

2 small zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

2 small yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 ears of corn in the husk

10 tablespoons garlicy lemon and marjoram butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium high heat.

While the grill is heating, soak the cornhusks in water.

When the grill is hot, add the corn to the grill and turn every 5 minutes until the corn is cooked through.

After the corn is cooked through with grill marks, remove from the grill and allow them to cool enough to handle. When they are cool enough, cut the kernels off the ear and set aside. 

While the corn is cooling. Lightly brush the lamb with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Add the lamb to the grill and sear on a really hot part of the grill. About 3 minutes a side.

Move the lamb to a slightly cooler part of the grill and top each chop with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Continue to cook until medium rare and the butter has melted. About 6 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the grill and cover it with foil to rest for about 10 minutes.

While the lamb is resting, heat the remaining olive oil and garlic together in a medium pan over medium high heat. When the garlic is fragrant add in the bell peppers, squash, zucchini, corn and remaining butter. 

Cook until the peppers are slightly softened and the zucchini, squash and corn are hot. About 5 minutes.

Lay out the veggies on a platter, top with lamb chops and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Herb Butter Grilled Lamb Chops with Summer Squash

8 medium sized lamb chops

2 small zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

2 small yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 ears of corn in the husk

10 tablespoons garlicy lemon and marjoram butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating your grill to a medium high heat.

While the grill is heating, soak the cornhusks in water.

When the grill is hot, add the corn to the grill and turn every 5 minutes until the corn is cooked through.

After the corn is cooked through with grill marks, remove from the grill and allow them to cool enough to handle. When they are cool enough, cut the kernels off the ear and set aside. 

While the corn is cooling. Lightly brush the lamb with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Add the lamb to the grill and sear on a really hot part of the grill. About 3 minutes a side.

Move the lamb to a slightly cooler part of the grill and top each chop with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Continue to cook until medium rare and the butter has melted. About 6 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the grill and cover it with foil to rest for about 10 minutes.

While the lamb is resting, heat the remaining olive oil and garlic together in a medium pan over medium high heat. When the garlic is fragrant add in the bell peppers, squash, zucchini, corn and remaining butter. Cook until the peppers are slightly softened and the zucchini, squash and corn are hot. About 5 minutes.

Lay out the veggies on a platter, top with lamb chops and serve hot.

Roasted Squash Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Today, I had to participate in one of the things that us Americans hate most.

That’s right my friends. I had jury duty.

This was my second trip to the dreaded juror waiting room.

Luckily, I was released early in the day. But apart of me was a little sad.

Before we took our juror’s oath this morning, a judge gave a phenomenal speech about why we should want to be jurors. It was funny, charismatic and motivating.

It really made me feel like by being there I was helping out my country in a small but important way. And I do hope that at sometime, when the timing is better, I do get to be a bigger part of the judicial process.

Until then, I will continue to drink coffee out of my election special coffee cup and attempt to better the world one dish at a time.

You will need…

3 small yellow squash, sliced

3 small zucchini, sliced

2 heads radicchio or travissio

2 tablespoons chopped sage

2 heads roasted garlic

½ cup olive oil, plus 2 extra tablespoons

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the squash, the zucchini and the sage. Season the squash well with salt and pepper and spread it onto a baking sheet.

Pop the squash in the oven and roast it for 20 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, chop the lettuce into bight sized pieces.

Then, combine the garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until completely combined.

Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

When the squash has finished roasting, let it cool for a couple minutes.

Add the squash to the lettuce.

Drizzle the squash and lettuce with the vinaigrette, toss and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Roasted Squash Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

3 small yellow squash, sliced

3 small zucchini, sliced

2 heads radicchio or travissio

2 tablespoons chopped sage

2 heads roasted garlic
½ cup olive oil, plus 2 extra tablespoons

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the squash, the zucchini and the sage. Season the squash well with salt and pepper and spread it onto a baking sheet.

Pop the squash in the oven and roast it for 20 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, chop the lettuce into bight sized pieces.

Then, combine the garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until completely combined.

Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

When the squash has finished roasting, let it cool for a couple minutes.

Add the squash to the lettuce.

Drizzle the squash and lettuce with the vinaigrette, toss and serve. 

Red Onion and Zucchini Stir Fry

My boyfriend is officially ruining his reputation with my parents.

What was once a blossoming new friendship between mother, father and significant other is now one major hit away from the fast track to rejectionville.

Yes, there were a couple of ill timed jokes in the first meeting of the folks, but Wes recovered and the rest of the night went great.

Meeting number two was fine. People were getting more comfortable. Things were feeling easy.

Then there was the bathroom tile incident. Basically it’s a really long and weird story, but the result was Wesley breaking a large chunk of our bathroom counter tile off and into three pieces. A tile that they no longer make.

But Mom and Dad were great about it. It’s all going to get fixed. Slight harm, almost no foul.

And then Wes let the cat out of the bag. Well, the house actually. Wes let the cat out of the house. Late at night. And without realizing it so we could go look for the indoor cat that never leaves the house and is terrified of everything.

My mom was really excited about the hours she spent searching the neighborhood for Lily thinking she was dead and never coming home. Really excited.

Don’t worry though. The cat and Wes are safe and sound. For now.

I ate this dish, with its almost pasta like qualities to comfort me. Carbs are my comfort food.

You will need…

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium zucchini, cut into rounds

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce (diced tomatoes)

Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic.

Cook until the onions are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini is almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce and cook until the mixture is heated through.

Serve immediately.

Pull it together Wesley. Pull it together.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Zucchini Bread

Last week I finally finished off the last of the massive zucchini with this tasty treat. If you haven’t heard of zucchini bread it is very similar to banana bread, without the banana. Duh.

And no, it doesn’t really taste like zucchini, just deliciousness.

Admittedly, I’m not really a baker. I do it from time to time, but cooking is really where it is at for me.

That probably explains why then the recipe I was using didn’t have any flour in it, it wasn’t an immediate red flag.

It wasn’t until I completed the batter and thought it looked super weird did I think to recheck the recipe.

When copying and pasting recipes, be careful not to exclude the first, and probably most important line of the recipe. In this case, the flour. You know that thing that is the basis for bread.

You will need…

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup water

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar.

In a separate bowl (or if you are a short cutter like me, you can do it in the same bowl), combine the oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and add the nuts.

Pour the batter into 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.

Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Now remember to not drink and copy and paste.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela