Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The cutest squash in the world

The bad news is that I love food. I love cooking food and eating food and reading about food and talking about food and watching shows about food...you get the idea.

Some people have an interesting palate with a need to eat the most bizarre of foods. I like to consider myself adventurous, but unlike some people I know, I have no desire to eat chicken feet.


The good news is that I really like all food, which is not limited to junk food. Vegetables are a main staple in our house and I enjoy cooking with them.


For proof, check out this freakishly adorable baby squash I picked up at the Fresh Market. They are baby zucchini and baby yellow squash which they call Sunburst Squash, or Patty Pan Squash.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with them when I bought them, but I decided at the last minute to chunk some leeks with the squash, and some chopped garlic, and then marinated them in some oils (I used avocado, walnut and olive for this), garlic powder, pepper, and a dash of Herbs de Provence.

I grilled them in the pan shown instead of foil wrapping them, because I wanted them to have that grilled taste, and the charred look, instead of being mostly steamed.


I think I made the right choice because these babies were awesomely delish.


Of course I paired them with my other two favorite healthy meal options, burgers and fries. I used actual organic beef, instead of the usual ground turkey, and mixed in some garlic, pepper, salt and onion. On my burger I put red onion and avocado, with a touch of homemade mayo, and the bread is a wonderful millet flax that I get at the co-op.


And these fries have become a much requested staple in our house. I've discovered that russet potatoes make the best fries and I just toss them in avocado oil, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Bake at 425 for about 15 -20 minutes depending on the thickness of the potatoes. (I always salt vegetables after they are cooked, if necessary, so as not to draw out too much moisture.)

Even though I've been hyping up the squash, I'm about to anticlimactically announce that the best part of the dinner was the french fry dip.


Seriously, you have got to try this. I take mayo, and blend in just a touch of avocado oil, paprika, pepper and garlic powder (the same stuff found in the french fries themselves) and dip the fries into it. Say goodbye to ketchup, because this will be your main staple on fry day.


Healthy eating!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure which sounds better, the squash or the bark. I do love those little squash--I chop them into chunks, too, spray them and my wok with some Pam, then cook until they're tender-crisp. A little Mrs. Dash and they're done.

But I'm especially proud of the dish I made last night as a test for the Sun-Times, from the same restaurant that brought me chicken feet. These potstickers rocked, I tell you, and they were easy and healthy. I'll post a link when the story publishes April 30!