The good thing about having 6 pounds of zucchini is you can make a lot of different things. So this weekend, I decided to make one of my favorite quick meals, stir-fried zucchini and onions.

This meal was inspired by Japanese steakhouses of my youth. No matter what you ordered, you were sure to get a huge helping of zucchini and onions at any steakhouse. I take a little help from Kikkoman stir-fry sauce which you can usually find in the Asian foods aisle at the grocery store. So in the time it takes you to make the steamed rice, you’ll have a meal ready to go, from chopping to sliding it into the serving bowl! Want the recipe? (more…)

Filed under:
Asian, Dinner, Quick and Easy, Side Dish, Vegetarian by Courtney

I know, I know. That’s such a cheesy title for a blog post. I stumbled upon this recipe at the Kitchn and the picture looked so good, I had to make it. As I got into making this, I changed the proportions and the steps to make this, so below is my version of the recipe. (more…)

Filed under:
Asian, Dinner, Gluten free, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

This is what happens when you put your garden irrigation on water timer. You aren’t as engaged, and then one day you go out to check how things are doing, and WHAM!! you’re hit with a bunch of produce. I now have over 6 pounds of squash and zucchini, 3 pounds of roma tomatoes, 1 pound of yellow taxi and black cherry tomatoes, and 2 and a half pounds of green beans. Looks like I better get to cookin’!

Filed under:
In the Garden by Courtney

Country ham is a staple breakfast food in the South. It is such a staple, that the thought never crossed my mind that it might not be a universal breakfast food. Oh how my world was rocked on my first visit to Kansas City.

Growing up in Johnson City, Tennessee, Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast meant heading to Hardee’s or your local gas station if you were in a hurry and didn’t want to cook. And that meant biscuits – for me, a ham biscuit and a sausage biscuit – hashrounds if we were at Hardee’s, and an orange juice or occasionally a coke, if I could get away with it. The ham biscuit was awesome – salty country ham, oozing it’s grease into the fluffy biscuit, wrapped in a paper wrapper, hot and just waiting to be eaten.

So imagine my surprise the first time I get a ham biscuit at Hardee’s in Kansas City. I bite into it, and… deli ham??!! What the heck was this? Fast forward 14 years, and every time I leave Tennessee to head back to California, there are a few vacuum-sealed ham steaks stuffed in my luggage, no doubt puzzling the TSA when they search it. If you don’t head to the South frequently, you can also purchase these vacuum-sealed packages (or a whole ham) online.

Once I get home, I freeze the steaks, and pull them out on Saturdays or Sundays, when I’m ready for a good, hearty Southern breakfast. (more…)

Filed under:
Breakfast, Comfort food, Southern by Courtney

Looking for something to cook on the grill this weekend? This recipe from La Cucina Italiana for Shrimp and Proscuitto spiedini is quick, easy, and very tasty. And it looks pretty impressive too! I would suggest spritzing a little olive oil on these before putting them on the grill.

I served this recipe with grilled tomatoes and onions and a garlic-studded loaf of bread. (more…)

Filed under:
Cooking outdoors, Dinner, Lunch by Courtney