Squash and Cabbage.. something

I'm not sure there is name for this, nor do I think there needs to be a name for every dish. I've been trying to make the most of the organic vegetables I get from my farmshare, and I think this is one of those dishes I could actually eat with rice as a meal and be really satisfied.


Yellow Squash and Red Cabbage Dish

Ingredients:
1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 medium yellow summer squash, cut into chunks
1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup of shredded carrot
kosher salt
white pepper
black pepper
onion flakes or powder
garlic powder
celery seeds

(I can't offer any measurements for the spices because I didn't use any! I would say use the garlic powder and celery seeds sparingly.)

Heat a deep pot on medium-high. Add the green pepper, then the squash. Saute the squash until it softens a bit, and then add the cabbage and carrot. Season with spices, add 1/4 of water, and simmer on low for 10-15 min until cabbage is cooked. If there's still water, turn the heat back to medium-high and stir fry till the mixture is dry. Serve over rice, with some soy sauce if you like.

Quick dinner recipe

I've been looking for quick recipes that won't smell up the kitchen in my on-the-market house the way my homecooking usually does. Came across this one and looking forward to trying it out tonight.

Dad's Roast Chicken -- My Way with a Parsley Lemon Juice Oil



Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

Prep Time:20 min
Inactive Prep Time:--
Cook Time:40 min
Level:Easy
Serves:3 to 4 servings.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken cut in 8 serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Olive oil, for drizzling
The rind of 1/2 lemon, zested

For the parsley drizzle:
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.

Trim off any excess skin or fat from the chicken. Cut off and discard the wing tips. Place the chicken pieces in an 11 by 13-inch baking pan, or any pan that that they fit in without crowding. Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, the herbs, and the lemon zest. Toss through all the seasonings and then arrange the chicken piece skin side up in the pan. You can season the chicken pieces and set them up in the roaster up to a day before you cook them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Roast until the skin is nicely browned and there is no pink near the thigh bone and the juices run clear, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check both white meat and dark meat. If the white meat is done before the dark meat, take it out and set it on the serving plate until the dark meat is done.

For the parsley drizzle, wash and dry the parsley. Remove the leaves from the stems and chop the leaves finely. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and use immediately to garnish the roast chicken.

Bottle gourd and shrimp: Bangla classic

A relative was kind enough to share some of the surplus from their wonderful garden this week. Lau, or bottlegourd, is one of my favorite veggies and my mom makes a delicious dish with it and shrimp. I found a similar recipe online and had a yummy home cooked meal that reminded me of home. http://weekendtongueteaser.blogspot.com/2012/03/bangla-classic-lau-chingri-shrimp-with.html?m=1

Ingredients:

1 medium Lau/Bottlegourd (approx. 3 to 4 cups)- Peeled and cut into chunky cubes
2 cups of shrimp
1 cup of onion
1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 a teaspoon of garlic paste
3/4 of a teaspoon of coriander powder
4 to 5 green chilies
2 tablespoon of chopped green coriander leaves
2 to 3 tablespoon of oil
Salt to taste

Cooking process:

First, fry the onions till golden brown. After that, put the turmeric, coriander powder and garlic paste in. Then, as the spices are mixed in nicely, throw in the shrimps and cook them till they turn pink(for 2 to 3 minutes). Once done, throw in the Lau/Bottlegourd. Bottlegourd contains a lot of moisture, so, no need to put in extra water. Put salt and put the lid on and let it cook till the bottlegourd becomes absolutely tender. Now, if your bottlegourd gives you trouble in becoming tender, you can put some water. When the bottlegourd becomes tender and the gravy has reached a nice thick consistency, put the green chilies and the coriander leaves in.

Finally, serve it with steamed rice and enjoy this classic Bangla comfort food.