Zucchini Stew with Chicken

With every garden, late in the summer, there comes a time to reap the last vegetables and let the ground rest for the hot month of August. My Mom fixed a stew with all those vegetables and through the years I have changed it up a little, to make it mine.

ZUCCHINI STEW with Chicken

4 Zucchini's, washed and cubed

2 large Tomatoes, washed and cubed

1/2 cup yellow Onion, peeled and cubed

1 large Carrot, peeled and grated

1 Garlic clove, peeled and minced

3 Chicken breast, skinless/boneless, cubed

5 tablespoon Olive Oil, evoo

5 tablespoon Butter

                                                               1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

                                                               2 1/2 cups Chicken broth

                                                               1 teaspoon Salt & Pepper

Wash up all your vegetables and cut them into cubes, prepare everything so you are ready to go.

In a large skillet, on medium high heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and butter. As the butter melts, have your chicken ready to go in the skillet to brown. Browning should take about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large stew pan, on medium high heat, add  tablespoons olive oil and butter. As the butter melts, have your onion ready to go in. Onion, and carrot goes in to soften, 5 minutes. Add cubed tomatoes, stir and lower heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, (stir Chicken). add garlic to the tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Add the Zucchini and the chicken broth, stir and lower heat to medium low. Place a lid on the pan. The stew will come to a boil, lower heat to simmer. 10 minutes, Add the Chicken and stir stew. Careful not to break up the zucchini as you stir everything together. With a lid on it and the heat down to simmer, cook for 10 minutes.

This recipe is so good with a salad and crusty bread! 

You can make this recipe a day ahead, let it cool and refrigerate. Reheat on low simmer until it starts to boil.

Also, this recipe can be vegetarian, use vegetable stock and tofu.

I have made this to save for other soups, without the chicken, let the stew cool and blend the whole thing in a blender. Placed it in freezer bags to freeze and use for vegetable soups I fix in the winter. 

In honor of LD's Mom

May her recipes continue to delight people with great memories!

Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy, garlic mash potatoes and fresh grilled corn

Salisbury Steak

1 pound 90/10 Sirloin Ground Hamburger Meat

1/2 cup chopped Yellow Onion

1/2 teaspoon grounded Thyme 

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs, unseasoned

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

3 tablespoons Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

In a skillet, add butter to melt on medium heat. Add chopped onion to cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat pour cooked onion in a mixing bowl with all the other ingredients, except oil. Add the oil to the same skillet.

Incorporate the ingredients all together. Make patties 4x3. Turn heat under skillet on with oil to medium high. Place patties in after 3 minutes for oil to get hot. Brown each side, this will take about 4 minutes on both sides.

Remove patties from heat onto a paper towel cover plate to drain.

(Do not pour out grease, will be using it for the gravy.)

Mushroom Gravy

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Mushroom & Stems, drained

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1/4 cup dry White Wine or cooking Wine

1/2 cup of Beef Broth

1/2 teaspoon dry ground Thyme 

In the same skillet you used for browning for meat patties. On medium to high heat, Add the chopped onions, add drained mushrooms & stems, cook for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl whisk to combine mushroom soup, beef broth and thyme. Add the soup mix to the onions and mushrooms, stir and lower heat to medium low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat to add white wine and place back on heat. Whisk until combined. 

Add Meat patties back into the skillet with gravy, cover with lid and lower heat to simmer. 15 minutes.

GARLIC MASH POTATOES

4 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups Water

1/2 cup Milk

8 oz. Sour Cream

1/4 cup Butter

4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced (or pressed)

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons Salt

1 tablespoon Pepper

In a large sauce pan add your prepared potatoes, pour in the water, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 garlic clove (minced), bay leaf and 1 tablespoon salt.

Bring to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to medium until fork tender. When done, remove 1 cup of liquid to use later. Drain potatoes and remove bay leaf.

Add 8 oz. Sour Cream, the rest of the butter, 3 garlic cloves (minced), the liquid that you saved and 1 tablespoon salt and pepper.

Use your electric mixer, mix until smooth

Yummy!

GRILLED CORN off cob

You can get your frozen corn and thaw it out. 

4 ears of Corn

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes

1 stick Butter

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

In a rectangular pan, place your ears of corn in. Mix together milk, sugar and red pepper flakes, until sugar dissolves.  Pour over corn and set for about 30 minutes. Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Oil down your grill and place your corn on there. Do not leave, they will burn!! Cook 10 minutes

Melt butter, add salt and pepper. Remove kernels off cob and add it to the melted butter.