Baked Parmesan Zucchini

INGREDIENTS

4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the crisp and golden brown.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Smoked Chicken Rub

Ingredients

2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cayenne
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon black pepper

Directions

This recipe should be seen as a base and can be tweaked depending on your liking. For instance, if you like a little more kick to your chicken, feel free to add a little more chili powder and cayenne to give it some heat. It can be simply made by combining all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. It can also easily be combined with a ¼ to a ½ cup of olive oil if you want to turn it into a paste so it will stick to your chicken. Rub it on any cut of chicken from wings, breasts, thighs or legs. 

Summer Vegetable Tian

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato
1 medium tomato
1 tsp dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.
Spray the inside of an 8×8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Homemade Marinara

Ingredients:

8-10 tomatoes (mixed Roma & on-the-vine)
1/2 yellow or white onion
Garlic, 4-5 cloves, peeled
Olive oil
Basil
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Tomato sauce, 8oz

Directions:

Chop all the ingredients up and put it into a 9x13 pan. Toss it with olive oil and seasonings. Stick it in the oven at 200 degrees for 3 hours. You want everything to be nice and mushy. Put it in a blender or food processor and puree. Add your can of tomato sauce and puree some more. The sauce should be pretty smooth. Taste it and add extra seasonings as needed.

You could probably even add parmesan or Romano and give it a cheesy flavor at this point.

This makes 2 pint size jars. If you will be using this quickly, ok, if not consider canning or freezing.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2lbs cubed beef stew meat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
4 cups water
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Dissolve bouillon in water and then add parsley, thyme, and black pepper and then both cans of diced tomatoes. Once meat is done add the meat to the soup mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
2. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours more.