Squash Soufflé

This is a great, relatively easy way to use up some of that summer squash and zucchini you have an abundance of.  This recipe is from "The Vegetarian Feast" by Martha Rose Shulman - a great cookbook.

1 1/2 lbs summer squash

1 TBSP salt (preferably sea salt)

1/2 onion

1 TBSP plus 2 tsp olive oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup grated cheddar or gruyére cheese

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs

2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley (I prefer fresh basil)

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grate Squash ( I use grater disc with food processor) and toss with salt.  Let sit for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion in 2 tsp of the olive oil until tender.  Combine with the beaten eggs, grated cheese, cottage cheese, bread crumbs, parsley and the salt and pepper to taste.

Squeeze out the excess water from the squash and rinse well.  Squeeze in a towel to dry, then stir into the egg-cheese mixture.  Turn into an oiled 1-quart casserole or souffle dish.  Drizzle the remaining 1 TBSP oilve oil over the top and bake for 45 minutes.

Stir Fried Sichuan Green Beans

I recently made this recipe and it was VERY good.  It's from Cook's Illustrated.

2 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP dry sherry

1 tsp sugar

1/3 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dry mustard

2 TBSP water

2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/4 pound ground pork

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 TBSP)

1 TBSP minced fresh ginger

3 scallions, white and light green parts sliced thin

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1. In small bowl, stir together soy sauce, sherry , sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, pepper flakes mustard, and water until sugar dissolves; set aside.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over hight heat until just smoking.  Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and skins are shriveled and blackened in spots, 5 to 8 minutes (reduce heat to medium-high if beans darken too quickly).  Transfer beans to large plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add pork to now-empty skillet.  Cook, breaking pork into small pieces, until no pink remains, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds.  Stir sauce to recombine and return beans to pan with sauce.  Toss and cook until sauce is thickened, 5 to 10 seconds.  Remove pan from heat and stir in scallions and sesame oil. 

To make this dish vegetarian, substitute 4 ounces of shitake mushrooms, stemmed and minced, for the pork.  If using mushrooms, add a tsp of oil to the pan in step 3 before adding the mushrooms.