Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

This salad is made of three quintessential mid-summer crops: corn, zucchini, and basil.

Zucchini is one of my all-time favorite veggies, because it’s so versatile. It’s good sautéd, raw, zoodled, or in this case, roasted (any grill masters out there? You can do the roasting over an open flame if that’s more your style!). Use young zucchini in this recipe. They are more tender, have smaller seeds, and you can simply cut them in half (the long way) rather than into strips. Yellow summer squash would work well too! 

There’s a saying, “things that grow together go together,” and it’s certainly the case here. Roasted zucchini needs little in terms of seasoning, but a little fresh basil brightens this dish up. Good warm or cold, this salad is the perfect backyard grill out side dish! To turn this recipe into a heartier salad, one you could eat for lunch, try adding shredded parmesan and diced avocado. 

Have even more zucchini to use? Try these zucchini bread pancakes.

Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

Published July 24, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 small zucchini

3 cobs of corn

1/2 cup fresh basil

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

For the vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice the zucchini into long strips, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Brush zucchini and corn with olive oil and place on sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until softened. Turn oven to high broil, and cook for 3-5 more minutes, just to get the corn and zucchini really roasted. (Note: You can also do this step on your grill, and skip the oven!)
2. Allow zucchini and corn to cool so that you can handle them with out burning yourself. Arrange zucchini in a salad bowl, and then use a knife to cut the kernels from each corn cob. Add kernels to the bowl. Cut basil chiffonade style, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish, and add to the bowl. Toss everything to combine.
3. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake. Pour over salad, top with reserved basil leaves, and serve.

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread Pancakes

It’s that season! Yes, the time of year when zucchini are the size of baseball bats, big enough to serve a crowd. Perhaps you’re swimming in zucchini, or maybe you found a really good deal on some oversized zukes at the farmers market — either way, zucchini bread pancakes are the way to go! 

I’ve never heard anyone complain about pancakes for breakfast, and these pancakes are extra special. Just like zucchini bread, these pancakes are spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, making them feel extra cozy, especially when slathered with butter and drizzled with maple syrup. 

There are thousands of recipes for zucchini bread on the internet. Some call for walnuts, while others call for chocolate chips. But why choose? This recipe is absolutely delicious with both, bites of nutty crunch and melty chocolate. And yeah, it feels a little bit like dessert for breakfast but there is zucchini in there.

This recipe uses for almond flour, which makes for a satisfying pancake but is also the reason why I highly recommend using a non-stick pan. I tried a few in a enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) because we own very few non-stick pans, and the results was no good. So, avoid frustration, and use a true non-stick pan! You'll be flipping pancakes like a pro. 

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Published July 19, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 90 minutes

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Ingredients:

9 ounces shredded zucchini

1-1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (tapioca flour can also be used)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for cooking and serving

2 tablespoons maple syrup plus more for serving

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chocolate chips or finely diced walnuts (feel free to do half chocolate chips and half walnuts, too!)

Directions:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine: almond flour, arrowroot starch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine: 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until frothy, and then fold in the shredded zucchini.
2. Add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring to combine, and then add in the other half of the dry mixture to create a loose batter. Fold in walnuts/chocolate chips.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle on the stove over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter.
4. Spoon batter into hot pan, making pancakes that are 4-5 inches wide. Cook on one side until you start to see bubbles on the top and edges begin to turn golden brown. Flip pancake to second side, and cook until golden. Move pancake to plate. Repeat until all of batter has been used.
5. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup. Optionally, add additional walnuts on top for garnish.

Instant Pot Corn Chowder

You know when you think you’re grabbing the paprika but you grab the cayenne by mistake, dump a whole spoonful into the pot, stir it up, and then read the label? Anyone? 

I didn’t think so. But, um, it totally happened when I was first testing this soup. Maybe you have had a similar experience, but if you haven’t, let me spell it out for you: 

S.P.I.C.Y. 

At least thats what happened with this particular mistake. HA! 

But, I made it through that bowl of extra spicy soup and thought, hey, when you taste past the cayenne this is pretty dang good. Once your mouth stops burning and all. (I love spicy food, but this just was a bit too much, something even a half cup of heavy cream stirred in didn’t calm). 

Assuming you can read the labels on your spice jars better than I can, this corn chowder is the stuff summer evenings are made of. At least it is for me, because it reminds me of sitting on the back patio at my mom’s house as a kid, slurping on corn chowder while the sun dips down behind the mountains and the day’s heat finally gives way to a cool evening breeze. (Hi Mom, maybe you should send me that recipe?!) 

This version is lighter that the one of my childhood (and most chowders, really) — forgoing flour and bacon, it is full of fresh corn flavor and has creaminess from Yukon gold potatoes and a splash of the good stuff (half and half). And really, when it’s this hot of a summer, light is what it’s alllll about. 

Quick Instant Pot Corn Chowder

Published July 5, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1/2 large white onion, diced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 large carrot, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 teaspoon coconut oil

2 medium yukon gold potatoes, diced

16 ounces frozen corn kernels, thawed, reserve 2 tablespoons for topping

2 tablespoons parsley, minced plus more for garnish

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup half and half

1-3 dashes of cayenne, to taste

Dash of paprika for garnish

Optional: shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of an Instant Pot (affiliate link!) on the sauté setting. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, carrot, and bell pepper until the onions are transparent.
2. Add potatoes, corn kernels, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and broth. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn to the Soup setting, setting the timer to 4 minutes with the vent in the sealed position.
3. After the timer goes off, release the pressure. Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Using an immersion blender (like this one (affiliate link!)) purée the soup, leaving a few chunks according to you preference. Stir in the half and half, and add cayenne to taste.
4. Serve soup hot in bowls, topped with a fresh fresh corn kernels, a dash of paprika, minced parsley, and optionally, shredded cheddar.