July » 2012 » Living Lou

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini is everywhere right now, but after looking at hundreds of recipes online on other blogs, I realized that I’m really lacking in zucchini recipes on here. Gasp! But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’ve got a couple of zucchini recipes up my sleeve for those of you with bountiful zucchini growing in your garden or for those of you like me, who just really like zucchini. Zucchini Fritters are a pretty typical way to enjoy zucchini, I wanted to make mine a little different and I added fresh basil which compliments the zucchini wonderfully.

There aren’t many foods, other than the holy trifecta of bacon, eggs and toast, and we can’t forget pizza that you can eat for dinner and breakfast, but you can add these Zucchini Fritters to that list. I feel like these would even make a good packed lunch because they taste amazing when they’re cold. I like to eat mine with a little ketchup mixed with sriracha – it’s so good.

Zucchini Fritters (makes 6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 small onion, shredded
2 zucchini, shredded
1 tbsp minced fresh chives
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 egg
2 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 + 1/4 tsp salt
Oil for frying

Directions

In a colander lined with paper towels, place zucchini with 1 tsp of salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, using more paper towel if necessary, squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible.

Combine zucchini with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Cover the pan with oil, heat over medium-high heat. Using an ice cream scoop, drop one scoop per fritter into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. If you find that the fritters are cooking too quickly, turn the heat down to medium and continue frying.

If you’re looking for more ways to use up your zucchini, try my Stuffed Mushrooms.

- Lou

Vanilla Chipotle Almond Ice Cream

So here I am, writing about this delicious Vanilla Chipotle Almond Ice Cream at 5 in the morning. Hello breakfast – more like – Hello jet lag!

I’m back from a wonderful time spent in Greece with friends and family. I got one post off from the other side of the Atlantic, but I spent most of my time relaxing by the beach instead of blogging. Which is exactly what I needed. This ice cream is something I made before heading over to Greece, as you can see it features my favourite and absolutely addicting Chipotle Roasted Almonds. The combination of sweet, salty and slightly spicy mixed with the creamy and comforting vanilla ice cream is a match made in heaven. This is undoubtedly one of my favourite recipes I’ve ever shared on Living Lou because it is so good.

This is the type of cold treat that would’ve been perfect to have over in Greece, unfortunately no ice cream maker meant that I had to wait until I got home to make and enjoy this ice cream again!

Here are a few photos from my trip to give you a little glimpse!

My Grandparents house in Greece.

My gorgeous sister (left) and I.

My Nona taking in the view.

One of my favourite beaches.

Vanilla Chipotle Almond Ice Cream (makes 1 quart)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients
3 egg yolks
2 cups whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, split in half, seeds and pod
1/2 cup granulate sugar
1 cup 2% milk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Chipotle Roasted Almonds, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and set aside.

Next, in a pot over high heat, bring cream, vanilla seeds, vanilla pod and sugar to a boil.

Remove a 1/4 cup of the cream mixture and whisk into the egg yolks to temper the yolks. Add the yolks to the remaining cream mixture. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod.

Next add the milk and vanilla extract to the cream. Refrigerate for an hour.

Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions. When there are five minutes remaining in the churning process, add the chopped roasted almonds.

This Vanilla Chipotle Almond Ice Cream will take your summer desserts to the next level. Enjoy!

- Lou

Roasted Eggplant Dip

When I received my July assignment for The Secret Recipe Club I was a little bit nervous. You see, I was assigned the lovely blog Smells Like Brownies which would normally be the perfect fit because I love brownies, but…

I’m in Greece! And baking on a small island in Greece is completely different from baking in Toronto. The flours are different and the sugar is different. What if I didn’t have the right tools? What kind of impact would the change in altitude have? Luckily, Melissa from Smells Like Brownies has such a variety of recipes on her blog that I found the perfect recipe, a popular Greek dip, Melitzanosalata, also known as Roasted Eggplant Dip. The best part – eggplants straight from the garden.

My grandparents grow a ton of vegetables. Talk about a food bloggers dream, literally having a farmer’s market in your own backyard. Typically a Melitzanosalata uses just parsley instead of rosemary, but I loved the addition of rosemary – plus we have about three massive bushes of rosemary growing in the garden. If you’re looking for another one of my favourite eggplant recipes, checkout my Eggplant Salad – it’s too good.

Roasted Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata) (serves 2-4)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 onion
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Poke the eggplant all over with a fork and roast for 40 minutes or until tender.

Once eggplant is done, slice in half and scoop out the inside.

In a food processor, combine the eggplant, garlic, onion, rosemary, parsley and olive oil. Pulse until desired consistency.

Serve with crackers or pita, I served mine with melba toast and it was delicious.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Lou

Chipotle Roasted Almonds

I’ve seen roasted nuts – almonds, peanuts and walnuts everywhere, but I never had the urge to try them until recently. The real reason I made these Chipotle Roasted Almonds is for a new recipe coming your way next week. Here’s a hint: it has to do with ice cream and it is to die for. Back to the roasted nuts, what’s so special about them? Here’s what’s special – they are so good and so addicting. The perfect blend of sweet and salty with a slight smoky and spicy aftertaste that makes your taste buds sing. I can see many variations of roasted nuts becoming a staple snack in my house. I always thought that I loved almonds but this takes our relationship to a whole new level. What’s your relationship like with almonds? I can almost guarantee that after trying these, you might fall in love all over again.

These make a great protein packed snack or a fabulous appetizer to have at your next gathering.

Chipotle Spice Roasted Almonds (makes 2 cups)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

2 cups raw almonds
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp water
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt and chipotle chili powder, set aside.

In a medium pot bring honey and water to a boil.

Add almonds and stir to coat in honey/water mixture. Continue boiling and stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

In one layer, pour almonds onto the prepared baking sheet.

Roast for 30 minutes – stirring almonds every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Once fully roasted, pour almonds into a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Tossing to coat.

Allow nuts to cool, tossing every little while to ensure that they do not stick together. Store in an airtight container.

I hope you enjoy these Chipotle Roasted Almonds as much as I do.

- Lou