Monday, August 17th – Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Monday:
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Salads

Tuesday:
Vegan Sloppy Joes on Sesame Buns
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday:
Italian Meat Loaf with Fresh Basil & Provolone
Brown Rice
Peas & Carrots
Rolls

Thursday:
Date Night

Friday:
Dinner with Mom & Dad

Saturday:
Sirloin Tip Steak with Onions & Mushrooms
Steamed Broccoli
Oven Potato Wedges
Baguette

Sunday:
(From freezer) Barley-Mushroom Soup
Ciabatta Rolls
Cantaloupe

This week for WFMW, we’re supposed to link up to/tell about our favorite summertime recipes. I can’t wait to look at all of the recipes for summery fare.

Here are ours!

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Insalata Caprese

Giada’s Pasta Primavera


Chicken Bruschetta


Cherry Freezer Cream

Check out the other seasonal recipe links at We Are THAT Family — and happy summer cooking!

Though our zucchini plants are “being nice” and giving me a spaced-out harvest, we still have 4-5 zucchini piled up in the fridge at any one time. The best way to use it up? Make zucchini bread! The kids love it and think they’re eating “cake.” And it freezes so well — it can be enjoyed  throughout the fall season.

Here’s our favorite recipe for zucchini bread:

Cooking Light’s Zucchini Bread
(from the July 2005 issue)

Ingredients:
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup egg substitute
* 1/3 cup canola oil
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
* Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.

Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

(Go directly to the recipe to print.)

This morning I had eight zucchini from our garden piled up in the refrigerator.

Now I only have four.

Why?

Because for lunch I made these:

Baked zucchini sticks: Quite possibly our favorite was to eat zucchini. The process/recipe is simple.

Okay. I’ll share it with you.

Since you asked.

Start out with three or four medium-to-large zucchini:

Cut them into thick wedges. (Easiest way is to cut off the ends, cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then in half the other way, then cut each of those sections into 3/4″ thick wedges/sticks.) Sprinkle with salt and toss.

Combine three eggs in a small, shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine 1 c. Italian bread crumbs, 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, pinch of salt and pepper, and pinch of garlic powder.

Dip each stick into the eggs, then roll in crumb mixture. Place on a greased foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Flip over; broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes or till crunchy. (Watch carefully.)

Serve hot with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping!

We’re the typical American sandwich-loving family.

For lunch, yes. Of course. But when the weather’s warm? For dinner, too. A filling-laden sandwich is just a whole lot more appealing when you consider that a meal of “just sandwiches” means the kitchen doesn’t have to get heated up during the warmest point in the day.

My love affair with sandwiches was kicked up a notch when I was pregnant with G. Once the queasiness part of pregnancy passed, I became health nut without borders. I focused on vegetables — many of them 100% natural and raw — when making my daily lunch, oftentimes eaten on our patio.

Trial and error, trial and error….but then my favorite “signature” sandwich was invented. Sprouted grain Ezekiel bread, lightly toasted and slathered with olive oil mayo…then piled high with paper-thin slices of cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, red peppers, red onions, and bunches of alfalfa sprouts.

I called it….“The West Coast Stack.”

(Don’t ask me why. I was younger and naive and thought it necessary to name everything I came up with “on my own” in my little kitchen.)

I don’t have the time, money, or energy to create elaborate, organic, complicated lunches like this anymore — at least not every day. But I do still enjoy the art of sandwiching. And I’m happy to say the entire family shares my sentiments!

A few of our all-time favorites:

Ham and Brie. Good on anything, but best on croissants. And even better with thin slices of Granny Smiths tossed in.

Plain old tomato sandwiches with mayo and a tad of basil.

BLTs.

PB&J. Or even better, grilled PB&J. (Use a waffle iron or panini grill — or just a buttered cast iron skillet.)

Fluffernutters. Plain as Jane — peanut butter with Marshmallow Fluff. A childhood favorite that I still enjoy today — though because it’s so sweet, it’s better suited as a dessert!

What’s your favorite kind of sandwich?