Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and it is time to think of healthy cooking recipes featuring vegetables fresh from the garden! This article gives two of my favorite squash recipes: A Baked Flounder, Potato, Onion, and Squash Recipe and a Mushroom and Cheese Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe.
Baked Flounder, Potato, Onion and Squash Recipe
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound flounder fillets
2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium squash, sliced
4 Irish potatoes, sliced thin
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup of chopped scallions, garlic, chives, and parsley
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Place foil in the bottom of a baking dish, or coat the bottom of the baking dish with oil. Layer onion, zucchini, squash, and potato slices on the bottom. Layer flounder filets on top. Add another layer of vegetable slices. Layer the remaining onion slices last.
Sprinkle your chopped scallions, garlic, parsley and chives on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Evenly space five dabs of butter (about 5 teaspoons) on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until fish and potatoes are tender.
This dish is worth cooking for the aroma alone. Mmmm!
Mushroom and Cheese Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe
1 teaspoon butter
2 butternut squash
1 can of mushrooms (or use fresh)
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped chives and scallions
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup cottage cheese
½ teaspoon basil
¼ cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of Zatarain’s® Rice, cooked
Split the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Spread butter over the bottom of your baking dish (or use oil). Turn squash halves face-down in the baking dish or tray and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
For the filling: Sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic, chives and scallions with salt and pepper until soft. Drain well and reserve the liquid. Add in ¼ cup chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon basil, 1 cup Zatarain’s® rice, and 1 cup cottage cheese.
Fill each squash and bake uncovered for 25 more minutes at 350 degrees. Baste the squash with the reserve liquid as it bakes.
This squash recipe serves four. Note that Zatarain’s® rice is spicy. If you don't want your dish spicy, substitute any brown rice.
Sally Morton is an internationally published freelance writer and author. Visit her blog and read more articles online at http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com.
