Sunday, August 22, 2010

Tonight's Dinner - Grilled Iacono Chicken, Tex Mex Squash Casserole, and Just Picked Grilled Pole Beans

More than halfway through the summer and the zucchinis and summer squash are still coming!

We have made breads, muffins, fritters, grilled them, sauteed them, fried them, and grated them for a slaw. What's next? In search of the next squash recipe, I came across an amazing dish from the Homesick Texan - Tex Mex Squash Casserole.

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Tex-Mex squash casserole (adapted from the Homesick Texan)

2 yellow squash and 2 zucchini, grated
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 tablespoons of butter
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained or two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup of diced green chiles, such as a jalapeno
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 cups total of grated pepper jack and cheddar
half a cup of bread crumbs
Sliced tomatoes to place on the top
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. When melted, add the squash, onion and jalapeno, and sauté until onions are translucent and the squash is soft, about ten minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and cook for a minute. Then stir in the flour and cook until a light-brown past forms, about a minute.

Now add the broth and tomatoes and stir until the mixture thickens, which should happen in a couple of minutes. Add the half and half, sour cream and cilantro and turn off the heat.

Added the creamy squash mixture to a greased casserole dish and then cover the whole dish with the grated cheese, sliced tomatoes and bread crumbs.

Cook uncovered for thirty minutes, or until top is brown and bubbling.

Serves 6-8.

Grilled Chicken
I remember reading this recipe in Bon Appetit several years ago. Its so easy to make and is packed with flavor. What I love about this recipe is that you can season the chicken with salt and pepper, toss it on the grill (or on the oven), and make the sauce quickly in a food processor while the chicken cooking.

Sauce

Juice of 4 limes
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
splash of fish sauce
Handful of Basil
Handful of Cilantro
Half a Jalapeno
1 Garlic clove
1/8 cup of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of local (if available to you) honey

Put everything above in the food processor and blend while the chicken is cooking on the grill and then transfer to a large bowl. When chicken is ready bring the bowl outside to the grill. Add the chicken directly from the grill to the bowl and toss each piece in the sauce. The flavor of the sauce is really transfered into the chicken upon contact. Cover bowl with foil until you are ready to serve. If desired, you can serve each person a small dish with the sauce from the bottom of the large bowl for dipping.

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