I was reading through Julia Child’s French cookbook and ran across a recipe for boeuf bourguignon. Most things sound really fancy in French, but that’s beef stewed in red wine. It usually stews for hours, but I didn’t have that much time.

After marinating the meat ahead of time, my method takes about an hour, the meat was very tender, and it was scrumptious served over buttery egg noodles.

Beef Stewed in Red Wine
1 lb. beef club steaks, cubed
2 c. dry red wine, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
flour for dredging
2 Tbsp. butter
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 c. onions, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 c. frozen, peas
1 c. beef broth
1 heaping Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Allow a few hours to marinate the meat in 1 c. wine, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. When ready to cook, drain the meat and reserve the marinade. Dry the meat on a paper towel and lighlty dredge in flour.

Melt the butter in an iron skillet and sear each side of the mushrooms until golden brown. The trick is to avoid the urge to stir. Flip over each slice after a rich golden brown is achieved. Remove the mushrooms from the pan.

Heat olive oil in the skillet and cook the meat, searing each side until brown. Remove from the pan.

Cook onions with the bay leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper until tender. Add the reserved marinade and the remaining cup of wine to deglaze the skillet. Add the meat and the mushrooms back into the skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes more.

Then add peas. Add corn starch dissolved in beef broth and stir until the sauce thickens. Add Worcestershire sauce and taste. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve over buttered noodles or rice. Garnishing with chopped fresh parsley or thinly sliced green onions is always good.

I love my volunteer job cooking for The Dinner Bell and feeding hungry people. It’s great because we often get donations of food and sometimes that can be a challenge. This time of year we get a lot of spaghetti squash. Besides the obvious, we try to come up with other inventive ways to serve the vegetable. Last week we made a version that is a play on a classic Mexican dish.

Fideo con Pollo is a lovely rustic chicken stew made with a Mexican pasta.

The following recipe assumes the use of spaghetti squash, but double the sauce and broth and use 14 ozs. dried broken vermicelli pasta instead and you’ll have a close version of the original stew.

Spaghetti Squash con Pollo
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 c. chicken broth
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 spaghetti squash, baked and flaked with a fork
3 green onions, both white and green parts, sliced

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until onions begin to soften and slightly brown.

Add dried spices to onion mixture and stir to combine, cooking for a couple minutes. Add chicken pieces and stir to coat thoroughly with spice and onion mixture. Cook for a few minutes.

Pour the broth and tomato sauce (or Rotel tomatoes) into the pan, stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover with a lid, simmering for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.

Add spaghetti squash and garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

If you want to use vermicelli (or angel-hair pasta), add the noodles along with double the sauce and broth. The sauce will thicken as the noodles cook.

Our version with the spaghetti squash was a huge success. Many people came for seconds and one mother said her son, who was about 6 years old, loved it. She said she had never seen him eat and enjoy anything with vegetables. I like volunteering, but moments like that make me really feel good.

I’m watching my fat intake, again. That seems to be a recurring theme for me. It’s tough when you love to cook and love to eat.

I love pasta and Italian sauces too, so I found a Bolognese (pronounced boh-luh-Neez) sauce that substitutes lentils for some of the meat and uses very lean ground beef. It also includes lots of fresh vegetables.

Bolognese Meat Sauce
2 Tbsp. finely chopped pancetta
1 lb. very lean ground beef
29-oz. can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. dry lentils
1/2 c. carrots, chopped
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. beef bouillon
1 c. water, heated
1/2 c. white wine (or broth)
1/3 c. skim milk

In a large sauce pan, cook the pancetta until crisp. A slice of chopped bacon may be substituted. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain.

Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, lentils, carrots, celery, parsley and tomato paste. Add oregano and thyme, and stir to combine.

Dissolve the beef bouillon in the water. Add that to the pan along with wine. Stir all together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Turn off the heat, uncover and stir in skim milk before serving over wheat penne pasta. If you absolutely must have it, top with a little Parmesan cheese.

Right now my garden is primarily producing weeds. I still harvest squash, melons, okra and eggplant despite the weeds. I grow eggplant every year because I think it is one of the prettiest fruits. Yet, it’s strange that something so pretty when raw looks so uninteresting when cooked.

I think many people don’t know what to do with an eggplant. Since it usually takes on the flavors of other ingredients, it is good in casseroles and chunky sauces. Or try one of the recipes below.

Creamy Eggplant Dip
2-4 Eggplants (about three cups of finished product)
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh herbs, chopped, for garnish

Slice the eggplant about one inch thick and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400-degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the eggplant is slightly charred on the edges and is soft to the touch.

While the eggplant roasts, caramelize the chopped onion in the rest of the olive oil until golden brown. Add garlic and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Chop the sliced eggplant into small pieces until it is mushy. The skins are edible, so I include them. Peel the skins off and discard if you prefer. Combine the mashed eggplant, onion and garlic, lemon juice and yogurt. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Top with freshly chopped herbs. I like parsley, basil and/or dill.

Serve the dip with pita chips or sliced vegetables.

Stuffed Eggplant in Tomato Sauce
3-4 eggplants
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups cooked rice
1 large jar pasta sauce
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Thinly slice eggplant lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle very lightly with salt and pepper. Grill quickly for about 2-3 minutes on each side until grill marks are visible. Remove from the grill and let cool.

Spread 1/4 of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Then place two spoonsful of rice on each end of the cooled eggplant slices.

Roll up and place seam side down in the casserole dish. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Keeping dinners quick, light and healthy had me cracking open some old cookbooks. I rediscovered a great seasoning mix that works well with fish, chicken or pork. Using an oven-safe skillet, sear the protein on the stove top, throw in fresh vegetables and finish by cooking in the oven. The one-pot meals make clean up quick and they satisfy my craving for serving a “real” meal.

Mediterranean Seasoning Mix
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.
Use the seasoning mix to make the following Mediterranean-style dinners.

Mediterranean Chicken
4 chicken breast halves (preferably boneless and skinless)
1 Tbsp. Mediterranean Seasoning Mix, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/2 c. white wine (or chicken broth)

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with half the seasoning mix. Heat olive oil to medium-high heat in an oven-safe skillet that is large enough to cook the four chicken pieces without overcrowding. Sear one side of the chicken about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and sear the other side.

Meanwhile, toss onions, cherry tomatoes, olives and remaining seasoning mix together. Add to the skillet along with the wine. Cover and finish cooking in a 350-degree oven until done, about 20-25 minutes.

Serve over fresh spinach greens with a slice of crusty bread.

Mediterranean Salmon
4 salmon fillets (about 4 oz. each)
1 Tbsp. Mediterranean Seasoning Mix, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 fennel bulb, sliced
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. capers
1/2 c. white wine (or chicken broth)

Season both sides of the fillets with half the seasoning mix. Heat olive oil to medium-high heat in an oven-safe skillet that is large enough to cook the four salmon pieces without overcrowding. Sear one side of the fillet about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, toss fennel, cherry tomatoes, capers and remaining seasoning mix together. Turn the fillets and add the vegetables over the fish. Top with the wine. Place skillet uncovered in a 400-degree oven for about 6 minutes or until fillets are done.

The salmon and sauce are wonderful served over angel hair pasta or rice, but that would mean another dirty pot. So…serve over fresh spinach greens with a slice of crusty bread. Now, a squeeze of lemon juice wouldn’t hurt.

Squash, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers are plentiful. There’s nothing better than seasoned grilled vegetables served over rice or rolled up in a tortilla. Sometimes I just coat them in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and spices before grilling.

Depending on my mood, I usually use oregano and thyme, however, a little turmeric and cumin give them an Indian-cuisine flair.

When grilling beef, I like to marinade the tougher cuts. In that case, I use a sauce – either store-bought or making my own.

Teriyaki Beef and Vegetable Kabobs
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 club (or strip) steaks, bone, excess fat and connective tissues removed
1 onion, large cubed
4-5 squash (any variety), large cubed
1 pint, large grape tomatoes
2 bell peppers (green or red), large cubed
small package button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. avocado oil, or vegetable oil

Mix the ingredients soy sauce through garlic together to make the marinade. Reserve about a third of a cup for the vegetables. Cut the club steaks into 1-inch cubes. Place in a sealable bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Massage the contents periodically to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed.

In a separate bag, pour the reserved marinade and oil. Add chopped vegetables and massage to coat all. Marinate for about one hour.

When ready to cook, heat the grill for 10-15 minutes on high while preparing the skewers. I use metal skewers, but if using wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes before use.

I also skewer the meat separate from the vegetables. I prefer the vegetables to still have a little crunch, so I remove them once they have grill marks. I think that’s especially important with the squash and tomatoes since they can get really mushy when cooked too long.

For the meat, cook each kabob for about 10-15 minutes, making a quarter turn every 3-4 minutes. If the meat sticks to the grill when turning, wait. Generally the meat will release when it’s time to turn.

A sauce can be made with the leftover marinade. It is really important to bring it to a boil and then simmer for around 10 minutes to ensure all the meat juices have cooked.

Let the beef kabobs rest for 10 minutes. Then serve vegetables and beef over rice, drizzling with a little of the cooked marinade sauce.

The marinade can also be used with fruit. Just toss pitted peach halves, pineapple chunks, mango and even cantaloupe with marinade and then skewer.

Watch them closely and cook just until the grill marks show. The salty sweetness of the grilled fruits is amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If I can keep the grape berry moth at bay, I will have a terrific grape harvest this year. For the past few weeks, I’ve worked to manage the canopy. In a vineyard, the canopy refers to the leafy vines that grow up the trellis shading the grapes. They often get out of control causing loss of air flow and increase the risk of black rot. It also can create a nice safe haven for bird nests and other pests. Don’t get me wrong. I love birds, just not in the vineyard.

After working outside in the heat all day, I usually want a light salad or something cool for dinner. One evening I made a vegetable dish with tomatillos from the garden and corn that I received from a friend.

Tomatillo and Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing

Avocado Dressing:
1 avocado
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp. avocado oil
1 clove garlic
6-8 slices of pickled jalapeño peppers
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 c. water

Blend all until smooth.

The salad consists of whatever fresh vegetables you prefer. I used the following.
4 tomatillos, chopped
4 ears of corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut from the cob
3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
feta cheese for garnish

Just prepare the vegetables, drizzle with the avocado dressing and lightly sprinkle feta cheese on top. I recommend the feta is used sparingly since it can be rather salty.
The next morning I used the leftover salad for breakfast tacos for two.

Breakfast Tacos for Two
4 corn tortillas
1 tsp. avocado oil
2 eggs
jalapeño dressing
leftover vegetable salad
feta cheese crumbles
tomatillo salsa

Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the corn tortillas, turning each to lightly brown both sides. Remove them from the pan and onto two plates. Then scramble the eggs – a nonstick skillet works best. Divide the cooked eggs evenly between the four tortillas. Smear a little jalapeno dressing on each tortilla. Sprinkle leftover salad on each, along with a little feta cheese. Then top with tomatillo salsa. It was a super tasty, yet low-calorie breakfast.

Tomatillo Salsa
8-10 tomatillos, halved or quartered
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 jalapeño peppers, halved
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 lime, juiced
1 bunch cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

Spread the vegetables on a sheet pan. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin. Roast in a 375-degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, process with lime juice and cilantro until chunky. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed. The salsa keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

I like Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. One key ingredient is Tahini. It’s really hard to find out here in East Texas. Luckily, it is easy to make and probably tastes better than store-bought.

Tahini
1 c. Sesame Seeds
3 Tbsp. avocado oil
1 pinch of salt

In a dry pan, toast sesame seeds until fragrant and lightly browned. Once cooled, grind in a food processor until powdery. Then run processor while slowly adding avocado oil and a pinch of salt. Pour into a container and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for at least a month. These are some of my favorite recipes that include tahini paste.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
1/3 c. tahini
1 lemon, juiced
1 roasted red pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Purée all ingredients together in a food processor. Serve at room temperature with sliced squash and cucumbers or celery and carrot sticks.

Tahini Ginger Chicken Salad

Tahini Ginger Sauce:
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1-1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sriracha sauce
3 Tbsp. avocado oil
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tahini paste
3/4 c. chicken broth

Mix soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and srirachi sauce together and set aside. Skip the srirachi sauce if you don’t like heat.
Sauté ginger and garlic in avocado oil until softened. Whisk in tahini paste and chicken broth. Cook on medium-low heat about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Salad:
8 c. shredded cabbage
1-1/2 c. carrots, grated
3/4 c. radishes, sliced
1/2 c. green onions, sliced
3-4 c. chicken, shredded
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Mix together vegetables for the salad in a large bowl. Top with chicken and drizzle Tahini Ginger Sauce and toss to coat. In a dry skillet, toast sesame seeds 1-2 minutes and sprinkle over the top of the salad.

For just David and me, I made all of the Tahini Ginger Sauce, reserving half. Then I halved the salad recipe for our dinner. I used the leftover Tahini Ginger Sauce in a rice-bowl dinner.

The rice bowl is a great way to use leftovers. I heated leftover white and brown rice and layered a cup each into two bowls. Then I sautéed vegetables from the refrigerator that needed to be eaten soon. I used asparagus, yellow squash, green peas, grated carrots and onions. Layer those over the rice. Dress with some of the leftover Tahini Ginger Sauce.

I had about 10 frozen shrimp tails leftover from a prior dinner. I thawed them and cooked them in butter and garlic salt until the tails just started to turn pink. Place those on top of the rice and vegetables. That was a quick, light and flavorful dinner for two.