~ Recipe of the Week ~

~ * Lemon Pepper Zucchini Pasta * ~

I harvested my first, descent-sized zucchini from my vegetable garden the other day and decided to cook it up for supper. I learned how to make this quick and easy meal from a dear lady whom I rented from and enjoyed getting to know ~ Eleanor Lowe!! So it is to her I give all props to for this yummy meal!!

Preparation and Cook Time: 20 - 30 minutes

Ingredients
(Since this was a hands-on recipe, I don't have exact measurements for ingredients, so the best advice I can give is to add the seasonings in amounts that you will enjoy!!)

1 zucchini
1 box of spaghetti (or type of noodles that you prefer)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 to 2 diced cloves of garlic
1 to 3 scallions diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 stick of butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of lemon juice (not necessary unless you want a little extra zing!)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
1.) Boil water in a 2 - quart sauce pan. Add spaghetti noodles and cook until tender.

While noodles are cooking:

2.) Slice zucchini into slices no bigger than 1/4 inch in thickness, then cut each slice in half or in quarters (depending on how big you want your zucchini pieces).
** Leave skin on zucchini pieces for an added bonus of vitamins and nutrients! **

3.) Melt butter in a frying pan and add zucchini pieces and the diced garlic and scallions.

4.) When the vegetables start to become tender, add salt, garlic powder and lemon pepper seasoning.

5.) Drain noodles and return to sauce pan.

6.) Add zuccini mixture to noodles in sauce pan and mix well. (*Here is where you would also add in the lemon juice). Cook on medium to low heat for about 5-10 minutes so that the noodles soak up the flavorings from the seasonings and nutrients from the vegetables.

7.) Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top, and perhaps some fresh garlic bread.

Let me know if you try this recipe, and how you like it! Enjoy!!

~Recipe of the Week ~

~* Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup *~

Today for lunch, I was in the mood for something easy to make, something homemade, and something different. After looking in my cupboards and refrigerator to see what kind of ingredients I had, I found the package of fresh mushrooms I purchased at our local grocery store the other day. Hmmm... how about some mushroom soup?  Since had never made mushroom soup before, I decided to pull out what I consider to be my cooking bible -- "Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook" (Copyright 1950. General Mills, Inc.). After flipping through the "Soup" section of the cookbook, I came across this recipe and was DELIGHTED to find that it was something quick, easy, homemade, AND I had all of the ingredients already in my kitchen! Yay! And now I share this recipe with you!

-- Side note: I made this with a small salad made up of veggies from my garden, and it turned out to be a very satisfying, light lunch! Let me know if you give this recipe a try!!

Preparation and cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. (a pinch) of pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sauteed finely chopped  mushrooms
1 tsp grated onion
~ paprika and onion salt added to taste

Cooking Instructions:
~ Sautee chopped mushrooms in a little butter.
1.) Melt butter over low heat in heavy saucepan.
2.) Blend in flour, salt and pepper.
3.) Remove from heat and stir in milk and chicken broth.
4.) Bring to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add sateed mushrooms and grated onion.

5.) Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
6.) Serve hot with a pinch of paprika and onion salt for garnish, along with perhaps a bit of parsley for added color.

Cooking tip:  When making homemade recipes, it's fun to use items you might already have available at home. I enjoy using fresh ingredients from home when available, instead of store-bought or processed items. For example, instead of using a can of chicken broth for this recipe, think about using chicken broth saved from the last time you made homemade chicken soup (an item that is easy to store and can be frozen for future use). Also, onions are an easy vegetable that can be grown in a home garden or even planted in a flower pot if you don't have the space. You can also try growing your own mushrooms, or when in season, locate a local farmers' market or local roadside stand. I always find it exciting to use ingredients I've grown or made myself -- it really adds to the "Homemade" aspect of the recipe!

Enjoy your soup, and don't forget to leave a comment if you try it out for yourself!

~*~*~*~*~

*Please note: I was not asked or endorsed in any way by General Mills, Inc. for mentioning this Betty Crocker cookbook or the recipe written above. The cookbook was given to me as a gift from my mother, and I use it for my own culinary enjoyment.