Zucchini and Thyme

It's summertime!  The heat is on in LA and all the flowers are bloomin'...

I love the summer for the weather but especially for the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables available from our local farms.

One of the healthiest ways and cheapest ways to cooks is to eat seasonally, and with local grown products. 

This time of year our farmer's markets are overflowing with a great selection of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.   

I frequent the farmer's market and love to make dishes using all the fresh ingredients...they really do taste better than those in the supermarket...riper, crisper..and overall just plain better!

Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies and this dish is a quick side dish that is big on flavor!
So enjoy the beginning of summer and celebrate summer solstice tomorrow by cooking up some wonderful dishes using summer's bounty!

See, even my baby dog, Brandy loves summer!  She's a natural model, and loved to pose for the camera!

This dish is super easy, just dice your onion and cut your zucchini in planks.  Then toss in a medium pan to cook adding some aromatics, such as thyme and beef bouillon.  Enjoy!!!

Zucchini and Thyme

Serves 4

Ingredients: Print Options

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2 Tbsp olive oil

1 T unsalted butter
1/4 c diced onion
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 lb fresh zucchini, cut into 3-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 tsp better than bouillon, beef flavored
1 tsp dried thyme
Sea Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add your diced onion and parsley.  Cook until soft, but not browned.

Add the zucchini sticks, beef bouillon, thyme and a pinch of salt & pepper. Stir to coat. Cover and cook until tender, from 12 – 15  minutes.  Serves 4.

Sue's Famous Loaded Baked Potato Salad

My sister, Sue, is an excellent cook.  You know, one of those people that just pick up ingredients, throw them together, and make it up as they go along...and voila! 

A MASTERPIECE!!!

Don't you just hate when that happens???

Well, Sue's got it like that...I mean she can whip up just about anything...give her an idea, or a concept and she runs with it and creates a dish that delicious and memorable.

Such is true with her famous Loaded Baked Potato Salad.

She got the idea from a dish she ate in Kentucky and decided to create one of her own and came up with this masterpiece....trust me it is....a masterpiece!  It's a potato salad...no a loaded baked potato...no a loaded baked potato turned into a potato salad...yeah that's it!

I didn't want to put this dish down..it's the bomb...really...I was dreaming about it all night....still am!

So to pay tribute to my sister and to add another great dish to serve on Father's Day we are sharing this recipe with you.  Here's my sister Sue, my niece (Denise) and my Mom (Imy) chilling before our feast!

Now check out this AWESOME, creamy, tasty dish...make it today, you'll love it!

Oh my, look at this....I'm excited!

Here's the recipe....make it, make it, make it!!!!

Sue’s Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3lbs. red potatoes
1 ½ cartons of sour cream (low fat)
6 strips of turkey bacon (or regular)
5-6 green onions chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese
¼ cup low fat mayo
1 tsp olive oil
Sea salt & pepper

Directions:

For a crisper skin on the potatoes, brush with olive oil and then bake until slightly soft (but able to slice) when you fork.  Or you can just boil them but the skin is harder to keep on the potatoes.  Let potatoes cool then cut them into small bite sized pieces.  In a large bowl gently fold in all the ingredients, saving one bacon strip and ¼ cup of the cheese to garnish on top.  Refrigerate with a lid or saran wrap till chilled.  Enjoy!

Glow Worm Fabulous!!

Linked to:  Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday
Linked to:  Your Recipe My Kitchen

Azeka Style Ribs

Let's continue with our wonderful Father's Day Grilling recipes!

One of the most popular items to grill has to be ribs!!! 

So when my family decided to have a Memorial Day BBQ my sister Sue, decided to make ribs...but not just any ribs, she wants Azeka Style Ribs.

What are Azeka Style Ribs you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  They are a famous, famous rib from Kiehi, Maui Hawaii, made famous by Azeka's Rib & Snack Shop.

They are an Asian style beef rib that is just fabulous!

So being that my sister and her husband used to live on Maui, they were missing Azeka's ribs and set out to make a version of them...they have many wonderful memories of these special ribs.  Unfortunately, the recipe is actually a secret so there are several versions of what is an Azeka style rib.

So here's one version.  The ribs are fabulous, and I hope you try them!

Here they are along side some awesome Teriyaki Chicken.  See how delicious they look??

Azeka Style Ribs

32 Korean Cut Beef Short Ribs (Flanken Cut) (about 5 lbs.)
3 Cups Soy Sauce
2 Cups Water
4 Cups Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Red Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
6 oz Fresh Ginger Root
8 Cloves Fresh Garlic


Place all ingredients, with the exception of the ribs, into your food processor and process until the garlic and ginger are both minced to small pieces

Place ribs in a large bag and pour the marinade over them covering completely.  Marinate for three days.

Discard marinade and grill on a medium hot grill for about four to five minutes per side.