pitty pat | she cooks...he cleans

Tag Archives: pitty pat

Summer Squash Hummus (Bean-less, Gluten-free)

Posted on July 3, 2012 by She cooks...He cleans | 2 Comments

I find myself with a surplus of white, patty pan squash. I have roasted it, baked it in a casserole, and eaten it sliced and sauteed in butter. It’s all good – but I know there are gardeners (and cooks) out there that are looking for more things to do with their bounty of summer squash.

I have seen recipes for raw zucchini hummus, so it only seemed logical that other varieties of summer squash might work just as well. What do you know – the patty pan squash worked just great. This recipe is especially good for people that like hummus but don’t tolerate bean dips well – and of course it is handy for people following a low-carb diet or paleo / primal diet. Just look at the carbs in a half cup of chickpeas (22.5) vs a half cup of summer squash (2.5).

Serve this with raw vegetables, gluten-free crackers, or even use it as a salad dressing. You will need a food processor or a powerful blender to get a smooth texture. For this recipe, I used a good-sized patty pan squash that I somewhat peeled (it is hard to peel around all the curves on this space-ship shaped squash). Don’t worry if you leave some peel on! Also, since this squash was biggish, I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds and pulp, using only firm, white flesh for the hummus.

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled, de-seeded and chopped summer squash (I used patty pan, but other varieties of summer squash can be used.)
1/3 cup lemon or lime juice
3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons almond flour (optional, for added texture)
a few shakes of smoked paprika
a few shakes of cayenne pepper

Add all the ingredients to the food processor except for the tahini. Blend well, until smooth. Add tahini and blend for several minutes until the hummus is very smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. Adjust seasoning, to taste. I think that allowing it to mellow in the refrigerator for a while improves the texture and taste. Serve drizzled with more olive oil or sprinkled with a little paprika.

Two from the incredible Albert King today, focusing on his great work in Memphis! First up, a new reissue of his classic ’70s album I’ll Play the Blues for You. Backed up by The Bar-Kays and the Memphis Horns, this is soulful blues that only Albert could play.

Born Under a Bad Sign has King recording with Booker T and the MGs, and the title track and “Crosscut Saw” became staples of Albert’s live set for years. A classic!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Appetizers, Side dishes, Vegetarian

Tagged appetizer, beanless, dip, easy, garlic, gluten free, grain free, hummus, lemon, olive oil, paleo, patty pan, pitty pat, primal, raw, recipe, side dish, side dishes, spread, squash, summer squash, tahini, too much squash, vegan, vegetarian, zucchini

Paprika-Cumin Marinated Sirloin Steak and Medley of Roasted Squash

Posted on June 19, 2011 by She cooks...He cleans | 5 Comments

Adapted from How to Cook Meat

Last week we splurged and ordered 40 pounds of grass-fed, grass-finished Angus beef for the freezer. If you recall, I had to do a major freezer clean-out to accommodate the giant beef back ribs I had previously ordered. I don’t know how, but we managed to squeeze almost all of the “new” beef in the freezer. Needless to say, we’ll be having a little extra red meat this week to eat up what didn’t fit!

Another fortuitous find was How to Cook Meat, which my sweet husband picked up at the local used book store (shout out to Book Nook). This tome of meat features a comprehensive discussion of all the different cuts from beef, pork, lamb, and veal…and includes the best cooking methods for each cut and many recipes. Looking for something different to do with sirloin steaks, I decided to try “Grilled Sirloin Steak High Plains Drifter-Style.” This recipe appears to be a homage to cowboys of the Old West – although I doubt they traveled with fresh oregano, cumin, and paprika.

Unfortunately, after the grill was started a big thunderstorm blew up with heavy rains and wind. James bravely manned the grill station holding down the umbrella, with lightening all around and flames shooting out the top of the big green egg. [No one was harmed during the production of this blog post.]

After calming the fire enough to keep the umbrella from igniting, we opened the airflow back up to cook at 600F. The steaks were really flavorful, especially for such a lean cut of meat. I’m sure cowboys would have enjoyed them!

Ingredients (modified from original recipe):

2 10-oz sirloin steaks
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary, leaves chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika (I used a mixture of sweet paprika and smoked sweet paprika)
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin seeds
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, except the steak, to form a thick paste. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish. Season with salt and pepper, then coat with the paste on both sides. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 2-6 hours, turning occasionally. Remove from refrigerator around an hour before grilling, to allow to come to room temperature.

Set up a grill for direct cooking at high temperature. When coals are ready, grill the steaks to medium/medium-rare (or desired level of doneness) – 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Allow the steaks to rest for a few minutes (with a pat of butter if you wish), then serve them up!

Pitty-Pat (or Patty-Pan) squash were at the farmer’s market, so we sliced one into wedges and roasted it with chunks of zucchini and onions in the oven. Just add salt, pepper and a light coating of olive oil – roast at 400F until tender and browned. They would have been good on the grill too, but no one was anxious to get any wetter standing out there in the rain!

That was a meal worth standing in a rainstorm for! And when I came in, dried off, and had some wine, I cued up J.J. Cale’s Troubador, and it felt so good. You’re familiar with Cale, even if you don’t know the name. He wrote “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” (included here), both big hits for Eric Clapton, but it’s Cale’s versions I prefer. This guy ain’t no sprinter, he ambles to the finish line in a warm, relaxed fashion, very bluesy and soulful. If you can make it to the end of the opening song “Hey Baby” without a smile on your face somethings wrong!