Squash Mash and other goodies

Here comes Summer with my favorite vegetable: squash or zucchini.
I could eat tasty cooked squash at breakfast, lunch and dinner and won't get bored. Plus, it's the least expensive on the peasant market, you can store it in the fridge for a week, it has so few calories you don't bother to think about and you can cook it very quickly.
Squash is your diet's best friend.

There are thousands of recipes on the web, but I prefer the traditional ones of my family.

The variety of squash I use is light green and is known maybe as Middle Eastern squash. But you can use as well zucchinis. During summer and autumn, we peel larger squashes but in Spring just wash them thoroughly and slice off the stem.

Don't be surprised if you recognize some of the recipes. Romanian Cuisine has borrowed a lot from Middle East, Greek and French ones. We always adapt recipes to our local ingredients and tastes and the result is yumi.

I also tend to simplify any recipe that comes my way to make it healthier and easier to cook, while improving the taste.
Creative cooking, yeah...
I don't add bread crumbs, I don't add starch to thicken the sauce, no MSG, no "Vegeta" (a popular taste "improver" in Romania), I usually cut the salt to a pinch. I prefer to boil, stew and stir-fry instead of  baking.

Squash Mash

Squash Mash with a bit of fresh cheese or yogurt makes an excellent snack or side dish for a South Beach menu, Phase I and Phase II. 
It takes some time to make it but you can store it in the fridge for a week and serve it cold, whenever you want a snack, a salad or a side dish.

Ingredients for a lot of portions
4 medium size squashes or zucchinis
2 spoons of vegetable oil
1tsp salt

Directions
Cut the squash in 1-inch chunks, put them in a deep pan, add the salt and the oil.
Don't add water (you'll spoil the taste). Cover and stew them over very low heat.
After water gets out of the squash, remove the lid.
Boil it until quite tender over moderate heat, stirring from time to time.
Start mashing it (you can do that with a wooden spoon or a potato masher).
Boil it for 15 minutes more or until the water evaporates. Mash from time to time.

Don't bother if the squash mash sticks a bit to the pan, it'll taste better. Cut the heat and finish mashing.
Let the mash cool down.

At serving time, add a bit of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and some very finely chopped scallion or onion or garlic and/ or your favorite herbs.
I like squash mash on toast or with fresh cheese or yogurt.




Stuffed Zucchinis

Stuffed Zuchinis are an excellent option for a South Beach Lunch or Dinner, Phase I (without rice) and Phase II. Also, if you replace meat with mushrooms and other veggies, you get a delicious recipe for a non-meat day.
A little work, but it tastes so good!

Ingredients for 8 portions

8 shorter, rounder zucchinis or squashes (or 4 thick long zucchini or squashes cut in half)
1 pound ground meat. Any meat will do, best results with a mixture of pork and beef.
2 spoons of rice. If you're on the South Beach Diet, Phase I, you may want to replace rice with an egg.
1 small carrot finely grated
2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
1 cup of thick tomato juice or two spoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon table salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
2 spoons of your favorite herbs. I like parsley or dill.
4 spoons vegetable oil
1 spoon paprika powder or a bell pepper finely chopped
2  tomatoes

Directions

- Prepare squash for stuffing. Wash and slice off the stem and about one inch more from the top. Use a spoon or a vegetable corer to scoop out the pulp of
each squash, leaving a wall of 1/4 - 1/2 inch all around.
Don't throw the pulp or any zucchini left, you can use it for an excellent zucchini mash or you can add it to a veggie soup.


- Wash very well the rice.
- Stew the onions, carrot (and bell pepper, if used instead of paprika powder) in oil, no more than 2 minutes. Let it cool.
- Mix thoroughly the grounded meat with the onions, carrot, the oil in which you stewed the onions, bell pepper or paprika, salt, pepper, the chopped herbs and the tomato juice.
- Slice the tomatoes in rounds
-Stuff the squash all the way to the end and arrange in a large round pot in one layer (the squashes may stand or lean into each other). Put a tomato slice as a lid, on top of each zucchini.
- Boil water in a separate pot and gently pour over the squash, while still hot. The liquid should reach almost the top of the squashes.
- Bring the squashes pot to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.
Let it rest for half an hour, covered.

Serve each zucchini on a plate with 1-2 spoons of the sauce and, optionally,  1-2 spoons of yogurt on top. Decorate with some green herb.

Tips
- If you're left with some meat mixture, stuff some tomatoes (scoop out the pulp) or some bell peppers (from which you've removed the seeds) and add them to the pot. Put a slice of tomato as a "lid" on top of the tomato or bell pepper.
Actually, during summer, I replace sometimes half of the squash with tomatoes and green bell peppers or "paprika" peppers. I add the pulp of the tomatoes to the meat mixture and use less tomato juice or paste.
- Another option.  If you're left with some meat mixture: add an egg, mix well, form balls, boil them on low heat and add them to any soup.

This dish can be easily made into a veggie recipe
Instead of meat,  use rice, the pulp of the squash and a handful of mushrooms. Boil half a cup of rice in 3 cups of water till the grain doubles in size, cover and set aside to cool.
Stir-fry the mushrooms and the pulp of the squash to remove water.
You might want to add some more vegetables to the mixture. Use your imagination and what you can find in the fridge.
Mix rice and fried vegetables, fill squashes a.s.o.
If you're left with some of the rice mixture, add a bit of tomato paste and stew for 10 minutes in low heat. There, you have also a tasty veggie pilaf for the next day menu.


Fried Zucchini Rounds

Ingredients for 2 portions

Oil for frying
Garlic or garlic sprouts
2 small zucchinis or squashes
salt

Directions

Wash zucchinis.
Place the zucchini into a colander in the sink, and lightly sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat.
Let sit for 20 minutes, then pat very dry with paper towels.

Fry until golden brown, on medium heat, for about 2 minutes.
Flip it over to brown on other side.
Drain well, transfer to a bowl. Add a spoon of vinegar and finely chopped garlic or garlic sprouts and toss gently.
Cover and let it cool for 15 minutes.

Serve as a salad or a snack or use it to make Chicken and Zucchini with Tomato Sauce (see below)






Squash Summer Soup


In a hot summer day, it's the perfect dish to start a  lunch, very refreshing and excellent for thirsty people. You can eat it several days this soup without getting bored.
Best for your South Beach Lunch or Dinner in Summertime, Phase II. For South Beach Diet, Phase I, skip the rice part.


Ingredients for a pot of soup

1 medium size carrot
1 medium size onion or 6-8 scallions (a bundle), bulbs and green leaves
1 green bell pepper
1 medium size celeriac with sticks and some of leaves (or 2 celery sticks)
Optionally, 1 small parsley root
Optionally, 1 small parsnip root
2 medium size zucchinis
6 cups of water
3 spoons of rice
Your favorite herbs for seasoning
3 spoons of oil
Fresh juice form 1/2 lemon
1 tsp salt
Optionally, 1 egg
Half a cup yogurt

Directions

Wash well the vegetables.
Put the pot with the water, oil and salt on medium heat.
Cut the carrot in slices, chop finely the onion or scallion, the roots, the celeriac or celery, the bell pepper.
Add to the soup and let it simmer, with the lid partially open, for 15 minutes or till the carrot and onion are almost done.
Wash well the rice and add it to the soup. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the rice is half done.

Cut the zucchinis into 1/2 inch chunks. Add them to the soup and let simmer for 10 minutes or until zucchinis are soft. Set the heat low.

Mix the yogurt, the egg (optionally) and lemon juice and add the mixture slowly to the soup stirring gently.
Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, add the chopped herbs, cut the heat and cover.
Let it rest for half an hour.

Serve with a sprinkle of finely cut herb. Put a bowl of yogurt on the table and some lemon juice or lemon slices. If needed, more lemon juice or yogurt can be added.

It's tastier eaten cold.



Zucchini and Chicken in Tomato Sauce

A recipe for all menus, Lunch or Dinner. Buy the fried chicken and the sauce on your way home. Fry quickly some zucchinis and you have a perfect healthy fast food.

Ingredients for 4 portions
4 fried chicken portions
Fried zucchini rounds (see above)
You can make it with your favorite tomato sauce or make the one below.

For the tomato sauce:
1 medium size onion
1 medium size carrot
1 bell pepper, any colour, seeded
2-3 cloves of garlic
4 medium size tomatoes, peeled and crushed or cut into small chunks. To peel them easier, just put them for half a minute in boiling water.
2 spoons of vegetable oil
Your favorite herbs and spices. I use parsley, a pinch of pepper, a pinch of all spices and a bay leaf.
1 spoon of balsamic vinegar and 2 spoons of cooking wine.
A dash of salt

Directions

Tomato Sauce
Cut the onion, the bell pepper and the carrot to fine pieces.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Stir fry until the onion becomes glassy.
Gradually stir in the tomatoes.
Set the fire to low, cover and let it simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until the sauce becomes bright red.
Add the salt, crushed garlic, the spices, the vinegar and the wine. Stir gently and let it simmer for 5 more minutes.
Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired.
Thin the sauce down if necessary with stock, water or wine.

Putting all together
Put the chicken pieces and the fried zucchinis in the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
Cut the heat, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs, cover and let it rest till serving time.

Eat breakfast yourself. Share lunch with a friend. Give your dinner to your enemy

When everything else fails, sometimes it's good to turn to old wisdom.
Eat breakfast yourself. Share lunch with a friend. Give your dinner to your enemy
There is scientific evidence behind this ancient saying. See these articles, for example.
High-Fat Diet Disrupts Body ClockCould the Timing of When You Eat, Be Just as Important as What You Eat?Evidence of How Food Might Shift Body Clock

There is also the old Mediterranean Diet. Lunch was the main meal of the day,  eaten before 14 o'clock with family and friends. I'm not sure if people in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea are still keeping with traditions but actually I haven't seen fat people in Madrid (except the American tourists, of course). You might also give a look at the Predimed Study: Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet

OK, I've bought it but what shall we eat in the morning? What people used to eat before breakfast cereals invaded us and eggs were declared public enemy?
The answer is simple: whatever was available and whatever pleased them if they had a choice.

Some nutritionists say you should eat cereals and fruit, others  say you should eat proteins and veggies.
I don't think this is so important as long as you eat sugar and fat in moderation.

Skipping breakfast is the worst idea in a diet, that's for sure.  

If you can't eat an early breakfast, try a later one, on the go. But eat it, don't skip it.

How much should you eat? This is a trial and error thing. Eat enough not to be hungry till the next meal or morning snack (if you included it in your daily menu). Probably, something between 250 - 400 kcal.

I like to eat a different breakfast each morning. My lists of favorite healthy breakfasts include, besides a nice cup of coffee:

- Eggs (fried or boiled or scrambled) and maybe a bit of bacon or ham, tomatoes or eggplant salad, bit of white cheese, toasted whole wheat bread

- Zakouska (made with eggplant or mushrooms, red bell peppers or paprika peppers, tomato juice, carrots, onion, oil, spices), toasted whole wheat bread, feta cheese

- Black radish and celeriac salad with olive oil, walnuts, lemon juice and bit of cheese

- Fried or poached eggs with spinach and/or mushrooms, toasted whole wheat bread

- Mushrooms, cheese, paprika peppers or cucumbers or tomatoes, toasted whole wheat bread

- A salad made with endives, yogurt, xia seeds, a boiled egg and rolled oats

- Sardines with lemon juice, pickles or a paprika pepper, toasted whole wheat bread

- Peanut butter, toasted whole wheat bread, bit of Swiss cheese

- Tomato salad with feta cheese and olives and toasted whole wheat bread

- Frankfurters with mustard,  toasted whole wheat bread, pickled cucumbers or a tomato salad

- Ham, bit of swiss cheese, radishes and  toasted whole wheat bread

It's mostly protein and veggies with some whole wheat bread or rolled oats, as you can see. It has worked pretty well for my diet so far.

Sometimes, if I know I can't have the 10 o'clock snack,  I add an yogurt and a piece of fruit or a spoon of low sugar jam or some nuts.

You might prefer some other kind of breakfast, like that based on cereals, jam or fruits, milk or yogurt. If it suits you, why not? But if you see the scale is not on your side, try the protein and veggie breakfast. You might skip bread or oats for a week or two (no more!).

If your daily routine allows for a good lunch, better eat like the French people used to before modern life invaded them. Have a nice entree (soup or salad or some appetizer), followed by a piece of meat and some veggies. Salad should be mandatory for lunch. If you're on diet, forget the dessert or eat a piece of fruit.

In the evening, a meat or cheese sandwich and some veggies or a salad with a bit of cheese or 1-2 portions of fruit or just a cup of milk or yogurt with some toast and peanut butter are perfect for a light dinner.

Some diets recommend snacks between meals, others forbid it. It really doesn't matter if you eat 5 meals or three meals as long as you take care not to eat too much in a day.

Respect meal times, especially breakfast. Eat less in the evening if it suits your daily routine. At least, try not to eat especially in the 2 hours before sleep. Don't go hungry to sleep either, have some protein and veggie snack or a cup of milk if still hungry.

Other good to follow traditions:

Include at  least one "fish day"  replacing meat by fish.

Include a fasting day (especially if you have a diet with high intake of animal protein). Replace meat and fish with beans and don't eat neither milk nor cheese or diary on that day. Just veggies, beans, seeds, bread, rice or pasta, and fruit.

One more simple new rule to keep in mind for the road from "fat" to "fit":

For each portion of protein or carbo, have at least one portion of veggies or fruit. As many colours as possible.

And whatever you eat, don't forget to put your shoes on and make a nice stroll in the fresh open air in the nearest park, forest or even some small green alleys with cats and no cars. There's a Spring out there even if it's a bit cold.