Grilled Tacos with Poblanos and Corn

This began as a tuna tacos, morphed into pork tacos, and has ended up as my choose-your-own-protein-adventure taco recipe of the summer. Although I've found it suits nearly any protein, for me this really started with the poblanos and corn.

It would be hard to pick the one thing I most anticipate arriving at the farmers' market, but it just might be sweet corn. I pick up a few ears every week that it's available to grill and slather in butter, and that preparation is so perfect that sometimes I forget to use it anything else. Poblanos are probably my favorite pepper, the perfect combination of flavor and heat for salsa, tacos, or nearly any other Mexican dish you throw at them. It was with these two ingredients that I cemented the idea of grilling tacos for dinner one Sunday night, the protein of choice (tuna steak), one of convenience rather than inspiration. My search for fish tacos led to the typical white fish recipes and my base recipe, courtesy of Eating Well. When I discovered that my hearty tuna steak was a delicious choice in lieu of lighter tilapia, I was prompted to try additional proteins, finding them just as successful. Each one complements and contrasts differently, but the simple dressing of bright lime, smoky cumin, and earthy oregano finds nearly universal success. You can easily further dress up these tacos with jalapeno slices, cilantro, and salsa if you like, but even in their simplest incarnation you won't be left wanting.

Grilled Tacos with Poblanos and Corn
adapted from Eating Well
serves 1 to 2

1 poblano pepper
1 small red onion, cut in half

1 ear corn on the cob, husk and silks removed
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt

4- to 6-ounce tuna steak or other protein of choice (tilapia, pork cutlets/tenderloin, steak, chicken breasts/thighs, firm tofu, portabello mushrooms etc.)
3 to 4 corn tortillas, for serving

Salsa, for serving

Sliced jalapeno, for serving (optional)
Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. Prepre a gas grill over high heat. Meanwhile, brush cut sides of onion, poblano, and corn with oil and season with salt and pepper.

2. Once grill is hot, reduce to heat to medium high and brush with oil. Add onion, poblano, and corn and grill, turning periodically, until surfaces are blistered and blackened, about 4 to 6 minutes per side for the onion and poblano, 2 minutes for the corn (four sides). Remove from heat and allow to rest until they can be easily handled. Remove blackened skin from poblano, if desired, slice pepper and onions, and place in a medium bowl. Remove 1/4 cup corn from corn cob, add to the bowl, and toss everything with lime juice and spices.

3. Season tuna steak or pork cutlets with salt and pepper. Generously oil the grill again and add tuna or pork.

For tuna: Allow to cook until fish releases easily from the grate, about 4 minutes. Flip fish and continue cooking to desired level of doneness, usually about another 4 minutes for the other side. Remove fish from grill, allow to rest for a few minutes, and flake into large pieces.

For pork cutlets: Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until internal mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Allow to rest for a few minutes, and thinly slice.

Add protein to vegetable mixture and toss to combine.

4. Wrap tortillas in paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Add vegetable mixture to tortillas, garnishing with salsa, jalapeno, and cilantro. Serve promptly.

Zucchini Quinoa Burgers

As I've mentioned before, veggie burgers are one of my staple lunches and finding recipes to use up  my ample zucchini crop is my primary culinary concerns of the moment. When I found a recipe from one of my favorite sources that combined these two culinary projects, I knew there was no way I could pass it up. And I was certainly not disappointed with my choice.

The structure of these burgers is made of three subtly flavored canvases - zucchini, chickpeas, and quinoa - with a light and lively flavor coming from a combination of fresh herbs, Dijon, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. The dill is the most aromatic and forward of all the flavors, its scent instantly perfuming the air, followed quickly by zesty Dijon, earthy oregano, smoky paprika, and bright lemon. Each of these flavors hits your taste buds at a slightly different time, the taste evolving slowly as you taste each bite.

The texture is, as always with veggie burgers, the greatest challenge here, but if you take a little care when shaping and flipping, you shouldn't have too much trouble keeping these patties together. (And the great thing is, if they do seem like they might fall apart, you have the perfect excuse to melt some cheese on top). I've frozen uncooked and cooked burgers and they both fared well in future feasts, a perfect way to resurrect this plentiful summer veggie in just a couple of days or when the snow begins to fly.

Zucchini Quinoa Burgers
adapted from Food52
makes 6 burgers

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, chopped finely
1 1/2  cups zucchini, julienned on a mandolin or grated on the largest setting of a box grater
1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raw or toasted
3/4 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (1/2 heaping cup dry or one 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained)
1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup dry)
2/3 cups water
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1. To prepare chickpeas, soak beans overnight. In the morning, rinse them and discard soak water. Place beans in a pot with enough water to submerge them by several inches. Heat to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 min to an hour, or until beans are tender. Drain and store in the fridge for up to three days.

2. To prepare quinoa, rinse quinoa in a sieve. Add to a small pot and add 2/3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, with a lid slightly ajar on the pot, until the water is absorbed and you can see the thin “ribs” of the quinoa becoming detached from the grain. Fluff, cover, and let sit for a few moments. Store in the fridge for up to three or four days.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, and continue to saute until zucchini is cooked through and onion is translucent. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Grind seeds, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor till they’re broken into a fine meal.
Add quinoa, chickpeas, the dijon mustard, lemon, dill, paprika, and oregano to the mixture. Pulse to combine a few times. Then, run the motor to continue mixing the mixture. You may need to stop it a few times so that you can scrape the sides of the processor and start the motor again. You want the beans to be broken down and for the mixture to hold together well, but you don’t want to process so extensively that the mix has no more texture. If you need to add a little water to the mixture, that’s totally OK.

4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Mix with hands (as if you were making meatloaf). When everything is incorporated, season once more with salt and pepper, to taste.
Shape mixture into six patties with hands. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a sautee pan on medium heat. Cook burgers for five minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Alternately, you can bake them at an oven set to 375 degrees for twenty-five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Serve.

Zucchini Salmon Cakes

Are you sick of zucchini yet? No? Good. To my own surprise, I'm not either. I've been successful in my quest to not freeze any of my ample zucchini crop (from only one bunch of two plants!) and thus I have even more zucchini recipes to share. This might seem like a bit of a duplication of genre since I've made Zucchini Fritters in the past, but the addition of salmon makes this main dish instead of side, and a uniquely delicious creation in its own right. Zucchini fritters and salmon cakes are both delicious, so combining them is a sure-fire recipe for dinner success and an easy way of achieving my goal of eating fish at least once a week. I love this recipe not only for it's simple fresh flavor - rich salmon, fresh herbs, and zucchini in a lovely balance - but for being an easily scalable recipe that quickly feeds one on a busy weeknight that could also accommodate a small feast. For me, this meal satisfied the former, a quick bite between loads of laundry on a hectic weeknight. Like all busy people, I'm often tempted to skip dinner or just cram something into my face, but I find if I can spend few minutes preparing an eating a healthy dinner, it is really valuable to my physical and mental health. If you too hit the trifecta of limited time, healthy zucchini supplies, and a craving for fish, this recipe is the ideal solution to your culinary woes.

Zucchini Salmon Cakes
adapted from Gourmet
serves 1

1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1.5 tablespoons chopped chives (or other fresh herb)
1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 dash cayenne (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound skinless salmon fillet, chopped
2 tablespoons bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat panko
1 small zucchini, coarsely grated (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, mustard, and cayenne in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper

2. Stir together salmon, bread crumbs, zucchini, and mayonnaise mixture in another bowl.

3. Form salmon mixture into 2 (3-inch) patties. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook salmon cakes, carefully turning once, until golden and salmon is just cooked through, about 6 minutes total.

Grilled Spicy BBQ Chicken (or Shrimp) Pizza

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't love pizza. But while I had a tendency to crave a doughy, thick crust pizza in my younger days, now I'm all about the crispy Neapolitan-style. Madison has a number of delicious Neapolitan style pizza places which I enjoy frequenting, though sadly there's no way to get that 900 degree wood-fired deliciousness at home. But making pizza on the grill, be it gas or charcoal, isn't a half-bad substitute. The crust cooks quickly, achieving the glorious bubbles and blackened spots of a Neapolitan oven, picking up a wonderful smokiness from charcoal or wood chips. But that's where the similarity to Neapolitan pizza ends in this recipe. If I'd added the classic basil, tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella I might be able to pass this off as in the Neapolitan spirit, but my choice of toppings take this in a very different direction.

Barbecue chicken pizza, which I believe was originally created by California Pizza Kitchen, has become a fairly standard (and beloved) menu option. The sweet-spicy barbecue sauce is a fine substitute for the regular tomato variety, a lovely companion to sharp red onion, spicy jalapeno, juicy chicken, and rich cheddar cheese. If your genes aren't working against you, cilantro adds a lovely fresh note, but feel free to leave it off if you'll be serving cilantro-haters.

Grilled Spicy BBQ Chicken (or Shrimp) Pizza
serves 1

4 ounces whole wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (I used Howling Wolf)
2 tablespoons finely chopped or thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper (add seeds or ribs to desired level of heat)
1/4 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (or cooked, chopped shrimp)
1 to 2 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat a gas grill over medium to medium high heat. Meanwhile, roll pizza out on a into a round or oblong shape, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, depending on desired thickness, and brush both sides with oil.

2. When grill is hot, transfer crust to grill. Replace the lid and cook for 3 minutes without disturbing. After 3 minutes, check the crust for doneness, cooking for an additional few minutes if necessary. Transfer crust to a peel or baking sheet.

3. Spread crust with barbecue sauce and top with onion, jalapeno, and chicken. Sprinkle cheese over the top and return the pizza to the grill. Reduce heat to medium low, replace cover, and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro over the top, if desired. Slice and serve promptly.

Veggie Burger

Homemade veggie burgers are one of work lunch staples. I make them in big batches, and because I live with someone who won't touch the non-meat burger variety, I don't have to worry about my the fruits of my labor mysteriously disappearing. But truth be told, these are so incredibly easy that it would hardly matter. Black beans are my go-to bean for a burger because they are not only delicious on their own, but also able to merge successfully with a wide range of flavor profiles and ingredients. This burger takes a decidedly Tex-Mex approach, blending hearty beans and rice with spicy jalapeno, smoky cumin, and deep, rich ancho chiles in just the time it takes to blend a few ingredients together in the food processor. As with any veggie burger, the challenge here is keeping them together in the pan, so be a bit ginger when flipping them and allow for a little rest in the fridge before cooking if you have the time.

I wouldn't be a good Wisconsin girl with saying I think these burgers are just begging for a slice of melty cheese. Assertive sharp cheddar is an excellent choice, made even more perfect with a few final touches like lettuce, red onion, and salsa. All the goodness of a bean burrito in portable, freezable burger patty form, these are a welcome sight at any meal, even making for a fine breakfast with a fried egg.

Veggie Burger
adapted from Bon Appetit
makes 6 burgers

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped white or yellow onion
6 slices pickled jalapeño
1 tablespoon prepared barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder, preferably ancho
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white

1 cup cooked brown rice
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
6 hamburger buns
Lettuce, red onion, tomato, salsa, avocado, etc. (for serving)

1. Set aside 1/2 cup beans. Pulse onion, jalapeño, barbecue sauce, chili powder, cumin, and remaining beans in a food processor until a chunky purée forms.

2. Transfer purée to a medium bowl and mix in egg white, rice, and reserved beans; season with salt and pepper. Form mixture into 6 patties about 1/2-inch thick; cover and chill 1 hour (this helps bind patties so they stay intact while cooking).

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in two batches and adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil between batches, cook patties until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Serve on buns with desired toppings.

Zucchini Soup with Garlic and Basil

The zucchini keeps coming and thus so too do the recipes. Much to my own surprise, despite the fact I've eaten zucchini in some capacity every day for a couple of weeks, I'm still not sick of it. To my credit, I've made a real effort to mix up my preparations, from fritters to cookies to pastas to salads to sandwiches to chips and everything in between. For all the recipe ideas my coworkers and I have discussed, I got a few quizzical looks when I said I was going to make zucchini soup. But what better kind of recipe to make when you need to use up a lot of one vegetable? Were it just your basic butter + onions + broth + salt and pepper recipe, this soup would be pleasant and fresh, though not terribly interesting, but the generous amounts of basil and garlic make this soup profoundly flavorful. This recipe is a perfect for using up those zucchini too large for grilling or sauteeing when you've tested the limits of your love or zucchini bread (or have a bounty in the herb garden as well). Happily frozen for later use, this will store the bounty of summer in your freezer (perhaps next to some zucchini bread?) until the depths of winter when you'll have exhausted your love of root vegetables. Simple, flavorful, freezable, and easily multipliable, this recipe will easily turn mountains of summer squash into days of dinners, either for the dog days of summer or the depths of winter.

Zucchini Soup with Garlic and Basil
adapted from The Kitchn/Gourmet
makes about 1 1/2 quarts

4 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 white onion, sliced
8 to 9 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, about 4 medium
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water

1/3 cup packed basil leaves
Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter (or heat in the oil) in a heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat. When it foams, add the sliced garlic and onions and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Keep the heat low enough that the garlic doesn't brown; you want everything to sweat.

2. When the onions are soft, add the zucchini and cook until soft. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer at a low heat for about 45 minutes.

3. Let cool slightly, add basil, then blend with an immersion blender until creamy, or transfer to a standing blender to puree. Be very careful if you use the latter; only fill the blender half full with each batch, and hold the lid down tightly with a towel.

4. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Like most soups, this is significantly better after a night in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.

Grilled Bratwurst Pizza

As a Wisconsinite, I've eaten more than my fair share of bratwurst. And while there's no real way to improve on a classic - on a (preferably toasted, possibly pretzel) bun with coarse mustard, onion, and sauerkraut - it's not say that it still isn't worth experimenting. Some may say that bratwurst is a bit of sacred cow (or perhaps more accurately, sacred pig), but I still like to use it in a little less conventional ways. I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that bratwurst has an almost universal appeal here, as does pizza, so why not throw the two together? You get all the flavors of the cookout staple - mustard, onion, and kraut - with the added bonus of a healthy layer of melted cheese (another Wisconsin staple). Putting these ingredients together as a pizza also has the added bonus of introducing a much greater surface to the grill, the crust soaking up all the smokiness your charcoal or gas grill has to offer and attaining a magical crisp and chewy texture. This indulgent summer cookout treat will transition nicely into fall, even if the temperatures force the cooking indoors, the perfect companion to a mug of cold beer and Packer game, a reality not so far away.

Grilled Bratwurst Pizza
serves 1

4 ounces whole wheat (or white, in a pinch) pizza dough
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons drained sauerkraut
2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 cooked bratwurst, sliced (depending on size, you may not need the whole thing)
2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat a gas grill over medium to medium high heat. Meanwhile, roll pizza out on a into a round or oblong shape, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, depending on desired thickness, and brush both sides with oil.

2. When grill is hot, transfer crust to grill. Replace the lid and cook for 3 minutes without disturbing. After 3 minutes, check the crust for doneness, cooking for an additional few minutes if necessary. Transfer crust to a peel or baking sheet.

3. Spread crust with mustard and top with sauerkraut, onion, and bratwurst. Sprinkle cheese over the top and return the pizza to the grill. Reduce heat to medium low, replace cover, and continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve promptly.