Sauteed Crookneck Squash - Video Recipe

I like a side dish that takes minimal prep - no peeling or need to clean it out. You can cook it whole or slice it and saute. I like to add a little onion and garlic with a dash of salt and pepper.

 Play my video recipe below to see for yourself how easy it is to make my tasty vegetarian side:

Sauteed Crookneck Squash - Video

Play it here. Video runs 1 minute 58 seconds.

Also called Summer Yellow Squash, the skin is a bright hue and usually smooth, but sometimes it has a bumpy surface.

You don't peel this type of squash as the skin tenderizes when cooked. You also eat the seeds. All I do is slice off the tough squash ends, then cube the squash for cooking - so there is very little waste.

Squash comes in all shapes and sizes, some have a hard shell. Yellow Crookneck Squash is similar to green Mexican squash. Italian squash is called zucchini.

This recipe comes together quickly. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes of slow cooking to tenderize fresh squash.

I get whole fresh squash at my local Latin grocery and 99c only Stores for around a dollar per pound. I used 2 whole yellow squash for this recipe, a half onion, and one small garlic clove. You can substitute zucchini or Mexican squash for Crookneck Squash, they taste similar enough.

Next time you are in your local farmers market or a regular grocery store make sure to pick up a few Crookneck Squash and try my brightly colored sauteed side dish.

Ingredients

3 cups Squash - about 2 medium-sized Crookneck Squash. Roughly chop into bite sizes. Okay to use Italian squash (zucchini) or Mexican squash.

1/2 Onion - about 1 cup chopped.

1 teaspoon Garlic - chopped.

1 tablespoon Oil - to saute onion, garlic and squash.

Salt and Pepper - to taste

Directions

Chop half an onion. You can cut into larger or smaller pieces to suit your taste.

Add cooking oil to a pan over medium heat. Saute onion and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. While onion sautes, you can chop squash and garlic (or use chopped garlic from a jar.)

Add chopped garlic to cooked onion. Mix and saute for a minute.

Roughly chop yellow squash into bite sizes. Discard the tough stem and end piece. Finally, add chopped squash and season with salt and pepper. Mix cooked onion, garlic and squash.

Turn the heat to low and cover the pan or pot. 

Now all you are doing is softening the squash by letting it steam for about 15 minutes total. Stir squash every once in a while.

The yellow squash will break down and release some liquid as it steams. I don't add any water, but do check on cooking squash in case the the liquid cooks out too fast. If so, add a tablespoon of water as needed. 

As long as the pan or pot is well covered, and the heat is not too hot, the squash will stay moist.

You can cook the squash as long (or little) as you like, to reach desired tenderness.

Serve hot when done. My Sauteed Crookneck Squash freezes and reheats fine, too.

 My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Broccoli, Tangerine and Yogurt Salad

The Cheap$kate Chef's latest healthy recipe has it all: nutritious veggies, sweet and tangy  fruit, crunchy nuts, pungent dried fruit and creamy yogurt. And my Broccoli, Tangerine and Yogurt  Salad recipe is wife approved!

This low calorie delightful mix is simple to make and taste even better the next day. The most  complicated part is to give the broccoli a quick bath in hot water for a minute, then cool it  back down in cold water. Oh, and there is a little chopping of the broccoli and peeling a tangerine or an orange.

I get all these ingredients cheaply, of course. Fresh broccoli is always coming up on sale. I  like to use the whole thing, stem and all. Usually I peel some of the stem, it's more tender  that way. I blanch the broccoli for a minute, but if you like your veggies extra crunchy and  raw, then skip the blanching.

I used a couple of small tangerines. Oranges are a cheaper substitution and are just as tasty.  Be sure to take out any seeds though. Canned Mandarin oranges are an easy way to go.

I find dried cranberries on sale at my local 99c only Store, but if you can't, then just use raisins, the taste will be fine.

I sprinkled on roasted peanuts. It's best to use unsalted. If salted peanuts are on sale then  use them. Just be sure to brush off the salt. If you rinse the peanuts then blot off the  excess water. The peanuts don't have to be totally dry, since you are adding them to wet  yogurt. Of course, if you or anyone in the family is allergic to nuts, them leave them out, my  salad will be just as delish.

You only need a small container of yogurt. It's best to use plain yogurt. Although I've used  lightly flavored ones like vanilla or honey. And you can use low fat yogurt.

When everything is mixed, keep it refrigerated until ready to serve. My cheap$kate veggie and  fruit salad travels well, either to a party, a picnic, or to the office.

Give this Internet Chef's Broccoli, Tangerine and Yogurt Salad a go. It makes a light and  refreshing  snack anytime of day.

Ingredients (about 2-3 servings)
1 pound broccoli - about 4 cups when florets are broken down and stems chopped.
1 small container of plain yogurt - 5 to 7 ounces or about 3/4 cup. You can use low fat, or  regular yogurt. Okay to add more yogurt to desired creaminess. You can use a lightly flavored  yogurt like vanilla or honey. Fruit yogurt may be too much of a good thing. (And, you can  substitute yogurt with mayo or sour cream.)
1 cup of tangerine or orange - peeled and sliced into bite sizes. Remove seeds if  necessary. You can add more or less to taste. Okay to use a can of Mandarin oranges, if they're cheap enough.
1/2 cup of dried cranberries or raisins - again you can add more or less to taste.
1/2 cup of unsalted peanuts - or any favorite or local nuts, like: cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc. If salted peanuts are on sale then use them, just rinse or brush off the salt first, or the salad will be way to salty. If you are allergic to nuts them leave them out - the Broccoli  Salad will still be delish.

Directions
Get a pot of water heating up to a low boil.

Prep the broccoli. Chop off the stalks. I like to peel the larger pieces. Chop the stalks into  bite sizes. Separate the broccoli florets into smaller sizes. If the floret is very large  then slice it in half or quarters.

Add the broccoli to boiling water. Cook the broccoli for no more than a minute. You don't want  to overcook. Crunchy is good for this recipe. If you like your veggies really raw then skip it  and go right to mixing all the ingredients together. You can use less water and just steam the broccoli for a minute.

After a minute of blanching add broccoli to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain  the broccoli before mixing all the other ingredients.

I use peanuts for my recipe, but you can use any nuts you like or find on sale. For salted  peanuts, brush or rinse them off. Allow the peanuts to dry for a couple of minutes or blot  them off with a paper towel. They don't have to be completely dry, as you will be adding wet  yogurt anyway.

Next, peel a tangerines or an orange. Slice the fruit into bite sized segments. Remove seeds if  necessary.

Now time to bring it all together. In a large bowl, add the drained and cooled broccoli. 

Mix in the fruit, nuts and dried cranberries (or raisins). Finally spoon on yogurt. Mix it all  together.

 

Store the Broccoli, Fruit and Yogurt Salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Hindsight
Of course, you can blanch or steam broccoli longer to desired tenderness.

Adjust any of the ingredients to suit your taste. If you want more creaminess, then  add more yogurt. If you don't care for yogurt then substitute with mayo or sour cream.

If you have a lot of peanuts to get rid off, then add more to the salad. Same goes for raisins, and tangerine or oranges.

And, best to finish this off in a couple of days, as the yogurt begins to deteriorate and break down - but you can refresh the salad with a spoonful or two of fresh yogurt.

This salad is easy to double for more servings. 

Veggie Pasta Salad

My pasta salad is made cheaply with veggies found at my local Latin grocery and supplemented by pasta from the 99c only Store - it's the best of both worlds.

Green bell peppers are cheaper than red and yellow ones, so that's what I usually get. Mexican squash is cheaper than yellow squash. Broccoli is frequently on sale and celery is cheap everywhere.

Just because I'm a cheap$kate, doesn't mean I have to eat unhealthy. I've gotten gluten free and whole wheat pasta from my local 99c only Store. It's not always there, but when it is I get a few packages. I like the flavor and it's good to mix it up, instead of always cooking with regular white flour pasta.

When making a Veggie Pasta Salad, you want to taste the veggies raw, just to see if you like it that way. If not then try blanching them in boiling water for a minute or two. This takes out the harshness, and leaves a more mellow and subtle flavor. It also removes any slight bitterness you may detect. But I find most veggies are delish even raw - once you've tried it that way a few times.

Broccoli, squash, asparagus, corn, green beans and cauliflower do well with a quick blanching. Carrots, onions, celery, cucumber, and tomato are easily eaten raw. As for the amount, you can adjust to your veggie preference.

Veggie Pasta Salad can be made with almost any vegetables you find on sale. As for the salad dressing I like to use vinegar and olive oil, although you can use any store-bought salad dressing you like. It's really simple and quick to make one. While the pasta boils, just chop the veggies. (And I usually blanch some selected veggies first and use that water to boil the pasta in - hey, it's extra flavor.)

And if you don't want to deal with chopping a bunch of veggies, just get a favorite frozen package medley like Italian, Oriental, or combine a couple of packages.

My Veggie Pasta Salad is even better the next day and makes a great meal to pack for the workweek. So give it a go, and let me know what veggies you add.

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

• 1 package of pasta - about 1 pound. I like bow tie, spiral, macaroni or any short-cut type.
• 1/2 bell pepper - chopped
• 1 squash - Cut into cubes. I used Mexican squash, but easy-to-find zucchini or yellow neck squash will do.
• 1/2 cup of carrot - thin sliced or julienned.
• 1 medium head of broccoli - about 1 cup when broken apart.
• 1 stalk of celery - chopped.
• Water - to boil pasta and blanch some of the veggies.
• 1 Tablespoon of salt - for boiling pasta.
• Ice cubes - to cool down the cooked veggies. Or just run cold water on them for 10-15 seconds to slow down the cooking process (after blanching.)

Pasta Dressing

• 1/4 cup of olive oil - or any favorite tasting oil.
• 1/4 of vinegar - any type you like. I've used apple cider, rice, red wine or plain white vinegar.

*You could also use a favorite store-bought salad dressing.

Directions
Rinse off the veggies. Most just need some chopping and peeling. It's not too much prep, really.

Cut off tough and dried-out end of celery root. I peel off some of the celery treads off the rough side. You can use a potato peeler, or just take a knife and peel away some of the strings (you don't have to get them all.)

For bell pepper, slice it in half, from stem to bottom. Remove the seeds and white membrane from the inside of the bell pepper. Chop it into small pieces. For this recipe I used half a bell pepper because I find the flavor very intense.

I like to blanch some of  the veggies first. Slice Mexican squash in half, lengthways. Chop off tough stalk end and peel some of the broccoli stem, this will help tenderize the stalk when blanching.

When a pot of water comes to a boil then add the squash and broccoli. I usually cook the veggies about 1 to 2 minutes - just enough to slightly soften them. You don't want to overcook them until they get mushy. I think it's better to slightly undercook so there is some crunch left.

Remove the broccoli and squash to a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking. Or put the hot veggies in a colander and run cold water over them for 15 seconds or so.

Now I add salt to the water and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

While the pasta cooks, and once the broccoli is cooled, I break off the florets and chop the stem into smaller pieces. I also chop the Mexican squash into bite-sizes.

When the pasta is done, drain and run cold water on it to stop the pasta from over-cooking.

Now time to bring it all together. Add the pasta to a large bowl, along with all the veggies.

Pour in the vinegar and oil. Mix the salad well. You can add or subtract the dressing amount to suit your taste. Finally sprinkle on some salt and pepper (optional.)

Keep the Veggie Pasta Salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

You can make this salad with any fresh veggies you like, I sometimes add cherry tomatoes, too. The amount of each veggie can be adjusted to your preference - if you like a lot of broccoli, then add more. If bell pepper is too pungent, then leave it out. Use this recipe and make it to suit your taste buds and pocketbook.

Mushroom Nigiri Sushi

Raw fish is not for everyone's taste buds, but my Mushroom Nigiri Sushi is built to please. Thick-sliced, and tender sauteed mushrooms make a tasty vegetarian nigiri sushi.

Sushi comes in many guises. Usually it's raw or cured like Mackerel; sometimes the fish is fully cooked, like Unagi (Japanese eel, topped with a sticky sweet sauce;) and even scrambled eggs formed into a yellow block, called Tamago, are presented balanced on ovals of sushi rice.

Sticky Sushi Rice is the unifying ingredient. A ping pong ball-sized mound of rice is squeezed and formed, then the sauteed mushroom slice(s) is placed on top. You can buy a sushi rice plastic mold to press the rice into, or just do it by hand. I recommend cooking a small pot of sushi rice and practicing forming rice ovals. I was sloppy at first, but quickly got better at it. While not perfectly formed, the rice held together, even when dipped in soy sauce.

You can get my Sushi Rice video recipe by clicking here. And make sure to have a small bowl of water nearby when squeezing together sushi rice - you have to keep your hand moist so the rice doesn't stick to your fingers.

The basic ingredient list is short: sauteed mushroom, sushi rice, sliced green onion, and a dipping sauce (optional.) Everyone knows how cheap white rice is. I get a pound and a half for about a dollar.

Mushrooms are much more expensive, but even that turns up frequently in my local 99c only Store. I like to use large portabella mushrooms, as they fit nicely on ovals of sushi rice. You could even use easy-to-get and cheaper white button mushrooms.

Portabella mushrooms take a little extra cleaning. Just brush off any dirt and remove the stem. And it's best to scrape out the black gills underneath the mushroom cap. I slice each mushroom in half. They seem like large pieces, but they shrink considerably while sauteing. For small white mushrooms, all you need to do is clean and slice them in half, stem and all.

If you've been following my Sushi Video Series then add this mushroom recipe to any sushi video you've bookmarked. Try out sauteed mushrooms instead of spicy tuna for a vegetarian hand roll; or stuff a regular roll with cooked mushrooms.

My bite-sized vegetarian Mushroom Nigiri Sushi is earthy and tasty, plus it's one meaty morsel -- enough to tantalize anyone's taste buds.

Ingredients (about 4 pieces)

• Portabella mushrooms - 5 ounce package. Okay to use any type of mushrooms including the easy-to-get white button.
• 1 cup cooked Sushi Rice - my recipe is a click away, here.
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil - any favorite.
• Chopped green onion for garnish - optional.

Dipping Sauce (optional)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I like low sodium.
• 1 tablespoon white wine or sake - optional
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil - or a favorite olive oil.
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar - or favorite sweetener. Okay to add more, to taste.

*You can also dip (or drizzle on) the Mushroom Nigiri Sushi a favorite store-bought Teriyaki sauce.

Directions
Make Sushi Rice first, and for my direction, click here.

For portabella mushrooms brush off dirt. Break off the stem. Underneath the mushroom cap are black feathery gills that are best removed. I use a spoon and gently scrape them off. If you break a piece of the mushroom cap, don't worry as you can still use that as well.

Once the portabella caps are cleaned and the gills removed, slice them in half. Each slice will be cooked and placed on formed rolls of Sushi Rice.

To prepare regular button mushrooms, just clean off any loose dirt and slice each one in half, to get a flat surface.

Heat a frying pan to medium and add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the mushroom slices and allow to cook 3 to 5 minutes until soft. Don't stir or handle too much at the beginning to keep them from breaking apart, but again, if they do they can still be used.

While mushrooms are sauteing make the Dipping Sauce from the ingredients listed above. Just mix the soy sauce, wine or sake, sesame oil, and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.

If you have a favorite teriyaki sauce you could use that instead.

Thinly slice green onion for an eatable garnish - discard stringy root and yellowing stem segments.

You can also start making Sushi Rice ovals for the cooked mushrooms. Click here to see my detailed directions.

Once the mushroom slices are cooked through and soft, remove from heat and set aside for final sushi assembly.

To assemble simply place a mushroom slice (or smaller button mushroom pieces) on a prepared Sushi Rice oval. Drizzle on a small amount of Dipping Sauce and top with a few thin slices of chopped green onion.

(For a slightly spicy version put a dab of horseradish or wasabi under the mushroom slice or directly on the rice.)

You can treat Mushroom Sushi-like regular sushi and skip my Dipping Sauce. Just hold the sushi and dip it mushroom-side into into soy sauce (or drizzle some on top, if the mushrooms are chopped into smaller pieces.)