cheddar lime zucchini fritters

Lovely people - I've been mighty silent for quite some time now, but don't fear - I'm back in action this week! I've been hinting that a big move was heading my way in discussing the project of eating through our massive pantry... but I never really laid it all out. 

So! The move has happened, and while there are still plenty of empty spaces and belongings we haven't found a home for - our new home is starting to feel more and more like our own. Babes and I are creating this new home in Portland, Oregon - far far away from our little town on the bay in northern Michigan! It's a somewhat short term move as he gets settled in a new position at the FoodCorps headquarters for a year or two, but we couldn't be more excited to explore this foodie and outdoor heaven in the west! 

Here's to a few years surrounded by inspiration for my work, and a study in cooking in a small space (more on the new kitchen soon!). To kick things off, lets just take a moment to appreciate these simply divine cheddar lime zucchini fritters. I rushed back into work with my monthly piece for The Awesome Mitten due the day after we unpacked the kitchen supplies, and with a stroke of genius decided to add a kick of fresh lime juice and some grated Grafton Aged Cheddar to my zucchini fritters. It was a smashing success! 

I never get sick of simple zucchini fritters lightly pan fried to perfection, which makes them perfect for using up an excess of zucchini! These are amazing served with a generous squeeze of fresh lime and a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream.

This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

ingredients: 

1 pound zucchini, grated

1 tsp salt

2 scallions, sliced into thin rounds

1 large egg

Freshly ground black pepper & more salt to taste

about 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (I just squeeze in the juice from 1/4 of a lime)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated

canola or another hight heat oil for frying

instructions: 

Place grated zucchini and salt in a bowl, give it a good stir, and let sit for 10 minutes. Place the zucchini into a mesh bag, cheese cloth, or just wrap it into a clean dishtowel, then squeeze it with all you've got over the sink until you've removed as much water as you possibly can. I guarantee you'll be amazed at how much water you can squeeze out! This helps create a fluffier fritter.

Put the zucchini back in your bowl and stir in the egg and a pinch or two more salt, beating it slightly in the process. Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl and stir to combine (so they distribute evenly), then add that and all of the remaining ingredients to your main bowl (except the oil for frying, of course!) and stir until it is well combined. 

Now, we just need to cook them! Heat a pan (I like to use cast iron for this) over medium-high heat, then add enough oil to create a thin layer over the bottom of your pan. Dollop in as many mounds of the batter as you can, flattening them a bit with your spoon. Once they've browned (maybe two minutes or so depending on your pan), flip and let brown on the other side. Repeat with your remaining batter, then enjoy. And don't forget, these are best served with a generous squeeze of lime juice and a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt!

simple strawberry coconut popsicles!

Before we dive into these divine popsicles, I just want to let out a quick I'm sorry! I've been letting this blog go by the wayside for the past week or two, and am definitely going to continue to do so for at least three or four weeks more. You see, I'm moving across the country in just two short weeks and taking an amazingly wonderful few weeks to do so! In the meantime, I’ll do my best to share a few quick and easy recipes with you. And when I return, there will be a brand new (to-me) 1920s kitchen for our continued exploration together! 

I sure am going to miss the crystal blue waters of Lake Michigan! 

This road trip of ours will start of course from our dear home in Traverse City, Michigan. We’ll spend an evening saying farewell to my family just a short trip north in Petoskey, then head to the shores of Lake Superior where we’ll spend a night (and a bit of exploration!) at the Porcupine Mountains before heading on to the Apostle Islands in Minnesota where we’ll explore magnificent cliffs and caves via kayak. Then it’s onward to Duluth for 4th of July celebrations with family and friends before making some big progress westward and away from our beloved great lakes! 

The Presque Isle River, from my last visit to Porcupine Mountains! 

The western adventures will start with a quick stop in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, then the main attraction of a week in Montana! Montana will bring camping and day-hikes exploring the wild of Glacier National Park, and a long weekend with a few old friends in Butte where the Montana Folk Festival will be happening. 

While there may not be blog posts, there will surely be a million and a half photos of the adventure - so come follow along on social media while we make our way west! You can find me most actively on Instagram and Facebook.  #tootsweetgoeswest

Now… a million paragraphs later, for the popsicles! I’ve made these before in a number of different variations, including roasting the strawberries and toasting coconut flakes to mix into the coconut layers. They’ve always tasted great, no matter what variations I take on - but for this recipe, I wanted to simplify things and make these something you can throw together in less than twenty minutes. 

You see, I’ve been writing a monthly piece for The Awesome Mitten - featuring a different awesome local Michigan ingredient each month. The post always includes three recipes for that ingredient which are super simple and require very few ingredients. For June, I just had to choose strawberries (because really, what else is worthy of the produce-of-the-month title?). So here we have it - super duper simple strawberry coconut popsicles! 

Ingredients: 

1 quart strawberries, greens removed

1/2 tsp ground vanilla, or 1tsp vanilla extract

1 – 14oz can of coconut milk (use the full fat kind!)

1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions: 

Puree the strawberries and vanilla with a blender until totally smooth. If you’re picky about seeds, strain through a fine mesh sieve. I never take that step, and the seeds are not very noticeable in the final product. 

In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk and maple syrup until no clumps of coconut cream remain.

Using a small measuring cup or spoon (or just pouring), layer strawberry puree and coconut milk into popsicle molds. Unless you use a small spoon and do this very very gently, they’re going to swirl together, and that’s alright! I think they taste best when you get a bit of coconut and a bit of strawberry in each bite! I usually aim for two layers of each in every popsicle.

Let freeze until fully solidified (overnight will do it), then enjoy! 

Roasted Carrot Soup

I'll be the first one to admit, I've yet to get the hang of photographing soup... it's likely the trickiest food to style and photograph well. But, despite photos that leave me less-than excited, I absolutely had to share this recipe with you. It would have been a tragedy to keep it all for myself! 

Carrots roasted with curry spices bring out a magical sweet and spicy flavor, which is balanced perfectly with creamy coconut milk. Red lentils and hearty chicken broth are added to make this soup a fully balanced meal in one bowl! 

One of my lovely man's absolute favorite things to cook is wonderful wonderful broths. Making fresh, homemade broths from vegetables or bones lends a rich flavor to your foods that can never be re-created with boxed/canned broth or bullion. There is really just nothing that stands up to a fresh, homemade broth. We used a broth made with both chicken and pork bones for this soup, and boy was it the perfect choice! 

I'm not the broth-magician of the house, so I won't pretend to be an expert, but making simple broths at home is really easy - it just takes a bit of waiting time while the broth cooks. We love buying whole chickens, because we get plenty of meat to enjoy as well as a carcass for making broth. It's the perfect home-scale whole animal practice! 

Of course, you can also use store-bought broth in this recipe. I do it too sometimes... because we don't always have broth on hand, and we often want dinner fast!

Now, go ahead, whip up a batch of this soup before it gets too hot outside! And if you have it, serve with a side of avocado. You won't be sorry! 

This recipe makes a big pot of soup, enough for about 10 people. You can halve it if you like for a smaller group, but it freezes really well for a quick weeknight meal! 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup red lentils

2 1/2 pounds carrots, cut into matchsticks 

3 Tbsp olive oil 

2 Tbsp curry powder 

6 cloves garlic 

1/2 cup leek, finely chopped (you could also use onion)

1 Tbsp butter

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth) 

salt & pepper to taste 

1 - 14oz can coconut milk (I use the full fat variety) 

cilantro to garnish 

Instructions: 

Toss carrots with olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Spread over two baking sheets and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until soft. Baking time will depend on thickness of your carrots. 

While carrots are roasting, cook your lentils. Place them in a pot with 2 1/4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. It's alright if they start to turn into mush, we're going to puree them. 

While the lentils are cooking, sauté butter with leeks over medium heat. When the leeks start to soften, add garlic and cook for another few minutes. Turn off heat and set aside. 

Once your carrots, lentils, and leeks are cooked, place them all in a blender and puree. You'll probably have to do this in two batches unless you have a mega-huge blender. Alternatively, you can also do this in a big pot with an immersion blender. Once pureed, pour into a big pot and thoroughly heat the soup. When it's hot, stir in coconut milk and salt to taste.