Squash

perfect grilled salmon salad with summer vegetables

June 24, 2020 by Becky Spoon

This grilled salmon salad is perfect to top fresh lettuce I just picked along with my vine ripened tomatoes, grilled summer squash, grilled corn on the cob, English cucumbers, sliced avocado and a few more delicious things! I love using these summer vegetables in a salad.

I added boiled eggs, capers and olives! I didn’t want a heavy dressing, i was trying to keep it fresh, so I dressed the salad in a couple of steps. First I placed my lettuce in a bowl and squeezed the juice of a lemon them tossed a little. Then I added about a half a cup of good extra virgin olive oil and added blue cheese chunks to it. I whisked that together and poured the desired amount over the salad when I was ready.

grilled salmon salad with blue cheese.

I used my lodge cast iron grill for the salmon, corn and squash. I love having this piece of equipment! Here’s a link for the grill/griddle: https://amzn.to/2B8J5YL.

I love this reversible grill/griddle. Perfect for making pancakes, grilling meats and vegetables and for making those famous smash burgers!

I used 1 pound of fresh salmon for two. I used wild salmon and it was absolutely delicious. We like our salmon medium rare. These salmon sides were pretty thin, my grill was pretty hot, so I cooked on the first side for about 4 minutes, flipped and cooked 2 more minutes. When you start seeing little white beads forming, you’ve overcooked. Overcooked salmon that is dry is not what you want.

Wild salmon is a little more expensive, but I really prefer this over the farm raised. Here’s a good tutorial on grilling salmon. https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/19-how-to-cook-salmon.

perfect grilled salmon salad with summer vegetables

Need another salmon recipe? https://the2spoons.com/yes-crazy-good-salmon-rice-bowl/.

Wow! How good does this salmon rice bowl look! I absolutely love a rice bowl!

Ok, here’s the recipe for this delicious salmon and summer vegetables!

Grilled Salmon Salad with Summer Vegetables

Print Recipe

Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

1 lb salmon, I used wild salmon and a side portion but you can use filets or steaks
lettuce of your choice (I used romaine from my garden) torn
1 ear corn that has been par cooked either in your microwave or in boiling water until tender.
2 small summer squash, sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup olives, chopped or sliced
1-2 tbsp capers (optional)
1/2 English cucumber sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1-2 hard boiled eggs
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup blue cheese chunks, plus more if you want to finish with more on top
1 juice of one lemon, plus more for drizzling over the salmon when finished cooking
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for cooking salmon and vegetables

Instructions

Prepare your grill or gridle and heat to medium high. While your grill is heating, brush your salmon, corn and squash with extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper each side.
When your grill is ready, add your corn, squash and salmon. Cook your salmon on the first side about 4 minutes. If you want crisscross grill marks, cook 2 minutes, do a quarter turn and continue to cook 2 more minutes. Flip the salmon. Continue to cook another 2 minutes, being careful not to overcook. These times are just a guideline. If your salmon is really thin and cooking too fast, flip and shorten your cooking time. You will regret cooking it until it is dry. When done, remove to a plate and set aside.
Cook your corn until you have some char and cook your squash, depending on how tick you cut it until you have some grill marks and you can tell it is done because it will become a little translucent. Remove from heat and when cool enough to handle, remove the kernels from the cob reserving for your salad and roll your squash slices up.
When ready to assemble your salad, place the lettuce in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over and toss. Then arrange your other ingredients over your lettuce. I don't toss, I just place each ingredient on top of the lettuce.
Add the 1/2 cup EVOO to a small bowl along with your blue cheese chunks. Whisk slightly to combine and form a dressing. Drizzle a little over the first ingredients, without mixing, then place your salmon on top in each bowl and drizzle the remaining blue cheese dressing. Bon Appetite!

Keyword corn on the cob, grilled salmon, grilled vegetables, salad, salmon, summer, summer squash

Wonderful Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

July 5, 2019 by Becky Spoon

This recipe for Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash is the perfect solution for all that summer squash you have in your garden or that’s available in the grocery store. I didn’t grow squash this year, but I’m telling you, when I do, I am always looking for recipes to use the abundance I have. There’s different varieties of summer squash and this recipe would work with any of them. Here’s a link with the different varieties: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/different-summer-squashes-to-grow.htm

The other day I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with some squash a friend had given us. I remembered my stuffed mushrooms recipe and decided that filling tweaked a little would be the perfect stuffing for this squash and I was right! If you later want to try the stuffed mushrooms, here’s that link: https://the2spoons.com/youll-love-these-stuffed-mushrooms/

Wonderful Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

I actually served this the other day with my . I thought it’d make a nice side dish for my Sunday Pot Roast, but this would be a great side dish for almost any meal or even the main course!! With the mushrooms it would be a hearty meal on its own! Here’s the Sunday Pot Roast recipe if you don’t already have: https://the2spoons.com/the-best-instant-pot-sunday-pot-roast/.

Hope you try this!! Remember, it makes a great no meat meal! It shines and does not have to be a side dish!

Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

10-12 Button or Baby Bella mushrooms, thickly sliced or chopped
2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the tops of the mushrooms
1/2 Cup Finely chopped green onions
1/2 Cup Finely chopped red bell peppers
1/2 Cup Coarse bread crumbs ( I used Panko)
1/2 Cup Parmigiana -reggiano cheese or other Parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup Finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 Tbsp Unsalted butter
1/2 Cup Chicken stock
1/4 Cup Dry white wine, optional
4-6 summwr squash, can be yellow or zucchini, par boiled with the inside scraped out after par boiling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Par boil the squash in boiling water a couple of minutes. Remove from the water, drain and when cool enough to handle, cut in half and scrape the inside of the squash into a bowl. Including the stems, thinly slice or chop the mushrooms.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and cook until wilted, about one minute. Stir in the red peppers and chopped or sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender and they begin to slightly brown and carmalize. Remove and cool, then add to the scraper put squash and combine.
Toss the bread crumbs and grated cheese, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, add to the sautéed vegetables until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of each squash that has been halved with the filling.
Using 2 tablespoons of the butter, grease a 12 X 18 inch low sided baking pan. Add the stock, wine, if using, and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley to the pan. If you like drizzle the top of the squash with olive oil. Bake until the squash are cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve on a warmed platter. Pour the pan juices into a small pan and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Boil until lightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the juices over the squash.

Keyword easy side dish, mushroom stuffed summer squash, side dish, summer squash

Sunday Pot Roast — Mushroom Stuffed Summer Squash

Delicious – Two Squash Casserole

March 2, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I saw this recipe, Two Squash Casserole in the magazine Garden and Gun, which is full of old Southern recipes. It sounded so good that I had to try. I’m sure glad I did, because I really liked it!

This Casserole is Cheesy with a crunchy topping of crushed ritz crackers and crushed onion rings! Yum!

So when you have all the over abundance of squash this summer, try this recipe!

Delicious – Two Squash Casserole

This recipe would be a great side dish for my Meatloaf with a Creole Sauce: Here’s the link: https://the2spoons.com/so-good-easy-meatloaf-with-a-creole-sauce/

Hope you enjoy!

Delicious – Two Squash Casserole with a Buttery Ritz Cracker Topping

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 Lbs Yellow squash
1 Lb Zucchini
6 Tbsp Butter, divided
1 Large onion, diced
1 Bell pepper, diced
1 Cup Sour cream
1 1/2 Cups grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp Dora’s Savanna Seasoning
1 Cup Crushed ritz crackers
1/2 Cup Canned dried fried onions, crushed

Dora’s Savanna Seasoning

1/3 Cup Lawry’s seasoning salt
1/4 Cup Salt
2 Tsps Garlic powder
1 Tbsp Black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put the squash and zucchini in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer just a few minutes, until the squash is tender. Drain well and let it cool, then dry the squash between two towels or paper towels. (It’s important to drain and pat the squash dry, so the casserole isn’t too soupy.)
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, 6-7 minutes.
Scrape the onions and peppers into a large mixing bowl. Add the squashes, sour cream, cheese, and seasoning and stir to mix well. Spread in a 9-by-7-inch or 8-inch-square casserole dish.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, fried onions, and butter and mix well. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Delicious Two Squash Casserole
Delicious Two Squash Casserole

This Squash Casserole recipe came from the cookbook: A Real Southern Cook in Her Savanna Kitchen by Dora Clark. Here’s a link to her cookbook: https://amzn.to/2udlSxG