Easy Zucchini And Corn Pasta

End of summer cooking means visiting local farms selling sweet corn and backyard gardens bursting with zucchini. It's such a joy to be in the kitchen with the abundance of seasonal produce. Fresh, fast and flavorful food is made in minutes. Healthy meals come together without much fuss. I'm sharing another one of my favorite summery dinners with you again. Chewy-pasta with tender-crisp zucchini, pops of sweet corn and a good amount of herbs.

Thai Chickpea, Vegetable And Potato Curry

Lately I've been hearing a lot about Blue Zones. Regions of the world where vegetable and bean dishes are consumed regularly. These areas are populated by healthy humans who live very long lives. Since I love chickpeas, I thought I'd create my own variety of a Blue Zone dinner tonight.

This Thai inspired vegetable and bean curry is mild and mellow. Creamy coconut milk and hearty potatoes make it very satisfying. Everything is simmered in one pot for ease of preparation. 

Summer Squash With Thai Coconut-Chil Sauce

Fresh, light, easy and tasty....this is summer eating at its best. Quickly roasted to bring out the sweet flavors, a generous platter of patty pan squash and zucchini is served with a cool and creamy coconut sauce. The Thai-inspired sauce is spiked with chili, lime, ginger and basil. Enjoy this lovely dish over rice for a light lunch or dinner. Serve it alongside fish or chicken. The sauce alone is great on almost anything.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Oh these muffins! They have a deep, double-chocolate, sinfully good flavor, with melty chocolate chips and a moist texture. They're a chocolate lovers dream because not only do they taste rich and scrumptious, they're made with Greek yogurt, zucchini and unsweetened applesauce. 

Mediterranean Eggplant Stew

Being Lebanese, I’m a huge eggplant lover.  We prepare eggplants in a variety of delicious ways.  So, I was thrilled to find just about every kind of eggplant known to man at my local Italian market. Craving something along the lines of ratatouille, I pulled out my trusty Le Creuset Dutch oven and got to work on creating this savory stew.  This is a healthy, filling and comforting stew that can be eaten with a side of crusty whole grain bread. Alternatively, it can be served over creamy polenta, couscous, mashed potatoes, rice, gnocchi, ravioli, bulgar wheat, quinoa or pasta. Grilled cheese sandwiches or garlic bread would be great with it too. It’s a wonderful sidekick for a plain quiche or fluffy scrambled eggs. It’s good eaten hot or at room temperature.If you so desire, add chopped chicken to it or a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas and cook as directed. Some toasted pine nuts and/or Nicoise olives are also welcome here. I like to finish it off with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Warm spices, common to Lebanese cooking, deepen the flavor of this stew. 

Chickpea and Zucchini Fritters

I found a wonderful Donna Hay recipe, tweaked it just a little bit, making it a tad spicy. A tiny chili pepper is added for heat. I love the spicy, slightly tropical flavor of tiny Thai peppers. They come in red and green. I find them in my regular supermarket. If you can't find Thai peppers, use a little minced jalapeno pepper instead. Dill and lemon lend freshness. There's a nice balance of flavors and textures going on here. I just love these fritters! I hope you do too!