Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

by Jill St. George on Feb 16, 2012

Even though zucchini isn’t in season, I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had to give  it a try. Zucchini is such a great vegetable, and so versatile – you can grill it, fry it, bake it, steam it or eat it raw. I can’t wait for the Farmers Market to start up again this spring.

This was so easy to make and turned out great. It’s a little rich though, so I’d use it as a side dish. It would be a great compliment to steak.

Ingredients:

3 large zucchini

1/2 cup onions

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs basil

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 cup Mozerella cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch rounds and then slice in half. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, olive oil, basil, and garlic. In another small bowl, combine both cheeses. Split the mixture in half (you will have two – 3/4 cups of cheese). Set one aside. Add 3/4 cup of cheese mixture to zucchini. Add salt and pepper. Stir until mixture is evenly distributed. Pour into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 10 minutes until top is golden brown. Serve hot.

Sliced zucchini.

Cheesy baked zucchini - yum.

Dutch? German? Or just plain yummy!

by Jill St. George on Feb 10, 2012

Have you ever tried a Dutch baby? …also known as a German pancake? Am I confusing you?

Well they are delicious, and one of my all-time favorite breakfast treats. It’s kind of a like a big, puffy custard pancake, topped with lemon and powder sugar. Or you can also top them with fruit and whip cream. Either way, they are very yummy and kids love them.

Go Blonde?

by Jill St. George on Feb 7, 2012

Starbucks Blonde Veranda Blend

Starbucks new Veranda blend is, well blonde. Which describes it perfectly. To be honest, I’m somewhat new to the coffee scene, but I could definitely tell that it’s a lighter version of the Starbucks coffee I normally drink.

I bought a small bag of the ground blonde roast so that I could try it out at home. I’m a creamer junkie, so I wanted to find out if I could use less creamer with the Veranda blend – which was exactly the case. It’s a lighter, mellower coffee, which requires less cream.

It’s probably a little light for the hard-core coffee drinkers. I’d describe it more as a “summer” coffee. But it is indeed delicious.

Another best kept secret found in Yakima.

by Jill St. George on Feb 6, 2012

Jerk chicken with rice and vegetables.

I think I may have found one of Yakima’s best kept little secrets. Tucked away in an old boxcar in the Track 29 mall sits the Hummingbird Cafe.

I had no idea how much I’d love Jamaican food until I tried it for the first time over the weekend. So I started with something I knew I’d probably like: the jerk chicken with rice and veggies. And it was seriously awesome! There was a huge piece of chicken so tender you could run your fork through it and the side of vegetables had the yummiest flavor. And the tea – OMG. I am a huge tea drinker, but I had never had iced tea like this before – seriously. I can’t describe the flavor, you just have to try it.

Ch-ch-ch-chia!

by Jill St. George on Feb 1, 2012

This might seem odd, but the seeds you once used to grow “hair” on the head of a clay animal, are actually the new superfood. According to Dr. Oz, they contain 500% more calcium than milk and the same amount of omega-3s as wild salmon. They are rich in protein and fiber and suppress appetite, while fighting cancer. Sound too good to be true? I know, I thought so too, until I did my research. 

The holidays are past…more reason to celebrate with bubbly!

by Robin Salts Beckett on Jan 30, 2012

My friend Brenda shot this photo of my Framboise Sherbet with her neato iPhone ... love the tiny spoon!

This weekend a good friend threw an indoor “tag sale” (read: yard sale) at Treveri Cellars on 2nd Street. If you haven’t been there, Treveri is a relatively new winery in Yakima that makes some tasty sparkling wines (I’d call them “champagnes,” but France would object). In addition to pouring each of its varieties, Treveri’s tasting room also offers up special concoctions – call them grown-up smoothies.  After purchasing my third set of white dishes from my friend, I plopped down at one of their comfy tables and chatted with another pal over a Framboise Sherbet (shown above). What a great Sunday!

Treveri has a few other special drinks too – I saw someone sipping Treveri’s version of a Mojito, with the mint leaves muddled into a champagne glass instead of a pounder. So much classier.  And delicious!

Treveri Cellars

225 S. Second Ave.

Yakima • 509-248-0200

trevericellars.com