My favorite way to cook summer squash and zucchini! Magic with Squash: Calabacitas! “It’s easy to do magic with vegetables! Throw a pumpkin up into the air and it will come down squash!”- Zerbo Boillenger Calabacitas, which literally means “little squashes,” is one of my favorite Mexican or Southwest dishes, both to cook and to eat. When you find yourself with an abundance of summer squash- zucchini, yellow crookneck, young patty pan, etc.- whip up a tasty batch of calabacitas and serve either as a side dish (topped with avocado, sour cream and sliced black olives) or rolled in a corn or wheat flour tortilla as an enchilada or burrito, respectively. Quick to prepare, always delicious (try the variations!) and a colorful addition to take to a pot-luck or family gathering (serve in a colorful Mexican bowl), you’ll find this dish one you’ll make often. Savor the magic of fresh veggies! Calabacitas (serves 4) • ½ red onion, chopped • 2 Tbs. olive oil • 4 tomatoes, chopped • 2 cups diced or half-moon slices zucchini, yellow or other summer squash • 1 cup whole kernal corn (frozen or fresh) • 1 or 2 mild chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced • 1 tsp. blended chili powder • 1tsp. Cumin (comino) powder • Juice of 2 limes • 1 cup grated non-dairy Monterey jack or cheddar cheese (optional) Heat a large, heavy skillet to medium-high and add the oil and onions. Saute’ the onions in the oil or braise with the tomatoes until soft and tender. Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese), cover, and cook about 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender but still just slightly firm in the center. Top with the cheese, if desired, and serve hot. Garnish with lime wedges and avocado and, perhaps, a little raw grated red and green cabbage as a salad/garnish. Enjoy! Variations: • Saute’ some mushrooms (button, shiitake or Portobello) along with the onion. • Add some nopalitos (cooked prickly pear cactus pads, available jarred) for a wonderful new flavor! • For the more adventurous, add hotter chiles or hot salsa or Tabasco. (Best to add these individually rather than to the whole dish!) • Mix in 1 cup cooked pinto, Anasazi, Tepary, black or kidney beans for a wonderful one-pot meal! Serve with hot corn or flour tortillas, or over corn bread! • Roll almost cooked calabacitas in a corn tortilla and place in a baking dish. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake in a 350 (F.) oven for about 25 minutes. Yum! • Wrap the calabacitas (with some cheese, if desired) mixed with rice in a flour tortilla and serve as a burrito. • Lightly brown the burrito in a little olive oil until slightly crispy on all sides as a chimichanga.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 20:01:53 +0000