Today we have two readers hankering for three items:
* Recipes using frozen cooked shrimp.
* Food processor whole-wheat pizza dough.
* Other healthful, hearty breads made in the food processor.
Marilyn Hoke saw the request for a tomato pie that uses no mayo or sour cream and sent this as her favorite dish to make all summer long.
Tomato Pie
5 to 7 thick tomato slices
1 pie shell, uncooked
Softened butter
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil
Fresh chives
Salt
Pepper
Peel and thickly slice tomatoes. Salt and drain on paper towels. Prepare the pie shell and bake. After it has cooled, rub softened butter on the bottom of the shell. Mix the cheeses together. Put 1/2 the cheese mixture on the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange the tomato slices on the cheese. Sprinkle the tomatoes with pepper, chopped basil and chives. Top with remaining cheese and a little more basil. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Camille of Hixson is a new resident. She sent recipes to fill the requests for stuffed squash and cucumbers.
Stuffed Yellow Squash for Two
This recipe may be doubled or tripled, put together up to a day ahead and refrigerated. Just heat to serve.
2 medium-sized (about 6 ounces each) yellow or other summer squash
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons instant minced onion
4 round buttery crackers (like Ritz), crushed
Paprika
Heat oven to 350 F. Have ready a dish that is safe in the microwave and in the regular oven. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side up in a microwave-safe baking dish with thicker ends toward edges. Sprinkle with salt. Add 2 tablespoons water to dish. Cover with lid or vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high 5 to 7 minutes, rotating dish 1/2-turn once, until squash is tender when pierced. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
With a small spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash into a small bowl, leaving a thin shell. Add 1 tablespoon butter, the onion and cracker crumbs to the bowl with the squash and mash together with a fork until well blended. Stuff into squash shells. Arrange in ovenproof baking dish. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until hot.
Black Bean, Orange and Cucumber Salad
This salad tastes best at room temperature.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans
2 cucumbers (about 8 ounces each)
4 navel oranges or 3 cans mandarin oranges
1/3 cup chopped red onion or scallions (optional)
Whisk oil, lemon juice and salt in a serving bowl until blended. Drain beans, rinse well and drain again. Add to bowl. Peel, seed and dice cucumbers. Add to bowl. Add well-drained mandarin oranges or, if using navel oranges, peel and remove white pith. Separate into sections, then dice. Add to bowl along with chopped onion.
Toss gently to mix and coat (you don’t want the black beans to burst and discolor the oranges and cucumbers). Cover and refrigerate if not serving within an hour or two.
Sesame Cucumber Salad
8 cups thin-sliced cucumbers
1 tablespoon salt
2 green onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Place cucumbers in a colander. Set the colander on a plate; sprinkle cucumbers with salt and toss. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well. In a bowl combine onions, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sesame seeds and cayenne. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Until next week …