You Are What You Eat

OMG!
Cast iron skillets are the BEST for cooking nearly EVERYTHING.
IMHO

Judi Kay

 

you can ruin one in a minnit, but you can also re-season it easily. It just won't die, and unlike overheated teflon, emits no poisonous gasses.
Most people don't even know teflon shouldn't be heated over 500 degrees F. If you have birds in the house; they'll die. Not good for you either.

 

Summer squash are popular and versatile vegetables served in a variety of ways in the South. Most Southerner cooks have an arsenal of squash recipes and are constantly looking for new squash recipes, since squash grow quite prolifically when in season.
Summer squash are thin skinned squash as opposed to the winter squash which are thicker skin and more like pumpkin in terms of cooking. Both summer and winter squash are available in an almost endless variety of shapes and colors. The most common summer squash in the South, however, are the yellow and zucchini types. Other varieties can be substituted in recipes calling for summer squash, so a white patty pan squash, for instance, can easily be substituted for the yellow or zucchini in a recipe.
Skillet Chicken and Summer Squash is one of many main dish Southern recipes for squash. The recipe is quick and easy and on the stove top so does not heat up the kitchen like some of the casserole recipes. It's also light and healthy but still makes a satisfying and filling dinner dish.
Chicken and Summer Squash Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper (fresh ground is very good)
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 2 ½ TBS olive oil
• ½ cup chicken broth (canned or homemade)
• 1 small zucchini squash
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 bell pepper (various colors add visual interest)
• 1 TBS basil
• Grated parmesan cheese to taste

1. Remove any extra fat from the chicken breasts with a sharp knife.
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet until medium hot.
4. Cook chicken in oil until browned on both sides (takes around 10 minutes).
5. Reduce heat to low and pour chicken broth over chicken.
6. Put lid on skillet and simmer on low for around 20 minutes.
7. Chop squash and pepper into bite-sized chunks and add to chicken mixture and then sprinkle with basil.
8. Put lid back on skillet and cook until vegetables are tender. Use a fork to check doneness and cook to preferred tenderness or softness. A good ballpark time is 3 to 5 minutes for tender but still crispy squash.
9. Pour mixture onto a serving platter and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese or have cheese available so that everyone can add cheese as desired.

1. Remove any extra fat from the chicken breasts with a sharp knife.
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet until medium hot.
4. Cook chicken in oil until browned on both sides (takes around 10 minutes).
5. Reduce heat to low and pour chicken broth over chicken.
6. Put lid on skillet and simmer on low for around 20 minutes.
7. Chop squash and pepper into bite-sized chunks and add to chicken mixture and then sprinkle with basil.
8. Put lid back on skillet and cook until vegetables are tender. Use a fork to check doneness and cook to preferred tenderness or softness. A good ballpark time is 3 to 5 minutes for tender but still crispy squash.
9. Pour mixture onto a serving platter and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese or have cheese available so that everyone can add cheese as desired.

Read more: http://southerncuisine.suite101.com...nd_summer_squash_skillet_recipe#ixzz0TXVtXlON
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Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup

"Simple to prepare, delicious tomato-basil soup. Great for an easy lunch served with bread or grilled cheese!"
INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 3 pounds tomatoes - cored, peeled, and quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 sprigs fresh basil for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Mix in tomatoes and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 15 minutes.
2. Transfer soup to a blender (or use an immersible hand blender), and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and gradually mix in the heavy cream. Pour soup through a strainer before serving. Garnish each serving with a sprig of basil.

FOOTNOTES

• If tomatoes are not in season, good canned tomatoes are better than mediocre fresh ones!
• Peel fresh tomatoes by making a small 'X' on the bottom and dunking in boiling hot water for 15-30 seconds. The skin should slip off easily.