Zucchini Ribbons Romesco

Moms in bikinis. Discuss.

I've never given much thought to what moms wear to the pool during summertime until I became a mom myself. This is because 1. I generally do not have an opinion about what others choose to wear. {Or not wear. I'm talking to you, Speedo-clad 70-year-old on the beach. Rock on.} and 2. I have more important things to ponder.

But recently, I became friends with a group of women with children around Cole's age and we started having play dates at the pool. {Which, YAY, play dates within walking distance.} The first time I met up with them, I arrived to find that all of the "pool moms" had definitive "mom swimsuits" on, while I wore a two piece. Suddenly, my lack of attention to such details became an acute awareness of my own body and I sort of wanted to wrap myself in an oversized beach towel and hide behind a palm tree.

No one said anything to me, or even looked at me funny that I could tell. But it just got me to thinking: Once you're a mom, are you expected to make "the switch" to a one piece bathing suit? And, more importantly, did someone forget to send me the memo?

As a result, I polled a few non-moms {i.e. my husband and a close friend who doesn't have kids yet}, and both parties saw nothing wrong with my choice of swimwear. I was, however, left with enough doubt that I did a little window shopping in the one piece section at Target, only to leave empty handed. {There are some cute choices, just none that warranted spending the money on.}

I'm just gonna tell it like it is: I don't have superb body image. Like most women, I notice every wrinkle, dimple, droop, sag, stretch and bulge. But I also feel like pregnancy didn't "ruin" my body enough to have to cover it all up behind yards of stretchy fabric. The moms wearing the one pieces looked like beautiful, healthy women to me, and I wonder if their swimsuit choices were fueled by modesty, expectations or something else altogether. If I did dive into the world of one piece suits, it would be more because I want to feel "appropriate."

{As a side note, I have another group of girlfriends with small children -- and amazing bodies -- who shamelessly wear their trendy, two-piece and itty-bitty bikinis, so maybe that's why I had never given it a second thought.}

What do you think? {Please don't make me sorry I asked!}

I think we should think less about poolside fashion choices and more about food. Because that's a department where I feel totally comfortable.

I can't tell you what kind of swimwear is appropriate for the summer, but I can tell you that this zucchini dish is perfect for the occasion.

Summertime is a fantastic time to make the switch from pasta to "zoodles" {zucchini noodles}. In this dish, I skipped the spiralizer and turned to my trusty {and dangerous -- I almost lost a finger a few weeks ago} mandolin to make pappardelle-like strips that are hearty enough to fill in for a carby alternative without causing the bloat and belly. If you don't own a madolin, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the long strips.

The Romesco sauce is so ridiculously easy that it will become a go-to to toss with pasta and veggies or drizzle over meat. The toasted nuts in the sauce give it a nice texture and the smoked paprika gives it a great, smoky flavor. I added some Kalamata olives to the dish for an extra pop of saltiness.

Just one bite and I think you'll agree that this is a fantastic dish for the summer, whether you're enjoying it while covered up or "al fresco." :)

Zucchini Ribbons Romesco
Sauce recipe adapted from Bon Apetit 
Makes 2 large servings, and about 2 cups of sauce

2 medium zucchinis {thinner ones, if possible}
About 1/3 cup jarred roasted red pepper
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons roasted almonds
2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts*
4 pearl tomatoes {or 2 medium Roma tomatoes}
2 tablespoons vinegar, preferably red or white wine {or fresh lemon juice}
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped black or kalamata olives

1. Using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler, create long, thin strips with the zucchini. Set aside until ready to cook.

2. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the roasted red pepper, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, tomatoes, vinegar, smoked paprika, cayenne and salt by pulsing until chunky.

3. Open the feed spout and pour in the olive oil while pulsing, and blend until not quite smooth. {You want it to have some texture.}

4. In a large skillet over medium high heat, place zucchini strips and about 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid {or an overturned plate large enough to place over the top} and allow the zucchini to steam for about 3-4 minutes. Uncover and allow most of the water to cook off.**

5. Pour in about half of the Romesco sauce, and gently shake the pan to toss with the zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes more just to warm the sauce through and allow the zucchini to become "floppy". Add olives and toss to combine. Serve immediately {with a sprinkle of cheese, if desired}.

*If you don't have hazelnuts, you can simply double the amount of almonds.
** Zucchini gives off a lot of water and can dilute sauces easily. I've found that by cooking off some of the liquid they give after steaming, the final product is less watery. Serving right away also helps.

Caramelized Onion & Bacon Dressing

Salad dressing is one of those things that people tend to have strong preferences about.

On the side. Tossed with lettuce.

Rich and creamy. Light vinaigrette.

Just a drizzle. Glopped on.

And don't even get me started on you die-hard "Ranch on everything" people!

Though I like a variety of dressings and vinaigrettes, homemade dressings always beat out the competition for me. The benefits of making your own dressings at home are obvious -- you can customize them to your liking and adjust the seasonings, quality of ingredients and even fat content.

I've become a big fan of yogurt-based salad dressings with their tart and creamy flavor. So, when the opportunity popped up to create my own yogurt dressing using Stonyfield Organic, I didn't have to think twice about it. Well, that's not entirely true. Have you ever thought about how many flavor combinations you can create for salad dressing?!

I ended up going with a combo that always works together: Caramelized Onion & Bacon. Instead of dressing a plain salad with this creamy, savory dressing, I drizzled it over arugula... perched on top of a Cheddar, Pear & Pecan Flatbread. Yum.

I left my version of this dressing on the thicker side {which actually makes it a great dip for crudites or pita chips}, but you can thin it out for easier pouring if you prefer, or use regular plain yogurt instead of Greek-style.

Don't stop at just one homemade dressing in your cooking repertoire! Check out these other yogurt-based dressings over on The Cookful, including this sweet and tangy Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing!

Disclosure: I was given coupons and compensation for the ingredients needed to create this recipe. As always, all opinions here are my own. :)

Caramelized Onion & Bacon Dressing

1/2 cup caramelized onion* {I used red onion but you can use whatever you'd like}
1 cup Stonyfield Greek Yogurt {I used the whole milk kind}
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 to 3 slices of crisply cooked bacon, crumbled

1. Combine caramelized onions, yogurt and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

2. Stir in crispy bacon. Season to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

For Flatbread:

1 flatbread base, such as lavash, naan bread or store bought crust
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, such as Cabot
1/2 a pear, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped candied pecans {or regular pecans}
1/2 cup arugula leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place lavash or flatbread crust on a baking pan lined with foil. Drizzle bread with olive oil and brush to coat. Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

2. Remove from oven and top with cheese, pear slices, and candied pecans. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and bubble in spots. {You'll want the pears to cook and soften a bit, too.}

3. Remove from oven and cool slightly before topping with arugula and drizzling with Caramelized Onion & Bacon Dressing.

*To caramelize onions, simply add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan, add thinly sliced onion and cook them down over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the onions are very soft and turn a deep golden color. If they begin to burn to stick to the pan, add a little bit of stock of your choice, water or wine to the pan and continue to cook until the onions are ready and the liquid is completely evaporated.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

I had a flat of blueberries delivered to my door last week. That's 12 pints. Almost 10 pounds. Of blueberries.

The longer I blog, the more crazy tales I have of things that are mailed to me. The delivery truck drivers who are assigned to my house probably either think I'm crazy or that the person who lives at my address looks like Jabba the Hutt. Depending on the day, they're probably half right. 

The absolute sweethearts at Wish Farms were kind enough to gift a flat of blueberries to each member of the winning team for the #Hashed competition I mentioned in my Food Wine Conference recap earlier this week. They also shipped a flat of blueberries to the winners of the Blueberry Toss contest I entered, so in a way, I'm glad I didn't win or I would have blueberries coming out the wazoo. {As a side note, though I didn't win, they did include my recipe submission on the Wish Farms site, which I thought was pretty cool!}

As you can imagine, we have all been eating LOTS of blueberries around here. Even Farley. And luckily, Cole has become quite fond of blueberries as a snack, so he's been helping out, too. 

But we still have about 6 pints left after snacking, smoothie-ing and baking all week, so I knew it was time to come up with another recipe for blueberry consumption. With this weekend being Memorial Day Weekend and all, and so many folks taking to their backyards to grill with family and friends, I thought I'd rework an old recipe that could add a special touch to otherwise ordinary grilling.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce! 

Not only is it patriotic to add a touch of blue to your red and white {meats}, but it's also a nice way to sweeten up the day with an unexpected twist that guests will appreciate.

I first posted a version of this recipe 4 years ago {!}, during one of my Tailgate Thursday posts. Back then I used to start by making a strained blueberry syrup, and later adding it to the rest of the ingredients. But that was back when I used to have more time and less children {fury and human} tugging on my apron strings, so I changed things around a bit for this version, and I actually like it better!

My first blueberry bbq sauce attempt back in 2012. 

Blueberries and sauteed onion, garlic and dried herbs make an excellent sweet and savory team, while vinegar and hot sauce give that zip and zing that perks up your taste buds. {I used a combination of Raspberry Wine Vinegar and Chardonnay Vinegar this time, and it really enhanced the berry flavor, but if you don't have those, just use regular red wine vinegar and it should still turn out great!} I blended my sauce in the food processor for a smoother consistency, but if you don't mind some blueberry skins and onion pieces, feel free to keep it chunky.

Whether you slather this sauce on ribs, toss it with chicken wings or dab it onto your burger, you'll be happy you tried something new! Have a safe and happy weekend, and don't forget to pause and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country! 

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

1 pint blueberries
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2 strips of lemon zest {just peel with a vegetable peeler avoiding the white pith}
4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, minced

2 large garlic cloves, grated

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup red wine vinegar 

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Combine the blueberries, water, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer until reduced by about half, stopping to smash the berries every now and again. {This takes awhile -- about 15-20 minutes. When it's ready the bubbles will be slower and the liquid will be thickened slightly.} Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in another saucepan or in a medium pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Sprinkle in sage and thyme, and cook for another minute or so. Stir in vinegar, hot sauce, and the blueberry mixture and bring to a bubble, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for another 6-8 minutes until the mixture has thickened a bit. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

5. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency. {Or don't if you want a chunky sauce.} DO NOT blend boiling hot liquids as they can blow the top right off of your blender!

Pour into a jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: Remember that since this sauce has a higher sugar content, it will burn easily if cooked over high heat.