![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
recipecommunityYesterday we found patty pan squash, which I've been wanting to try. So today we made this. :D It turned out delicious.
"Santorini Stir-Fry with Chicken and Patty Pan Squash"
Ingredients:
For the stir-fry:
2 patty pan squashes (about palm size)
half a sweet onion, diced
half a 1.25 pound package of boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon light olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon Santorini Citrus Seasoning
1-2 teaspoons tapioca starch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon full-flavor olive oil
Directions:
Cut the ends off the patty pan squashes. Set each squash on one flat end, then cut into 1/4" thick slices. Cut down the slices into bite-sized pieces. Take care not to cut too small, because this is a delicate summer squash and can cook down to slush if it's in tiny pieces. Put the pieces in a bowl and set aside.
Put 1 tablespoon light olive oil in a wok or electric skillet and turn it on.
While the olive oil is heating, dice half a sweet onion. Save the other half for a different recipe. Put the onion bits in the wok. Stir to keep the bits from sticking.
Chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. You need 1-2 thighs per person. I made this as a 2-person recipe, so half of a 1.25 pound package is about right.
When the onion bits just start to turn translucent, and before they're anywhere near done, add the squash chunks. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over everything.
The onion will keep cooking while the squash cooks. Pay close attention because the pieces from the middle that are mostly seed and flesh will cook faster, while the ones with more rind will cook slower. Summer squash rind is edible and full of vitamins, so don't peel it off.
When the squash is mostly tender but not quite fully done, scrape it toward the sides of the wok and dump the chicken chunks in the middle. Stir the chicken around the middle until it's mostly white on the outside. Then mix it into the vegetables. Keep stirring until the chicken is close to done.
In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon Santorini Citrus Seasoning, 1-2 teaspoons tapioca starch, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon full-flavor olive oil.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Stir everything together and keep it moving while the sauce thickens. When the chicken is cooked through, scoop everything out and serve it hot. You can put it over pasta or rice if you wish, but I felt that it worked fine by itself. This recipe makes 2 servings.
Notes:
Patty pan is a small summer squash shaped like a flying saucer. It is usually yellow, sometimes green or white, and occasionally bicolored. It is edible from around silver-dollar size to hand size. If you find the tiny ones, get enough to make about 1 1/2 cups of chunks. You can just cut the ends off and cut them in halves or quarters. While all the summer squashes can pretty much swap in for each other, patty pan stands out as the best "vegetable" squash of the bunch, as opposed to "grate this and use it as an ingredient." It has a buttery, slightly sweet flavor and more character than most others. The recipe will work with yellow squash or zucchini, but will taste better with patty pan.
Sweet onions such as Walla Walla or Vidalia have lots of fiber and vitamins, but little or no heat. They work great in stir-fries.
Chicken thighs are richer and juicier than chicken breast, but you can use breast meat if you prefer. Vegans may use tofu or more vegetables instead.
Olive oil has many health benefits, and comes in many types. Light olive oil is pale, has little or no flavor, and is refined to remove impurities. This gives it a high smoke point and makes it ideal for cooking at high temperatures such as for stir-frying. Extra-virgin olive oil tends toward golden or green hues with plenty of flavor. It has a lower smoke point, so it's not good for high-temperature cooking. Use this as a finishing oil, salad oil, or other applications where you want the flavor to shine. Olive oil ranges from cheap to expensive. For extra-virgin olive oil, choose something you like and can appreciate; many people lean toward the middle of the price range.
Sea salt has far more minerals than table salt. If you can't find sea salt, then table salt or kosher salt will do.
Santorini Citrus Seasoning comes from Grove Stone. It includes thyme, Mediterranean oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, orange zest, lemon zest, and fennel. So if you don't have any, you can mix something from those. Another Greek or Italian seasoning blend should also work if that's what you have. Bear in mind that this recipe's main ingredients have delicate flavors, so take care not to overwhelm them.
Tapioca starch forms a slightly sweet, glossy goo when wet and makes an excellent thickener. It lacks the pasty flavor of corn starch or wheat flour. Suit the consistency to your preference. I used 1 tablespoon in the first batch of this stir-fry and decided that was a bit too gooey, so try 1-2 teaspoons.
Worcestershire sauce is a dark fish sauce made with anchovies. It adds savory depth to the flavors. It has its roots in Roman fish sauces, and thus works well for Mediterranean cuisine. However, soy sauce or tamari will work if you prefer a vegan option. Avoid "vegan Worcestershire" which is not the real thing and doesn't taste the same.
Lime juice adds a bright, acidic flavor to the dish. I originally intended to use lemon but we didn't have any. Orange would probably work too. If you wish, you could use the zest and juice of a fresh citrus fruit.
This recipe is pretty flexible. It should work with a variety of summer vegetables. You could use turkey or diced pork instead of chicken. To go vegan, omit the chicken and use tofu or extra vegetables.
The result was a sprightly dish that really showcased summer flavors. We enjoyed it a great deal and will likely make it again when we find patty pans.
"Santorini Stir-Fry with Chicken and Patty Pan Squash"
Ingredients:
For the stir-fry:
2 patty pan squashes (about palm size)
half a sweet onion, diced
half a 1.25 pound package of boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon light olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon Santorini Citrus Seasoning
1-2 teaspoons tapioca starch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon full-flavor olive oil
Directions:
Cut the ends off the patty pan squashes. Set each squash on one flat end, then cut into 1/4" thick slices. Cut down the slices into bite-sized pieces. Take care not to cut too small, because this is a delicate summer squash and can cook down to slush if it's in tiny pieces. Put the pieces in a bowl and set aside.
Put 1 tablespoon light olive oil in a wok or electric skillet and turn it on.
While the olive oil is heating, dice half a sweet onion. Save the other half for a different recipe. Put the onion bits in the wok. Stir to keep the bits from sticking.
Chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. You need 1-2 thighs per person. I made this as a 2-person recipe, so half of a 1.25 pound package is about right.
When the onion bits just start to turn translucent, and before they're anywhere near done, add the squash chunks. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over everything.
The onion will keep cooking while the squash cooks. Pay close attention because the pieces from the middle that are mostly seed and flesh will cook faster, while the ones with more rind will cook slower. Summer squash rind is edible and full of vitamins, so don't peel it off.
When the squash is mostly tender but not quite fully done, scrape it toward the sides of the wok and dump the chicken chunks in the middle. Stir the chicken around the middle until it's mostly white on the outside. Then mix it into the vegetables. Keep stirring until the chicken is close to done.
In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon Santorini Citrus Seasoning, 1-2 teaspoons tapioca starch, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon full-flavor olive oil.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Stir everything together and keep it moving while the sauce thickens. When the chicken is cooked through, scoop everything out and serve it hot. You can put it over pasta or rice if you wish, but I felt that it worked fine by itself. This recipe makes 2 servings.
Notes:
Patty pan is a small summer squash shaped like a flying saucer. It is usually yellow, sometimes green or white, and occasionally bicolored. It is edible from around silver-dollar size to hand size. If you find the tiny ones, get enough to make about 1 1/2 cups of chunks. You can just cut the ends off and cut them in halves or quarters. While all the summer squashes can pretty much swap in for each other, patty pan stands out as the best "vegetable" squash of the bunch, as opposed to "grate this and use it as an ingredient." It has a buttery, slightly sweet flavor and more character than most others. The recipe will work with yellow squash or zucchini, but will taste better with patty pan.
Sweet onions such as Walla Walla or Vidalia have lots of fiber and vitamins, but little or no heat. They work great in stir-fries.
Chicken thighs are richer and juicier than chicken breast, but you can use breast meat if you prefer. Vegans may use tofu or more vegetables instead.
Olive oil has many health benefits, and comes in many types. Light olive oil is pale, has little or no flavor, and is refined to remove impurities. This gives it a high smoke point and makes it ideal for cooking at high temperatures such as for stir-frying. Extra-virgin olive oil tends toward golden or green hues with plenty of flavor. It has a lower smoke point, so it's not good for high-temperature cooking. Use this as a finishing oil, salad oil, or other applications where you want the flavor to shine. Olive oil ranges from cheap to expensive. For extra-virgin olive oil, choose something you like and can appreciate; many people lean toward the middle of the price range.
Sea salt has far more minerals than table salt. If you can't find sea salt, then table salt or kosher salt will do.
Santorini Citrus Seasoning comes from Grove Stone. It includes thyme, Mediterranean oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, orange zest, lemon zest, and fennel. So if you don't have any, you can mix something from those. Another Greek or Italian seasoning blend should also work if that's what you have. Bear in mind that this recipe's main ingredients have delicate flavors, so take care not to overwhelm them.
Tapioca starch forms a slightly sweet, glossy goo when wet and makes an excellent thickener. It lacks the pasty flavor of corn starch or wheat flour. Suit the consistency to your preference. I used 1 tablespoon in the first batch of this stir-fry and decided that was a bit too gooey, so try 1-2 teaspoons.
Worcestershire sauce is a dark fish sauce made with anchovies. It adds savory depth to the flavors. It has its roots in Roman fish sauces, and thus works well for Mediterranean cuisine. However, soy sauce or tamari will work if you prefer a vegan option. Avoid "vegan Worcestershire" which is not the real thing and doesn't taste the same.
Lime juice adds a bright, acidic flavor to the dish. I originally intended to use lemon but we didn't have any. Orange would probably work too. If you wish, you could use the zest and juice of a fresh citrus fruit.
This recipe is pretty flexible. It should work with a variety of summer vegetables. You could use turkey or diced pork instead of chicken. To go vegan, omit the chicken and use tofu or extra vegetables.
The result was a sprightly dish that really showcased summer flavors. We enjoyed it a great deal and will likely make it again when we find patty pans.
