Mashed Potato Patties

I made these for dinner the other night, and they were an instant hit. This comes from the Galveston County Junior League's Beachside to Boardwalk cookbook. Makes 8 patties.

4 cups mashed cooked potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 egg
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see note below)
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

NOTE: The flour is for coating the outside of the patties. I can't imagine how they used 1 1/2 cups! I used a combination of whole wheat flour and almond meal and only used about 3/4 cup total. 

GLUTEN FREE NOTE: Use almond meal instead of the flour.

Combine the mashed potatoes, onion, garlic, bell pepper, egg and cheese in a bowl and mix well. Shape into large balls. Roll in the flour (or almond meal) and then flatten into patties 1/2 inch thick. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium to high heat. Add the patties. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Zucchini Lasagna

Don't let the title fool you; this is not a vegetarian dish by any means! But it's really tasty. This comes from the Fix-It and Enjoy-It! cookbook. Makes 6-8 servings. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cooking/baking time: 55 minutes.

6 cups sliced raw zucchini, unpeeled
1 pound ground beef
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs, plain or herb-flavored
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

GLUTEN FREE NOTE: Replace the bread crumbs with almond meal (unless you have another preferred substitute).

1. Spread slices of zucchini into a long microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 minutes. Stir. Cover, return to microwave and cook on high for an additional 3 1/2 minutes. Stir. Cover, return to microwave and cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes more. Drain zucchini and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in large stockpot, brown ground beef. Drain off drippings.
3. Add tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder, cottage cheese, egg, bread crumbs, cheddar cheese and cooked zucchini to browned beef in stockpot. Stir gently together until well mixed. 
4. Spoon mixture into greased 7x11 baking dish.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25 minutes.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over lasagna. Return to oven and continue baking 20 more minutes.

Asian Chicken Salad

Most Junior Leagues create and sell cookbooks with recipes from their home region. This comes from the Galveston County Junior League's Beachside to Boardwalk cookbook. It's essentially a cole slaw with chicken on top. The chicken is boiled in fresh ginger (and jalapeno, if you want it) before shredding. And the fresh herbs (which I happened to have growing in my garden this year) are wonderful.

Note: You'll probably want more chicken than it calls for, unless you want just a tiny bit of chicken with a big scoop of slaw. Realistically, I ended up eating the two separately. The slaw is best second day, after the flavors have mixed a bit more. The recipe says this serves 4. Well, the chicken may serve 4, but the slaw serves probably double that.

Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 jalapeno chile, seeded and sliced (I didn't use, but it would probably be good)
1 (1") piece fresh ginger (I grated it)
2 cups water

Rub the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Bring the jalapeno chile, ginger and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and steam for 5 minutes. (NOTE: The chicken may require more simmer time in order to fully cook.) Once the chicken is cooked through, removed it from the saucepan. Shred the chicken when cool enough to handle.

Cole Slaw

3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 1/2 pounds shredded green cabbage
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoons salt (recipe called for 2, but 1 is plenty)
3 large carrots, grated
3 radishes, grated (I didn't use)
4 scallions, chopped (I didn't use)
1 Granny Smith apple, grated
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Mix the mint, basil and cilantro in a bowl and set aside. Combine the cabbage, vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice and teaspoon salt in a large glass or stainless steel bowl and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, radishes, scallions, apple and 1 1/2 cups of the herb mixture and mix well. Stir in 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Spoon onto serving plates. Top with the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup herb mixture.