Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad (makes Frittata with leftovers!)

As the summer comes to an end, there’s always a rush (at least in my family) to make the most of the summer fruits and vegetables while still in season.

This light and refreshing salad is a nod to savoring summer’s bounty. And if you’re still scrambling for a salad recipe for a Labor Day picnic, this one will do the trick. It feeds a lot and if you reserve some salad, you can make a yummy frittata the next day. You’ll want to save some.

You can really taste each individual ingredient in the salad, but they meld well together at the same time.  The olive oil and lemon dressing provides just enough flavor, allowing the sweet corn, crunchy zucchini, and tangy feta to shine through.

Ingredients

Adapted slightly from Everyday Food Magazine (Sept. 2011 issue)

Serves 6-8 (with 4 cups reserved for frittata)

• 1 pound orzo
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 large ears of corn, kernels removed
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• ½ small red onion or 2 scallions, chopped
• Juice of two lemons
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 cups (4 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo al dente according to package instructions or about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water (to stop the cooking). Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender about 4 minutes.
3. Add the corn, zucchini, 3 tablespoons olive oil, scallions, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the pasta. Stir in basil and feta. Season with salt and pepper.
4. If you are making the frittata, transfer 4 cups of the salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

While it may be hard to not eat all of the salad, it’s worth saving some to make this frittata. Trust me. It couldn’t be simpler – you’ve already made the base of the frittata and you just need to mix in some eggs.

Plus this isn’t your typical leftover meal. The frittata takes on its own taste, creating a new meal rather than a repeat.

Corn, Zucchini, and Orzo Frittata

Adapted slightly from Everyday Food Magazine (Sept. 2011 issue)

Serves 6-8

• 4 cups reserved orzo salad (see recipe above)
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• One scallion, chopped (optional)
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine orzo salad, eggs, basil, scallion, and feta in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high, turning pan so olive oil covers all sides. Pour egg mixture into skillet and cook, undisturbed, until edges are set about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake until top is just set and lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and let frittata rest for 5 minutes. Invert or slide frittata onto a plate and cut into slices. Tip: To loosen the frittata, run a knife or serving utensil around the edges and gently shake the skillet back and forth until it slides out. Serve with lemon wedges.

Lofty Bites’ Notes

Be careful not to burn yourself on the skillet handle when attempting to turn the frittata… unfortunately, I know from personal experience. In addition to wearing oven mitts, put a towel around the handle.

It’s a must to serve the frittata with lemon wedges as the freshly squeezed lemon really brings out the flavor of the frittata.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa & Cilantro-Lime Cream Sauce

What to do with a 45 pound striped bass:

We grilled it, baked it, fried it, and made it into fish cakes. But my favorite thing we made was… fish tacos.

Some of you may cringe, like my mom, when you hear fish tacos. My mom has never tried one because she thinks it sounds unappetizing and just plain weird.

I’m betting a bunch of you are fans like me, but for those still on the fence, I’m hoping this recipe will change your mind (and my mom’s!).

The combination of the fresh fish with the juicy mango salsa, creamy cilantro lime sauce, and crunchy cabbage offers a flavorful break from the traditional taco.

This is a four component meal: three for the tacos (mango salsa, cream sauce, and breaded fish) and one for the side – avocado, corn & tomato salad.

It may seem like a lot of steps, but each step is simple and it’s mostly just prepping the veggies. You can do the salsa, cream sauce, and salad ahead of time.

The avocado, corn & tomato salad is something I’ve been throwing together for awhile. It’s one of my all-time favorite summer dishes. It accompanies the tacos nicely and it’s great as a healthy snack on its own or with tortilla chips.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa & Cilantro-Lime Cream Sauce

Adapted from Love & Olive Oil (recipe originally from Culinate)

Makes 4-6 servings (with additional salsa for chips)

Ingredients

For Fish Tacos:

• 1-1½ pounds of white flaky fish (tilapia, halibut, cod, mahi mahi, or sole; *I used striped bass)
• Salt and pepper
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour or instant flour (like Wondra)
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 4+ tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, divided
• 1 package of tortillas
• 1 package shredded cabbage or lettuce

For Mango Salsa:

• 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped (Tip: soak chopped onion in an ice bath for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry)
• ½ bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Juice and rind of ½ lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced

For Cilantro-Lime Cream Sauce:

• ½ cup light mayonnaise
• ½ cup light sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• Juice and rind of ½ lime
• Optional: Salt to taste

For Avocado, Corn & Tomato Salad:

Recipe from Lofty Bites (Inspired by Food Network)

• 3 ears corn, cooked, cooled and kernels removed
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved (I like a variety mix of different colors)
• Fresh lime juice to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions

1. In a medium to large bowl, prepare mango salsa by combining Roma tomatoes, bell pepper, mangoes, red onion, and cilantro (jalapeno and garlic optional). Then add the chili powder, olive oil, lemon juice, and juice and rind of ½ lime. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
2. In a small bowl, prepare cream sauce by combining all ingredients (mayo, sour cream and/or yogurt, cilantro, and juice and rind of ½ lime). Salt to taste. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
3. Prepare avocado, corn & tomato salad by combining all ingredients  in a medium bow. Squeeze in fresh lime juice to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
4. Rinse fish and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cut into bite size pieces, about 1 inch cubes. Combine flour with cumin, garlic powder, and paprika. In a bowl, toss fish pieces with seasoned flour. In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or 2 turns of the pan). Make sure oil is sizzling before adding fish (test with drop of water).
5. Add half the breaded fish pieces and cook about 4-5 minutes each side until the fish is lightly browned and cooked through. Tip: Turn the fish when the flour on the face side up has dissipated. After turning, add more oil (as needed) to prevent the fish from burning. Remove fish from heat and cool on paper towel-lined plate to absorb extra oil. Repeat process with second batch of fish.
6. Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 seconds. Assemble tacos by spreading cilantro-lime cream on tortilla, add fish, and layer with shredded cabbage and mango salsa. Serve with avocado, corn & tomato salad.

Lofty Bites’ Notes

Tips:

• The ice bath for the red onion takes out some of the bite of the raw onion, preventing it from overpowering the other flavors. It’s a great trick I use often.
• If the mangoes aren’t ripe or sweet enough, sprinkle them with some sugar and marinate the salsa in the fridge longer.
• For the cream sauce, you can use any combination of mayo, sour cream and/or yogurt to equal 1 cup.
• You only need one bunch of cilantro to split between the salsa and cream sauce; only one lime is needed between the salsa, cream sauce, and salad.
• To save time, use the raw corn kernels (rather than cooking the ears of corn) for the avocado, corn & tomato salad.

Fish preparation: Instead of breading, you could bake or grill the fish. I prefer the light breading with the striped bass.

Leftovers: Use the extra cilantro-lime cream and mango salsa for chips. Combine remaining cabbage and cream sauce for an easy slaw.