Impossible Tomato Broccoli Pie - finally!

Well, I finally got the Impossible Pie made! It looks great, doesn't it? See the tomato slices peeking out of the top in the first picture? The only thing I would change is to chop up the tomato slices and drain them better because the overall pie was a bit wetter than it should have been. I'm assuming because of the water in the tomatoes. I also might be able to compensate for that liquid with a little more self-rising flour.

I tried leeching the tomato slices by salting them in a colander, but they didn't really drain. I also added diced onions and some broccoli florets. I put some onion powder in the batter along with some parsley flakes. I still wanted some salt on my own serving because it was a little flat, but I'd rather under spice than over spice. 

I also might lean towards Italian seasoning next time maybe with some pepperoni added on top. The cheese was just enough for this recipe. I'd also rather use a sweeter onion next time than the strongly flavored and fragrant one Deb bought that I had diced and frozen. Even cooked, it's not my favorite flavor.

I didn't pre-cook the broccoli and it turned out good. Because the pieces were small, they cooked all the way through. But, I would definitely want to dice up the tomatoes next time. These tomatoes were pretty fibrous, so they were on the tough side as far as being able to cut through them with my fork. They were plenty cooked, but near the center, they held fast and didn't want to break down completely. Not sure what kind of tomatoes these were, but that might have played a role in it. Maybe next time I'll use the Tommies Snack Tomatoes instead.

So, here's what I did to make this. 

3 medium tomatoes, sliced after coring

3/4-1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby/Jack)

diced onion to taste (I had about 1/4 cup)

3/4 cup self-rising flour

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk (I used reconstituted powdered milk)

Any other seasonings you are inclined to add - I used onion powder, parsley flakes, fresh ground pepper and a bit of salt.

Spray a 9" casserole dish with PAM (or equivalent). Prepare the veggies if they aren't already. Layer the tomatoes and broccoli (you can use zucchini or other veggies, too). You can also add a bit of Parmesan cheese here as well. Spread the shredded cheese over the vegetables. Mix up your batter with the flour, eggs and milk. Add seasonings if you want. Pour the batter over the cheese and veggies without stirring, other than to make sure they're covered. Place in a 400° F oven and cook for between 35 & 40 minutes. I took mine out after 35 minutes and allowed it to sit. It was nicely browned, but I wonder what five more minutes might have done for the excess liquid.

So, I hope you try this and maybe even experiment a little. This method of casserole making has just so much flexibility!

Huckleberries

Have you ever eaten huckleberries? Have you ever seen them? For years, I thought they were a type of blueberry since they look and taste so much alike. But, they’re not.

When I was beginning my teen years, my friend and I would go into the wooded area behind her house and pick them just to eat. I though it was so cool that these berries were just sitting there, no one wanting them, and we could have as many as we desired. Those days are gone since the area behind her house has since become a township park and the wooded area cut back dramatically to accommodate it. Plus, we’ve both since moved away (I returned), married, divorced (in my case), had children, grandchildren and lost access to both of the homes of our childhoods. Things just aren’t the same.

Part of the confusion lies in the fact that huckleberries are called blueberries in some parts of North America. The blue varieties’ look and taste is similar to that of blueberries. Huckleberries also have a red variety, which makes confusing them a bit more difficult. Another difference is that blueberries have many tiny seeds while huckleberries 10 larger seeds that are very noticeable when eating them. I imagine that the red berries resemble cranberries since all three berries belong to the same plant family, Ericaceae.

Whatever you can do with blueberries, you can do with huckleberries, be it jams, syrups, jellies, pies or cobblers. So, don’t hesitate if someone offers to give you some fresh picked huckleberries.These berries are harder to come by in the marketplace since they are not cultivated like blueberries and cranberries. Their rarity makes them a very special treat indeed. (link to HuckleBuckle in the image)

Zucchini, the Wonder Veggie!

We have all heard stories about people's gardens being overrun by proliferate zucchini, not being able even to give it away because everyone else already has an abundance from other family and friends.


We've all either had or made zucchini bread, zucchini fritters, fried zucchini (my favorite), and more recently, grilled zucchini sandwiches or atop pizza. My goal here is to offer some less commonly seen zucchini recipes to help you find new ways to incorporate this healthy veggie into your and your family's diet.

Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini Brownies

Zucchini Relish

Mock Apple Pie

Mock "Crab" Cakes

Mock "Apple" Cobbler

For other ideas, look back at my eggplant blog. Whatever you can do with eggplant you can do with zucchini.  You will just have slightly different taste and coloring. Try shredding it and adding it to your spaghetti sauce for added thickness and fiber. Slice it and make pickles the same way you would with cucumbers. As you can see, it's one of the most versatile vegetables on the planet!