Southwest Ribeyes, Green Beans with Pepitas, and Squash & Casserole

The other night, I had planned to make a squash & corn casserole from a recipe that included Stouffer's corn soufflé. It sounded yummy and I knew Jeannene would love it. However, in all the stores I went to in search of this item, not one had it. I used to get it, not that long ago, but it was nowhere. Therefore, I had to make up the recipe. I am not 100% sure I remember what I did, but I am going to try to approximate what I did here for you. Anyway, it was good with our steaks and green beans. The green bean recipe comes from the November 2011 issue of Rachael Ray magazine, a bit modified, as usual. I suspect that the butter would also be good on baked tofu or, for a vegan option, the spices could be used on the tofu before baking. The same treatment would be excellent on a cauliflower steak.

Southwest Ribeyes

Mix a cup of softened butter with 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. cayenne, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. onion powder. Form into a log and chill several hours. Broil steaks to your preferred level of doneness. Serve with a pat of chilled butter, which will melt onto the hot steak and make it delicious. Alternately, you could pan-fry the steaks in a little of the butter. 

Sautéed Green Beans with Pepitas

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly-sliced

1 tsp. coriander

1/4 c. pepitas (I like the soy-roasted kind)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Salt & pepper

Cook green beans 5 minutes in boiling, salted water. Drain well & pat dry. Heat oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant & tender. Do not overcook or it will become bitter and burn. Add coriander and pepitas and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted. Add green beans and toss to coat with oil and seasonings and to heat through. Serves 2-4. 

Squash & Corn Casserole

2 medium yellow summer squash (or 1 yellow & 1 zucchini)

1 can creamed corn

1 can corn, well-drained

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. sour cream

2 eggs, beaten

Salt & pepper, to taste

1-1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (I used Cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything but the cheese. Pour into greased 2-qt. casserole. Top with cheese and bake 1/2 hour. Serves 6.