• Home
  • Press
  • Meet Sweet Life
  • Work with me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Sweet Life

Cooking, Eating, Living My Sweet Life in Texas

  • Home
  • New Cookbook!
  • Videos
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Entrees
    • Salsas & Dips
    • Soups & Stews
    • Sides
    • Sweet Treats
    • Drinks
    • Holidays
  • Cocktails
    • Margaritas
    • Tequila
    • Pisco
    • Rum
    • Vodka
    • Bourbon
    • Brandy
    • Whiskey
    • Champagne
    • Gin
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Rum
    • Campari
    • Infusions
    • Holiday Cocktails
  • Entertaining
  • DIY Projects
  • The Tex-Mex Queen
  • En Español
All » Calabacitas {Cooking Light Cookbook Giveaway} #LightenUpAmerica

Calabacitas {Cooking Light Cookbook Giveaway} #LightenUpAmerica

139 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Calabacitas Recipe from Cooking Light

Calabacitas

Mami used to have a small garden in the backyard.  A tiny rectangular garden she worked on every day the entire year.  The Texas weather graciously allowed her to grow her garden throughout the year.  She planted chiles, tomatoes, green beans and squash (calabacitas).

Calabacitas means “little squash” in Spanish. 

The chiles were made into fresh salsa for the table, blended to add spice to our daily meals or frozen for tamales and caldos for the winter.  The tomatoes were sliced, sprinkled with salt and eaten throughout the day; they were always the first to go.  And the squash, which generously grew like weeds was diced, chopped, roasted, pureed and sautéed.  Every day we would watch her head out to the garden and walk back in carrying more squash.

We always knew some sort of squash dish would be served that day….

My little brother always two steps ahead of us, would  concoct a plan to get out of eating his squash, my older sister picked at her portion and my younger sister made sure to inform mami, she was only eating 2 spoonfuls.   I of course, had no problem inhaling every new dish made with the delicate squash.  Scooped up in a warm corn tortilla or served alongside frijoles with a drizzle of salsa I enjoyed every bite.

This dish from the new Cooking Light Lighten Up America cookbook is very, very similar to a dish my mom used to make – sliced calabacitas, poblanos and onion sautéed until tender then paired with tomatoes and fresh corn.   A great side dish to serve with chicken or pork, but really all you need is a warm corn tortilla. 

Calabacita Recipe (squash) from Cooking Light

 

Calabacitas Recipe from Cooking Light
Print
Calabacitas
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Author: Vianney Rodriguez
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil divided
  • 2 poblano chiles seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 1 red onion cut into ½ inch wedge
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 ¼ pounds yellow squash about 3 medium, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels 2 medium ears
  • ½ cup unsalted tomato sauce
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, undrained
  • ½ cup sliced green onion tops
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 8 lime wedges
Instructions
  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add poblano chiles and onion. Cook 5 minutes or until edges of vegetables are browned, stirring occasionally; add garlic last 1 minute of cook time. Remove vegetables from pan; keep warm.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add yellow squash and zucchini; cook 9 minutes or until edges are browned, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in onion mixture, corn, and next 3 ingredient (through green chiles). Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently to deglaze pan. Remove from heat; stir in green onions. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

 

Cooking Light Lighten Up, America! is a celebration and discovery of regional American cooking, and the permission to eat the foods you love-it’s the soul of American cooking made light.
This collection of America’s favorite fare offers healthy versions of classics new and old, memory-making recipes from all walks of life and regions, and returns the most beloved American dishes to the table.

Lighten Up, America! follows Allison Fishman Task as she embarks on a cross-country road trip in search of the country’s favorite classic dishes. Allison shows the reader how to take these regional recipes and make them lighter and healthier with a few simple substitutions and smart cooking techniques. From caramel-pecan sticky buns to reuben sandwiches to fried green tomatoes, this book teaches how to turn what might have been once-in-awhile favorites into everyday classics.

Highlights Include:

  • Classic American Dishes Made Lighter: Readers will rediscover regional American cooking and eat the food they love through more than 150 delicious recipes from coast to coast. All with complete nutrition analysis.
  • Regional Culinary Traditions: Join Allison as she tells delightful and tantalizing stories behind some of our most beloved regional dishes. Each story gives insight into regional flavor and color while celebrating iconic fare like Memphis barbecue, New Orleans gumbo, and Iowa pork tenderloin sandwiches.
  • Insider’s View of Festivals and Food Fairs: Allison also visits food fairs and festivals, so you’ll get a behind- the-scenes look at some of the more unusual foods this great country has to offer such as wild boar nachos, bear meatloaf, and dandelion soup.
  • Food Born In America: Allison will share inspiring stories about the many American entrepreneurs and home cooks who conceived and popularized recipes and ingredients. Take the Philly cheesesteak, cobb salad, and stove top stuffing-just to name a few-all crafted through the ingenuity of American food lovers.

 

Enter to win your won Copy:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

All4 Comments

Related Posts

how to set up a paloma bar at home
How to Set Up a DIY Paloma Bar
SWEET LIFE BAKE RECIPE LINKS
Hibiscus Orejas

 

 

« Mushroom & Leek Migas
Brown Butter Coyotas »

Comments

  1. Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says

    November 17, 2013 at 1:21 pm

    I’m loving this recipe Vianney. So many great flavors, beautiful colors and it just needs to be on my dinner table soon! Thanks for the recipe. Pinned

    Reply
  2. Christine says

    October 25, 2013 at 6:51 am

    This looks absolutely delicious and something I would SO much enjoy (love my veggies). Can’t wait to make this and pair with some corn tortillas. Gorgeous, too.

    Reply
  3. Margaret Flores says

    October 24, 2013 at 3:20 am

    Am a big fan of ( the ) SweetLife 🙂
    This Calabacitas recipe brings back sweet memories of summers with mi Tia’s y Tio’s down in the Rio Grand Valley / Brownsville area, the squash was ALWAYS fresh from their garden’s.

    Reply
  4. yummychunklet says

    October 23, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    What a fantastic and colorful squash dish!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to Sweet Life.

I'm Vianney, an Award-Winning Food Blogger, Recipe Developer and the Author of The Tex-Mex Slow Cooker and Latin Twist. Here in South Texas, we love to entertain and spend time in the company of good people. Sweet Life is a celebration of that connection and the vibrant, unique culture of South Texas.

Featured Cocktails

how to make red wine cantaritos

Red Wine Cantaritos

July 9, 2022 | Leave a Comment

how to make a raspberry tequila sour cocktail

Raspberry Tequila Sour

June 17, 2022 | Leave a Comment

how to make a lavender blackberry margarita

Lavender Blackberry Margarita

June 6, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Cocktail Catering

cocktail catering services, texas, south texas, aransas pass, port aransas, corpus christi texas, south padre island, harlingen, brownsville, mcallen, edinburg, san antonio, houston

Sweet Life on Google +

Follow me on Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Sweet Life · Privacy Policy