choko, chayote (I think)
#10
  Re: (...)
Does anyone have any recipes for this maligned veggie. I have some on the bench, sprouting. They are the green ones without prickles. TYIA.
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#11
  Re: choko, chayote (I think) by vannin (Does anyone have any...)
Sorry Dale, wish I did. But, I will be watching closely to see what others post here.

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#12
  Re: Re: choko, chayote (I think) by Mare749 (Sorry Dale, wish I d...)
I have a special publication from Better Homes and Gardens on Mexican Cooking. It has a few recipes for Chayote. These are the comments on the Chayote.

Smooth skinned and pear-shaped, chayote was once a principal food of the Aztecs and Mayas.

It has the looks of a pear and the texture and taste somewhere between a cucumber and a zuchini, yet in the company of sugar and cinnamon, it acts like an apple.

Chayote, a squash relative, tastes best when combined with assertive bossy seasonsings such as poblano chile and oregano.


(I have not tried any of these recipes.)
Corn- and Pepper-Stuffed Chayote

6 side-dish servings
Prep: 55 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes


Ingredients
1 dried chipotle pepper or 2 dried ancho peppers
3 medium chayotes or large zucchini (1-1/2 pounds total)
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1-1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 cup chopped tomato (1 medium)
2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions
1. Cut the chipotle or ancho peppers open; discard stems and seeds. Cut peppers into extra-small pieces. Place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 45 to 60 minutes to soften. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, halve the chayotes or zucchini lengthwise; remove seeds. Scoop out the pulp of the chayotes or zucchini, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Chop pulp and set aside.

3. Cook chayote shells in boiling lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Invert the shells and drain. (Do not precook zucchini shells.)

4. For filling, in a large skillet cook the sweet peppers and onion in hot oil for 3 minutes. Stir in chopped chayote or zucchini pulp, drained pepper pieces, corn, tomato, and oregano. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in bread crumbs, salt, and black pepper.

5. Spray a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange chayote or zucchini shells, cut sides up, in prepared dish. Spoon filling into shells. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare and stuff the chayote. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, allowing a few extra minutes to heat through.
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Vegetable-Stuffed Chayote


Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 28 min.


Ingredients
2 medium chayote* (8 ounces each)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1-1/2 cups soft whole grain bread crumbs, toasted (2 slices)**
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons snipped parsley or cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon instant vegetable or chicken bouillon granules
1/4 cup water
Directions
1. Halve chayote lengthwise. Place halves in enough cold, salted water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2. When cool enough to handle, remove seed. Scoop out and reserve pulp to within 1/4 inch of skin. Invert shells; set aside to drain. Chop pulp; drain. If necessary, squeeze pulp between paper towels to remove excess liquid. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, for stuffing, in a large skillet cook mushrooms, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot margarine or butter until tender but not brown. Remove from heat. Stir in chayote pulp, toasted bread crumbs, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley or cilantro, salt, and pepper. Dissolve the bouillon granules in the water; stir into stuffing. Spoon stuffing into chayote shells.

4. Place shells in a 2-quart square baking dish. Cover and bake in a 350 degree F. oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Makes 4 servings.

*Note: Chayote (chaw-YOTE-ee) is a pear-shaped squash with a moist pulp that tastes like a cross between an apple and a cucumber. Look for small, firm, unblemished chayotes and store them in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

**Note: To toast bread crumbs, spread them in a single layer in a shallowbaking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven about 8 minutes or until toasted.
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Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
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#13
  Re: Re: choko, chayote (I think) by esgunn (I have a special pub...)
Here are two more...

Black Bean and Chayote Burritos

Prep: 45 min.
Bake: 15 min.


Ingredients
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (12 ounces total)
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 10-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 15-ounce can black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers or serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped, or one 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
1 ripe medium chayote squash, thinly sliced, or 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 cup salsa (optional)
Cherry tomatoes (optional)
Thyme sprigs (optional)
Directions
1. In a medium skillet place chicken breasts, chicken broth or water, bay leaf, and cumin. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Drain, reserving broth. Let chicken stand until cool. Use a fork to pull chicken apart into long, thin shreds. Set aside. Remove bay leaf from broth.

2. Stack tortillas and wrap tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes to soften.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook the chopped onion in hot oil until tender but not brown. Carefully add beans; jalapeno, serrano, or green chilies; and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth. With a wooden spoon or potato masher, mash beans in skillet (mixture should be thick). Remove from heat.

4. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture down the middle of each tortilla. Top each with some of the shredded chicken, chayote or orange, cheese, and cilantro or parsley. Fold the sides of each tortilla over the filling, overlapping the sides and forming a cone shape. Fasten each burrito with a wooden toothpick.

5. Arrange the burritos on a baking sheet. Cover lightly with foil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the burritos are heated through. If desired, serve with salsa and garnish with cherry tomatoes and thyme sprigs. Makes 4 to 6 servings.



Chayote Salad

6 side-dish servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Marinate: 3 hours


Ingredients
3 medium chayotes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
6 lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan cook chayotes, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender; drain. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking; drain well. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl; add garbanzo beans.

2. For marinade, in a screw-top jar combine lemon juice, olive oil or salad oil, water, basil, sugar, salt, and garlic. Cover and shake well. Pour marinade over chayote mixture, stirring to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

3. To serve, drain chayote mixture, reserving marinade. Stir in olives. Spoon chayote mixture onto 6 lettuce-lined plates. Top each serving with chopped red onion and tomato wedges. Drizzle with some of the reserved marinade. Makes 6 side-dish servings.
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Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
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#14
  Re: choko, chayote (I think) by vannin (Does anyone have any...)
Hi Dale,
I found this page in the Cooks Thesauras
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?pag...;ics=1&fr=0
I thought it had alot of neat stuff, now I'd like to find some chayote. But it's not likely I will
Btw, congrats to Elizabeth and Campbell and for you in the hope of those future granbabies.
Cis
PS Erin, those recipes look great, I'd really like to find some of that chayote now!!
Cis
Empress for Life
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#15
  Re: choko, chayote (I think) by vannin (Does anyone have any...)
Chayote are frequently found in Latin grocery stores, and they are very popular in Cajun and Creole food. You can also search for info on Mirliton, the French call them Christophene.

From the Cooking Louisiana website:

Cooking Louisiana - Stuffed Mirliton

Mirlitons can be prepared in a few different ways, this is my favorite.

When served as part of a meal, usually 1 whole mirliton will feed two people.

3 - 4 Mirlitons (makes 6 - 8 servings)
1 lb. ground beef or 3/4 lb. peeled shrimp or crab
1 med onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped fine
1/4 bell pepper chopped fine
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tbs. cooking oil or butter
1 tsp. Creole Seasoning
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice mirlitons in half and put to boil until fork-tender. Don't over do them because if the skin gets too tender they will fall apart when working with them.
If using ground beef, brown it and drain off the fat. If using shrimp, dice them up and sprinkle a little Creole Seasoning on them and mix them around.

Sauté onions, celery and bell pepper in oil for about 15 minutes until soft, add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.

When mirlitons are done take them out of the water and let them cool until you can handle them. Remove the seed and scrape the pulp into a dish.

Stuffed MirlitonGet as much of the pulp out as you can without puncturing the skin.

Add the ground beef or shrimp to the sautéed vegetables and cook for about a minute. Add the mirleton pulp, mix well, add seasoning and green onions and mix well. Cook on a low fire for about 5 minutes. Taste to see what seasonings are needed. Let this rest for about 10 minutes. Turn the oven on 375ºF.



Salt and pepper the inside of the mirleton shells. Stuffed Mirliton Spoon the stuffing into each shell; don't be afraid to overstuff them. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the mirlitons. Place the mirliton shells in a baking pan or casserole.

Bake them on the top rack in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Stuffed Mirliton can be frozen for a short time (6 months). Prepare everything to the point of putting the bread crumbs on (leave them off). Wrap each mirliton tightly in plastic wrap and put them in a Zip-Lock, don't forget to put the date on it.

You can also make a mirliton casserole by peeling the mirlitons with a potato peeler, slicing in half, removing the seed and using this same recipe.

Enjoy...
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
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#16
  Re: Re: choko, chayote (I think) by Harborwitch (Chayote are frequent...)
Oh, what fun! I love to try new vegetables and all of these recipes sound good.

Cis, next time you are passing through Cleveland, you might want to get off the highway for a quick stop at the West Side Market. Well, it probably won't be a quick stop because you will want to spend some time there, but I'm sure that you would find chayote there. In fact, I'll check for you and let you know.

http://www.westsidemarket.com/

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#17
  Re: Re: choko, chayote (I think) by Mare749 (Oh, what fun! I lov...)
Quote:


Cis, next time you are passing through Cleveland, you might want to get off the highway for a quick stop at the West Side Market. Well, it probably won't be a quick stop because you will want to spend some time there, but I'm sure that you would find chayote there. In fact, I'll check for you and let you know.

http://www.westsidemarket.com/

Maryann




I can emphasize that this will not be a quick stop. I was there last fall and we spent 2 hours but I felt that we were rushed out because we had to get back to the dealer and pick up our boat (for the harrowing journey home). It really is just off of a major highway (easy to find) and you must bring at least one large cooler!
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#18
  Re: Re: choko, chayote (I think) by foodfiend ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
Thank you good people, replies appreciated.
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