Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites

Adapted from www.melskitchencafe.com

This is my favorite version so far!

1-1/2 c. packed shredded zucchini

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 to 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, or a blend or cheddar and Monterey jack

1/4 c. bread crumbs

2 t. fresh basil, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 t. sea salt

1/8 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel* and wring out all the excess water.

Place zucchini and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until combined.

Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet; lightly press mounds to flatten slightly.

Bake for 16-20 minutes until edges are golden.

Yum!!

*Note:  I use a Norwex netted Dish Cloth instead of the towel - it works great!  The shredded zucchini shakes right out!

Zucchini Frittata

Yum!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, May 2005

4 c. Roasted Zucchini, Onion, and Peppers

1 t. olive oil

10 large eggs

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 t. coarse salt

1/4 t. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush a 9 1/2" deep-dish pie plate with 1 t. olive oil.  Drain any liquid from roasted zucchini, onion, and peppers (if leftover from previous meal); place in pie plate.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with grated Parmesan cheese, coarse salt, and ground pepper; pour over vegetables.

Bake until top is golden and center is set, 35-40 minutes; cool 5 minutes before serving.

Note:  This recipe halves nicely.  Simply use a small pie plate and bake for 15-20 min.

Roasted Zucchini, Onion and Peppers

This is a quick and easy (not to mention yummy!) way to use up all the zucchini and peppers that are so abundant right now.

Source:  Everyday Food, magazine, May 2005

3 lbs. (7-8 medium) zucchini, cut into 1" rounds

2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1" squares

1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2" wedges

2 T. olive oil

2 t. coarse salt

1/2 t. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Combine vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Roast until vegetables are tender and browned in spots, 20-35 min.

(If you like, save 4 c. of roasted vegetables for use in a Zucchini Frittata later in the week.)

Serves 8 (or 4 servings if reserving vegetables for Zucchini Frittata).

Zucchini Ricotta Bake

Adapted from Quick Cooking Magazine

This is a yummy way to use up all those extra zucchini from the garden!  It's basically a vegetarian lasagna recipe, with zucchini substituted for the noodles.  It freezes nicely, so you can make a pan or two in the summer when zucchini are abundant, then pop it in the freezer to enjoy some winter evening.  Those larger zucchini that were hiding under the leaves and got away from you are perfect for this dish (I had a few of those when I returned home from vacation yesterday!).

2 lbs. zucchini
1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs, divided
5 T. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 T. fresh parsley, minced
1 t. fresh oregano, minced
1 t. fresh basil, minced
1/8 t. pepper
1 (26-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 c. (6-oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/4" slices. Steam for 5-6 min. or just until tender. Drain; pat dry. In a bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, 3 T. bread crumbs, 3 T. Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, basil and pepper; set aside. Spread a third of the spaghetti sauce in a greased 13x9” baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 T. bread crumbs. Cover with half of the zucchini, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layers of sauce, zucchini, ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Cover with remaining sauce. Combine remaining crumbs and Parmesan; sprinkle over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

If freezing, wait to sprinkle crumbs and Parmesan cheese until just before baking. Allow extra time for heating.

Yield: 12 servings

Zucchini and Olive Flatbread

I'm so glad my friend Kristy shared this recipe with me!  My zucchini plant had kicked the bucket, but I still had plenty of yellow squash from the garden; it worked just fine in this recipe.  Instead of following the flatbread directions, I simply prepared and baked it like a traditional pizza.

Source:  food network

1 pound pizza dough

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil plus extra, for drizzling

1 large (8 oz.) zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/8" slices

2 T. chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided

1 1/2 c. (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella

1 c. (2 1/2 oz.) grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 c. pitted sliced black olives

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12" circle.  With a pastry brush, brush 1 T. olive oil over the dough.  Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over.  Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the dough.  Drizzle the zucchini with oil.  Bake the dough for 18-20 min. until the edges begin to brown.  Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with 1 T. oregano, the cheeses, and the olives.  Bake for 5-7 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle with remaining oregano, cut into wedges and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Zucchini Salad with Red Onion

Quick, easy and delish!

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, June 2007

1 T. red-wine vinegar

1 T. olive oil

coarse sea salt and ground pepper

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

4 small zucchini (about 1 1/2 lbs. total)

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper.  Stir in onion, and let stand 15 min.

Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini into paper-thin ribbons, avoiding seeds.  Add to bowl with dressing, season with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Serves 4

Grilled Ratatouille Muffaletta

I've been wanting to try this recipe, but it needed an event!  This evening's outdoor Harrisburg Symphony concert on the lawn of Lebanon Valley College was the perfect occasion.  It was so much fun sharing food with friends outdoors on a lovely summer evening.

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2013

 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2" rounds
coarse sea salt
1/2 c. pitted mixed olives, such as Kalamata and Cerignola
2 pepperoncini, stemmed
1/2 c. fresh parsley
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. olive oil, plus more for grilling
4 small tomatoes (1 pound), sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise 1/4-inch-thick
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, patted dry
1 (8-inch) round rustic bread, split horizontally and hollowed out

In a colander, toss eggplant with 3/4 t. salt.  Let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse olives, pepperoncini, and parsley until very finely chopped.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in mayonnaise.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium.  Clean and lightly oil hot grill.  Toss eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini with oil and season with salt.  Grill, turning frequently, until tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes for tomatoes and about 7 minutes each for eggplant and zucchini.

Spread bread with olive mixture.  Assemble sandwich with peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes.  Serve immediately or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Slice with a good serrated knife to ensure clean slices.

Yield:  Serves 6

Looking back, I should have waited until next month when the tomatoes, eggplant, pepperoncini, and peppers were ready in my garden vs. buying all the ingredients at the farmers' market.  I'll keep that in mind for next year!

Also, I couldn't find the perfect loaf of artisan bread at market, so I tried making my own, but it didn't have a rustic enough texture to support the filling - the sandwiches ended up being soggy and droopy (even though the flavor was good!).  :(    I'll try again!

Hearty Minestrone

Adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

 I have had more requests for this recipe than any other recipe in my collection. It is delicious! I often make a number of large batches when tomatoes and zucchini are plentiful from my garden, then freeze it for quick entertaining in the winter. 

1 lb. bulk Sweet Italian sausage*
2 c. sliced celery
1 c. chopped onion
6 c. chopped zucchini
1 (28-oz.) can tomatoes, undrained, cut up
1½ c. chopped green pepper
1½ t. Italian seasoning
1½ t. salt
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. sugar
½ t. dried basil
2 cloves garlic, minced or ¼ t. garlic powder
2 c. chopped Swiss chard (optional)
1 (16-oz.) can chicken broth (optional)

In a large saucepan, brown the sausage. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel to drain, reserving 1 T. of drippings. Sauté celery and onion in drippings for 5 min. Add sausage and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 min. or until the vegetables are tender. Add Swiss chard, if desired and heat.  Add 1 16-oz. can of chicken broth if a less hearty soup is desired.

*Note: I use sweet Italian sausage. Do not substitute – this is the secret to the great flavor in this recipe!!
Yield: 9 servings

Zucchini Fritters

Pretty and healthful!

Source:  Martha Stewart Living magazine

2 medium zucchini (about 8 oz. each), trimmed

1 medium onion

1/2 c. (1 oz.) grated Pecorino Romano cheese 

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 t. finely chopped fresh oregano

1 t. coarse sea salt

1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

extra-virgin olive oil, for frying

plain yogurt and apricot jam, for serving

Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grated, then squeeze dry in a clean paper towel-lined kitchen towel.  Repeat with onion.

Mix together zucchini, onion and cheese, flour and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in eggs just before frying.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, coat skillet with 1-2 T. oil.  Scoop mounds (2 T. each) of the zucchini mixture into skillet; flatten slightly using a spatula.  Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer fritters to paper-towel lined plates to drain.  Serve with dollops of plain yogurt and apricot jam.

Yield:  approximately 20 fritters

Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2011

2 medium zucchini

2 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded and diced small

1/4 t. chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/4 t. while vinegar

5 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into 1" pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.  Halve zucchini lenghwise and scrape out seeds.  Place cut side up, on sheet and season with coarse sea salt and ground pepper.  In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, oregano and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.  Top zucchini with tomato mixture.  Bake until zucchini is tender, about 20 minuted.

Heat broiler with rack in top position.  Top zucchini with mozzarella.  Broil until cheese is brown and bubbling, 1-2 min.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Grains & Fruit Summer Salad

This salad is a bit unusual, but I couldn't resist trying it since it called for cantaloupe and yellow cherry tomatoes, both of which I had on hand, as well as plenty of basil.  I substituted red onion for the green onions.  I skipped the blueberries since fresh ones are no longer in season in our area.  The zucchini works nicely raw as long as it is cut into very, very thin slices or ribbons.

Source:  Better Homes & Gardens magazine, June 2011

1 c. lightly packed fresh basil

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

2 c. cooked grains (quinoa, wild rice, and/or brown rice)

1/2 c. sliced green onions

4 c. mixed salad greens (torn Bibb lettuce and/or spring mix)

2 c. blueberries

1 c. cantaloupe cubes

1 c. yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in narrow ribbons

1/2 c. walnut pieces, toasted

4 oz. smoked salmon, flaked (optional)

1/3 c. snipped or shredded fresh herbs (dill, basil and/or mint)

For basil dressing, in a blender or small food processor combine the 1 c. basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed; set aside.

In a medium bowl stir together cooked grains and green onions.  Stir in about 2 T. of the basil dressing to coat.

For the salad, line a large bowl with greens.  Top greens with grains mixture, blueberries, cantaloupe, tomatoes, zucchini, walnuts, and salmon.  Drizzle with half the remaining basil dressing; toss gently.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs.  Pass remaining dressing. 

Makes 8 side-dish or 4 main-dish servings.

Zucchini Mock Crabcakes

These freeze nicely.  I usually make a bunch when zucchini is plentiful, then freeze them individually for later use.

Source:  Chambersburg Brethren in Christ Church Cookbook

2 c. shredded zucchini

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 c. dry bread crumbs

1 t. Old Bay seasoning (or less, to taste)

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. mayonnaise

oil

Mix ingredients well.  Form into cakes.  Heat oil in nonstick skillet; cook until light brown and set.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This is surprisingly delicious!  It's always a hit, and catches people off guard.  Often, when I serve it for company, I don't reveal what it is until after they taste it.  I served it a few years ago for Christmas dinner when my nephew was just a little guy, and he asked for seconds.  :)  What I really like about this recipe is that it makes use of the summer's abundance of zucchini in a way that is truly helpful for winter dining.  You simply puree the sauted zucchini mixture and stick it in the freezer.  Then, when ready to serve, thaw and add the cream base.  Yellow squash is just as tasty; my zucchini plants kicked the bucket, so I used yellow squash this evening to make a batch.  Yum!!  (Healthier verison is noted in green.)

Source:  Melanie D.

3 c. peeled, diced zucchini (no need to peel)*

3 chicken bouillon cubes (omit)

1/2 c. water (chicken stock)

1 t. minced onion (1 tiny minced onion)

1 t. seasoned salt (1-1/2 t. sea salt)

Boil above ingredients until zucchini is soft.  Puree in blender; freeze if desired.

When ready to serve, remove zucchini puree from freezer and thaw (if frozen).

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 t. celery seed
2 c. milk, half & half or cream (raw milk cream)

In saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour and seasonings; cook until bubbly.  Slowly add milk or cream; stir until thickened.  Add zucchini mixture.  Heat thoroughly.


Update, 11/3/2011

I've been wanting to tweak this recipe to make it a bit healthier, and think I've succeeded.  The healthier version is noted in green font.

* Note: not peeling the zucchini gives it a stronger zucchini flavor and changes the color from a creamy shade with a tint of green to a much more dominant green shade, but I'm happy to endure that for the sake of the nutrients!

Zucchini Tomato Toss

This is so good (and colorful!) - I wouldn't eat raw zucchini any other way!

Source:  Adapted from Kristy Y.

4 c. thinly sliced zucchini

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/4 c. sliced red onion

3/4 c. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2/3 c. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

2 T. (or more to taste) fresh basil, chopped or 1 t. dried basil
1/8 t. pepper

In a serving bowl, combine zucchini, tomatoes and onions.  Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over zucchini mixture; toss gently to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

Yield:  8 servings

Roasted Zucchini

I made Roasted Zucchini for supper this evening; even my 7-year old nephew liked it! 

Simply slice zucchini lengthwise into strips, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper, and roast in at 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  Easy!

Squash & Pepper Saute

This is so simple, it hardly warrants a recipe!

Simply saute squash, cubanelle peppers and onions in olive oil until tender.  Season with sea salt and pepper.  That's it!