Zucchini Soup

Hubby got me a Vitamix blender to celebrate getting our tax return and I'm a little obsessed with it. This soup took all of 5 minutes to put together and it was really yummy. Plus, it cooks in the blender, meaning no pot to clean! Healthy, easy, and delicious all rolled in one? Yes, please!

Zucchini Soup

*Adapted from the Vitamix Whole Foods cookbook

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 medium carrot, halved

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 cup potato flakes (or half a cooked baked potato)

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Place all ingredients into the blender (you could certainly use a food processor and then cook this on the stove). Turn the blender on Variable 1 and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to high. Blend for 6-7 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

I have been wanting to make stuffed zucchini for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally did. This was SO good. Now, maybe you have to be a crazy zucchini lover like I am to enjoy this as much as I did, but maybe not. The mushrooms, garlic, parmesan, and breadcrumb stuffing may just be enough to make anyone a believer. Yum! I think I might go make one of these for lunch today too . . .

Stuffed Zucchini

3 medium-sized zucchini
8 ounce package mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper

Slice the zucchini in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the interior of the zucchini, leaving enough flesh to keep it substantial. It should look like a little boat. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms and the flesh of the zucchini in a skillet over medium heat until most of the moisture has absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Add in minced garlic and cook about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and add to a large mixing bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs, egg, and parmesan cheese. If it looks too dry, add in another egg or even a couple of splashes of chicken stock. Stuff each zucchini boat with a generous amount of stuffing and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Zucchini Quiche

I have an unnatural obsession with zucchini this summer, and I didn't even plant any! Next summer, however, lots of zucchini will be coming from my garden. At least, I hope so! This quiche was adapted from All Recipes. I made a few changes here and there and it turned out to be an amazing dish. The hubby was off camping for three days with some friends, so I ate this while he was gone and I was alone with the puppies. I cannot say enough about this dish and will be making it again as soon as I get another deep dish pie crust. The only changes I would make would be to stir all the ingredients together instead of layering them. Also, I only had 2 eggs, so next time I will be using 4, which is how I wrote out the recipe that follows.

Zucchini Quiche
*Adapted from All Recipes

1 9-inch unbaked deep dish pie crust
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound zucchini, (3 medium-grate 2 1/2 and slice the remaining half)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan blend cheese
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup half and half
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Dash pepper
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate the zucchini with a box grater.

Sauté zucchini and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the zucchini is tender; drain.

Spread grated zucchini in the crust of the pie.

Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. (I will mix the zucchini and cheese into the ricotta/egg mixture next time)

Meanwhile, sauté remaining half of zucchini, which you sliced, in a little bit of butter on each side until tender. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, half and half, salt, basil, oregano, onion powder, and pepper.

Pour over zucchini. Top quiche with sautéed zucchini slices and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Zucchini Fritters

Oh. My. Gosh. These are the most delicious little guys made with shredded zucchini and parmesan cheese. I combined a few recipes to make this work for us. The only change I will make for next time is to either lower the cooking temperature or cook each side for a shorter amount of time. I love the crispiness, but you lose a little bit of the flavor of the zucchini, which really shines through with the dill. I will write out the recipe to reflect that. This has joined the ranks of my top ten favorite recipes and will likely be there for a long time to come. Zucchini fritters. Who knew?

Zucchini Fritters

2 medium zucchini
3 green onions, minced through the white part
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
Canola oil for frying
Kosher salt

Shred the zucchini and place in a bowl.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and let sit for 10 minutes.

Using paper towels, squeeze out the liquid in the zucchini. Mince green onions.

Add parsley, dill, and garlic powder to the onions.

Add the onion mixture to the zucchini and stir to combine.

Pour enough oil into a large skillet to lightly cover the bottom. Heat over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the pan and flatten with a spatula. Fry about 2 1/2 minutes each side, or until golden brown.

Flip.

Drain on paper towels and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Keep fritters warm while finishing up the batch. Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Cod and Sauteed Zucchini

Sometimes I get a little burned out on chicken. We don't eat much red meat in this house (thank goodness my husband is understanding!) so our options are chicken, fish, chicken, pork, and chicken. We eat a lot of chicken. So yesterday I wanted fish, but not our usual lemon pepper fish and I didn't want anything fried. So I came up with this baked fish recipe that took almost no prep work and was crispy and flavorful. This is one that I can make while Nick's at work instead of my standard baked potato or pasta. It's that good. And the sauteed zucchini, what can I say about that? Is there any way to make zucchini that doesn't taste good? I don't think so. The only thing this one needed was a little fresh chopped basil, which I will be picking up at the store today so I can try it again. Ah, I love zucchini!

Parmesan Crusted Cod (or any other white fish like tilapia or halibut)

3 white fish fillets like cod, halibut, or tilapia
1 1/2-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt about a tablespoon of margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and toast until brown, 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and pour in a mixing bowl. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and place thawed or frozen fillets (I used frozen). Season with kosher salt and pepper and spread a little bit of margarine over each fillet. This will help the coating to stick and the fillet won't dry out.

Press breadcrumb mixture on fish to desired thickness. Leave 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumb mixture for sauteed zucchini, if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.

Sauteed Zucchini

2 medium zucchinis
Salt and pepper
Margarine
Garlic powder
Chopped fresh basil
2-3 tablespoons of toasted panko and parmesan cheese mixture from above, optional

Slice off ends of zucchini and cut in uniform medallion slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of margarine in the same skillet used to toast the panko. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper and a little bit of garlic powder, to taste.

Saute for 5-10 minutes over medium-high heat until seared as desired. Add panko mixture for texture.

Serve with parmesan crusted cod and enjoy!

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette

This recipe was far more involved than any other I've made. I had to make the dough, which was incredibly scary, but so rewarding. It was flaky and almost croissant-like, but a little heavier. The filling was delicious, full of flavor, and amazing. I will be making this again and again. We ate most of it for dinner and then we both had some later that evening. It reheated very well and was still as wonderfully delicious. I didn't miss a protein at all with this dish, and I'm excited to try new fillings with it. But I think the zucchini and ricotta will always be my favorite. Don't be intimidated by the amount of work. This one is SO worth it!

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette
*From Smitten Kitchen

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces and chilled again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, cut in 1/4 inch rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves

For the glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter in dough and using a pasty blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, and water and add to the butter-flour mixture. With your hands, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops dry with paper towels before using.

In a small bowl, whisk the garlic and olive oil together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic-olive oil mixture together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Flour your work surface.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch round.

Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border.

Shingle the zucchini on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge.

Drizzle the remaining garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edges to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the crust with the yolk glaze.

Bake 40-50 minutes until dough is browned and zucchini is slightly wilted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and let stand 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Zucchini Potato Scramble

I am in the middle of a love affair with zucchini. Yummy little green squash that it is, it is so good in so many different dishes. When Nick talked about making crepes, I wanted something substantial to go along with them, so I decided to make a scramble. This one was SO good and, although there were a few more steps than just dumping it all in a skillet, it was worth the work. Who would have thought that a little bit of sauteed zucchini would make all the difference?

Zucchini Potato Scramble

1 medium sized zucchini
5-6 red potatoes
8 eggs
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
salt and pepper
Dash of cayenne
Oregano to taste

First, cut up potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Try to make the size uniform so the potatoes cook evenly. Boil in salted water until a fork inserted in a piece goes in easily, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a skillet over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of melted butter. (I didn't do this and it would have made all the difference in the texture of the finished potatoes, so make sure you do it!) Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and oregano. Let the potatoes sear on all sides and then place them back in the saucepan you boiled them in and cover to keep warm. While the potatoes are cooking, cut up zucchini into medallions.

Melt another tablespoon of butter in the skillet you did the potatoes in. Saute zucchini on both sides until a little brown. Make sure to season with salt and pepper.

Add potatoes back into the skillet and lower the heat to medium. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes.

Beat 8 eggs with a splash of water. Add in cheese. Pour mixture in with the zucchini and potatoes. Stir.

Cook for 5 minutes or until eggs are done. Serve hot and enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Fries

Whenever we go to Mama Stortini's in Sumner, I always get the zucchini fries for an appetizer. I love the crisp, fried breadcrumb coating and the fresh, not oily taste of the thick-cut zucchini inside. So delicious. I wanted to make them, but needed the fries to be healthier, so I opted to bake them. Although the zucchini tasted good, the coating didn't stick well and wasn't very crunchy. Next time I will probably toast the panko breadcrumbs and refrigerate the coated fries before baking in the hope that the coating will stick better. Overall, the flavors were good, but the execution needed work.

Baked Zucchini Fries

1 large or 2 medium-small zucchini
2 egg whites
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup panko
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the zucchini into fry-sized pieces about 3 inches long. You do not need to peel the zucchini. Beat the egg whites with a splash of water. In a separate dish, mix panko and parmesan. Dust the zucchini in flour and dip in egg white. Then coat the fries in the panko and parmesan mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (don't crowd) and bake 10 minutes. Carefully flip the fries and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned. Sprinkle the hot fries with additional parmesan and serve hot. These are good with the garlic feta spread too!

Baked Eggs

Let me just start by saying this was a very delicious recipe. I also need to admit something: I don't like eggs. The only way I will eat them is scrambled or over-hard. I don't like the gooey yoke, so anything not completely cooked in an egg is not okay with me. When a recipe for baked eggs caught my attention in the food blogs a few months ago, I thought that it might work for me and my egg issues. The best part about baked eggs is that you can put anything in a ramekin, crack an egg on top with some cheese, throw it in the oven and forget about it for a few minutes. Then it's done and voila! A yummy, healthy (depending on what ingredients you use) breakfast! This may be my new favorite way to eat eggs.

Baked Eggs

Ramekins
Olive oil or butter
Eggs (1 per ramekin)

"Filling" ingredients:
Crumbled bacon
Swiss and Parmesan cheeses
Chopped chives
Zucchini, very thinly sliced
Roasted red peppers, chopped
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using butter or olive oil, grease your ramekins-1 per egg.

Put your "filling" ingredients in the bottom of the ramekins. Nick had crumbled bacon and parmesan cheese in his.

I had zucchini, roasted red pepper, and Swiss cheese.

Crack an egg on top.

Top with more cheese, salt and pepper, and chives. I drizzled balsamic on mine as well.

Cook for 15-20 minutes. 20 minutes will yield a hardened yoke, so if you want your egg a little gooey, go for 15 minutes and check it.

Other ideas for ingredients: chicken, garlic, onion, green onion, bell peppers, ham, turkey, spinach, asparagus. Basically, if you can cut it into pieces, you can toss it in the ramekin!