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Posts Tagged ‘zucchini’

  1. Zucchini Bread

    July 1, 2012 by erinRD

    1 cups all-purpose flour
    2 cup whole wheat flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    3 eggs
    1/2 cup canola oil
    1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 2 mashed ripe bananas
    1 cup white sugar
    1 cup brown sugar
    3 teaspoons vanilla extract
    3-4 cups grated zucchini
    1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

    Directions:
    1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    2. Sift flours, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

    Note the addition of the baby monitor while I cook and bake now! :)

    3. Beat eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugars together in a large bowl.

    Instead of mashing the banana in a bowl, mash it in its peel before you add it to the recipe!

    Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well.

    Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
    4. Bake for ~60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. Serves 24.

    Nutrition Notes: Subbing half the oil for applesauce or bananas not only cuts the fat, but adds more natural sweetness so that you can use less sugar! Perfect!

    Taste Test: Delicious and moist! This makes 2 huge loaves so make sure to share the love! I gave some to my pals Jess and Kev when their cute doggie Penny stopped by for the night to play!

    I’ll leave you with a few pictures of my little munchkin.

    Daddy and Dylan

    buddha baby

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,, | 2 Comments

  2. Summer Breakfast Hash

    August 25, 2011 by erinRD

    The only hash I’ve ever had is Corned Beef Hash. My mom used to make it when I was little and I hated it. Even if I am almost 100% Irish, I couldn’t stand the Corned Beef Hash smell or taste.

    But this hash looked delicious. So it was another brinner night and another easy dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

    Summer Breakfast Hash
    Adapted from How Sweet It Is

    4 slices of bacon, chopped
    1 medium yukon gold potatoes, chopped into cubes
    1/2 red onion, chopped
    1 medium zucchini squash, chopped
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    1 red or green pepper, chopped
    2-3 ears grilled corn on the cob, cut off the cob or 1 cup roasted corn
    2 green onions, chopped
    4 large eggs
    sea salt + pepper, to taste

    Directions:
    1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chopped bacon and cook until crispy and fat is rendered – about 4-5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Remove the bacon fat.
    2. Add potatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the same skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring and tossing every few minutes.
    3. While potatoes are cooking, heat another skillet on medium high and cook your eggs as desired, then set aside over low heat.
    4. Add peppers and onions (and another little sprinkle of salt and pepper) to potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring. Add in a little cooking spray if things look a little dry. After 5 minutes, add in the zucchini and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring.
    5. Turn off heat, then stir in grilled corn and bacon. Top with sliced green onions. Serve with an egg on top. Serves 4.

    Taste Test: This came together super fast and you can add any veggies that you have on hand! Optional Toppings – hot sauce, salsa, avocado, ketchup…

    Enjoy!

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  3. Guest Post: Zucchini Crust Pizza

    July 27, 2011 by erinRD

    Hi, everyone!

    I’m Erin’s friend Jess and I am excited to be a guest blogger! I’m a writer with an interest in cooking and wine, so when Erin expressed her desire to have a guest blogger while she’s on vacation, I jumped at the chance and thought this recipe would be perfect.20110720-060635.jpg

    Erin and I met on terms where two of our favorite things – wine and food – combined. We became instant friends and spend our time laughing, tasting, and being goofy in and around the Chicago area. And, since we’re in Chicago, we’re pretty confident that we know good pizza. As pizza aficionados, we have our favorite spots, but also enjoy whipping up our own variations at home. So, when my sister-in-law gave me some zucchinis from her garden, I racked my brain for new recipes to try. Luckily my sweetie Kevin got creative and made us this zook crust pizza!He grated the zucchini, formed a crust and baked it until it browned up nicely. Then, he piled on whatever ingredients we had in the fridge. The result? A healthier, low carb and gluten free pizza that hits each and every pizza-craving spot I’ve got!

    Zucchini Crust Pizza

    About 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
    1 tsp garlic powder and salt
    1 egg
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
    Pizza sauce
    Any toppings you want

    Directions:
    1. Use a cheese grater to grate your zucchini and squeeze most of the moisture out. Add egg, shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt and parmesan cheese to the zucchini.
    2. Coat a glass circular baking dish with nonstick spray. Place zucchini and cheese mixture in dish and flatten to the dish.
    3. Bake for 25 minutes at 400*
    4. Remove from oven, add your favorite pizza sauce (store bought or homemade)
    5. Add preferred toppings (we added onion and turkey pepperoni) and cheese
    6. Bake for another 20 until the cheese browns. Let cool and serve!

    Taste test: I was shocked at how similar this was to the “real thing!” The crust browned up nicely and the turkey pepperoni gave it a nice flavor, too. This is definitely going into my recipe arsenal for the future. So simple and very tasty!

    WINE

    Wine lovers, take note. I’ve got a new wine on my mind and I feel as though I MUST share it with you!

    As a Pinot Noir connoisseur of sorts, you’re likely to find me with red in my glass. I enjoy the occasional white, mostly the sweet stuff, but recently, my palate has been introduced to a crisp, light white that’s joined my list of faves.

    Although I’d worked at a wine bar in college with 100 wines on tap, I’d never heard of Grillo. I’d also had a couple of bad experiences with Italian wines and stuck to what I love – Oregon and California reds. Lucky for me, my dad and his fiancee signed us up for Wine of the Month Club as a gift and this bottle of Sicilian deliciousness arrived on my doorstep. The best part is this wine can be found for $7-$9!

    Taste Test: It’s pale yellow in color and has a crisp pear or apple nose. It’s not as sweet as Riesling but not as bitter as Pinot Grigio and I’m sure this wine would be a crowd pleaser. Great with cheese, pizza or fish – or anything – I hope you enjoy it!
    ___________________________________
    Thanks to Jess for writing this guest post! Sounds delicious and a perfect way to use up all that yummy summer zucchini!

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,,, | 2 Comments

  4. Spicy Kale Zucchini Lasagna

    July 11, 2011 by erinRD

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    The L.A.T.E. Ride was tons of fun! Sorry about the blurry pictures…it’s difficult to ride your bike at 4am and take pictures while watching for pot holes, traffic and other bikers! :)

    Spicy Kale Zucchini Lasagna
    Adapted from Annie’s Eats

    1 pound kale, stems removed
    1 Tablespoons olive oil
    1 cloves garlic, minced
    1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1 (15 oz.) can roasted diced tomatoes
    2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
    1 teaspoon lemon juice
    2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
    1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
    ¾ tsp. pepper
    8 zucchini noodles

    Directions:
    1. To prepare the kale, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the kale to the pot and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle. Wrap the kale inside a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much excess liquid as possible. Chop roughly, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
    2. To make the tomato sauce, combine the oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a cold saucepan. Heat over medium-high, stirring frequently. Once bubbling, cook for about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
    3. To make the cheese mixture, strain all of the liquid out of the cottage cheese. Mix in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
    4. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. To assemble the lasagna, add a thin layer of the sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of zucchini noodles, then half of the cheese mixture, half of the kale, and half of the remaining sauce. Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, and the remaining kale. Top with the remaining noodles, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan.
    5. Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 4.

    Nutrition Notes: Kale is in the same family as broccoli and cabbage. Like many vegetables it is packed with antioxidants that have been show to lower the risk of bladder, breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and is rich in fiber, calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins C, and K. Also, 1/2 cup of kale is only 36 calories but it provides almost 195% of your daily vitamin A needs.

     

    Add kale to salads, soups, or sauté with garlic onion and olive oil for a delicious side dish. Also, check out this video on how to make kale chips.

     

    Taste Test: If you don’t have kale, spinach works well too! Although kale seemed to have held up better than spinach. While spinach wilts a lot, kale’s texture held up and made for a fantastic dish!

    Happy Meatless Monday!

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  5. Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna

    April 25, 2011 by erinRD

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    I hope your Easter weekend was great!

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    I don’t have any leftover ham recipes for you. But I do have a delicious meatless Monday recipe to share.

    Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna
    Adapted from Peas and Thank You

    2 large zucchini, cut into 12 thin, 1/4 in. thick slices
    salt
    1 cup quinoa, rinsed
    2 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium
    1/2 cup tomato sauce
    1 small onion, minced
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
    1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
    2 Tablespoons light cream cheese
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 jar marinara sauce
    1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese

    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare zucchini, cut a strip off of one side to make a flat base. Then, thinly slice zucchini into “noodles.”


    2. Place “noodles” in a colander and sprinkle with salt, layering between paper towels. Let this sit and absorb moisture while preparing the quinoa (zucchini is 95% water!).
    3. Combine quinoa, vegetable broth, tomato sauce herbs and onion in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat, simmering for 20 minutes.


    4. When quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, fold in cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and try not to eat the whole pot.
    5. Pour enough of marinara in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish to cover the bottom. Using a clean dry towel, blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini and layer 1/3 of your zucchini noodles across the sauce.


    6. Put a layer of quinoa across the zucchini, and cover with another 1/3 c. of marinara sauce. Repeat with another layer of quinoa, sauce and zucchini. Top the final layer of zucchini with remaining sauce and 1/2 c. of cheese.


    7. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes, until heated through and zucchini is tender. Serves 4.

    Nutrition Notes: Zucchini comes in yellow, green or light green color and generally has a similar shape to a cucumber. It is low in calories (one medium-sized zucchini has just 25 calories) and contains large amounts of folate, potassium, manganese and vitamin A. Always keep the skins on the zucchini because it contains the nutrient beta-carotene, a vitamin that acts as an antioxidant which protects cells against oxidation damage. Zucchini is a fruit but it is usually treated as vegetable because it is more often included in cooked dishes.

    Taste Test: Choose small, immature zucchini for the sweetest taste. Make sure to pick zucchini that are firm, slender, smooth and with a bright color skin! This is becoming one of my favorite dishes to make. It’s fun and most importantly – amazingly delicious!

    Have a great meatless Monday!

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