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Zucchini is Ready!

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:48:12 +0000

Gadzukes! Zucchini is ready. It amazes me how fast these squashes grow. One day they are not quite ready and the next they are the size of baseball bats on steroids. There are so many uses for this fruit, though it is treated like a vegetable. It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes. I love it steamed with a little salt and butter or mixed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, green pepper, basil, oregano and simmered til cooked. It is very tasty, marinated with garlic and oil and grilled to perfection. It makes great desserts and muffins. Zucchini cake topped with cream cheese frosting is an absolute summer must, even if only once. Unfortunately, these little agressive growers produce so fast that I usually end up making the following bread recipe and freezing them for the winter.

Zucchini Bread

Mix the following in a bowl:

3 cups flour                           1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar                 2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves              1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg                        1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Put in blender and mix for 30 seconds:
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 cups chopped zucchini
3 eggs

Add to dry mix.

Stir in:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup golden raisins

Pour into 2 bread pans, bake about 1 hour at 350.

Zucchini-The Versatile Vegetable

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:54:28 +0000

I love vegetables. I couldn’t always say that and truly mean it, but I have found that they are a way for me to maintain my weight and that I actually crave them. Don’t get me wrong, I also love cake, cookies, ice cream, and candy, but I have found a way to include them and not gain weight! I also know that every recipe on the internet can be adjusted to fit anyone’s tastebuds. I love garlic so I include it in my vegetable dishes. I am not a fan of hot things, though some hotness adds zip to a bland meal. So this recipe can have loads of additions to make it special to special tastes. Zucchini is always available in the supermarket, year round. I am a little shocked at the sticker price at times but what the hay! I want it I am getting it! Here is the healthy variation of a great vegetable!

Zucchini

4 medium zucchinis (smaller zucchinis are more flavorful and tender)
1 onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1 green pepper or the color of choice
1 can of Italian herb tomatoes

Rinse zucchini and cut up into bite sized pieces. Dice the onion, mince garlic, and chop the pepper. Place alll the vegetables in a saucepan and add the tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until cooked, usually 30 minutes. Serve with your choice of meat, pasta, etc.

Zucchini Casserole

8 medium zucchinis (smaller zucchinis are more flavorful and tender)
1 onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1 green pepper or the color of choice
2 cups tomato sauce
16 oz. shredded parmesan/mozzarella mix
1/4 lb. pepperoni

Layer sauce, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, pepperoni, and cheese in a casserole dish. Repeat layers 2 more times. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr.

Roasted Vegetables 101

admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:23:30 +0000

One of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables is to roast them. This is not a very difficult thing to accomplish and there is great value in cooking up a large batch of roasted vegetables and having them on hand for a few days, ready in an instant as an accompaniment for any dinner or as a healthy snack to munch on when the late afternoon munchies appear.

1. Look for fresh vegetables which are blemish free. Some great choices include peppers (use a variety of colored ones), onions, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, and mushrooms.

2. Cut the vegetables uniformly, making sure that they are the same size and if they are dense, like carrots, make them smaller so they will cook in the same amount of time.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the vegetables with a little oil of your choice. I used about 3 tbsp. of cannola oil and I found that for this batch it was a little too much, so I guess it’s true: less is best! I also added 4 cloves garlic, (minced), 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and some ground fresh peppercorn medley. Toss the vegetables and lay them in a single layer in a roasting pan. Give them room as the less crowded they are the better they’ll brown.

4. Place the pan on the middle rack and roast for about 10 minutes. Stir them, add seasonings such as thyme or rosemary, and cook for another 10 minutes or until they are tender. If they are not browned enough, turn on the broiler! Works great as you can see!