BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI

BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI

3 medium zucchini, trimmed
1 1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 TBSP minced onion
1 1/2 TBSP minced parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TBSP butter
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook zucchini in boiling salted water to cover in large pot, for 5 minutes. Drain, halve lengthwise, scoop out pulp with a spoon, leaving shell intact. Coarsely chop pulp. Combine with cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and egg in medium size bowl. Spoon crumb mixture into zucchini shells mounding in center. Dot with butter, sprinkle with remaining parmesan parmesan. Place in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

CORN ZUCCHINI SKILLET

CORN ZUCCHINI SKILLET

1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup green onions, sliced with tops
4 medium zucchini, coarsely shredded
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups fresh corn ( I think frozen will also work)
1 jar sliced pimento, drained

Cook and stir walnuts and garlic in margarine in 10" skillet overmedium heat until walnuts are brown, about 10 minutes. Remove walnuts with slotted spoon and reserve. Add onions, zucchini, salt, pepper, corn and pimento to skillet. Cook, stirring occassionally, until corn is done. Stin in reserved walnuts and serve.

FIVE-A-DAY VEGETABLES w/ PARMESAN CHEESE

FIVE-A-DAY VEGETABLES WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 small onion, sliced
1 green or yelllo bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium carrot, jullienned
1 TBSP water
2 TBSP butter or margarine
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup diced tomatoes, seeds removed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine zucchini, onion, bell pepper, carrot, water, butter, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a large skillet. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and cook, turning with a wide spatula, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5-10 minutes.
2 Add tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Toss and cook another minute. Serves 8-10.

I vary my veggies in this recipe depending on what I have on hand. And sometimes I will even change up the seasonings and the cheese and make it more of a Mexican dish.

ZUCCHINI BISQUE

Zucchini Bisque
Prep/total time 30 mins
Serves 6

4 medium zucchini, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh basil, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Sour cream and additional nutmeg optional

In a large saucepan, saute zuchini and onion in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly.

Transfer to a food processor or blender; cover and process on low until smooth. Return to the pan. Stir in the cream, salt, basil, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with sour cream and additional nutmeg if desired.

THICK & HEARTY VEGETABLE CHILI

THICK & HEARTY VEGETABLE CHILI

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, with juice, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups tomato sauce
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 can (4 oz) green chile peppers, diced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cans (4 cups) beans, any variety
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (can or fresh)
1 to 2 small zucchini, or yellow squash
12 black olives or small can, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced

Seasoning (you can use this or a package of pre-mixed chili season)

3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Ground red pepper (optional)

Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, olives and garlic. Sauté for 20 minutes.
Add the tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and seasons. Simmer for at least 3o minutes; stir often to preven burning. This freezes well and is great as a leftover.

ZUCCHINI LEMON PIE!!!

ZUCCHINI LEMON PIE (looks and tastes like lemon meringue pie)

1 - 8" baked pie shell
10 oz zucchini (2 small)
1 cup water
1 TBSP butter
6 TBSP honey
2 egg whites
4 TBSP cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 lemond-rind grated
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1 TBSP honey, warmed to a think consistency

Make pie shell according to preferred recipe.
Peel zucchini, cut into slices, put into electric blender with water and puree. There should be 2 cups zucchini mixture. Heat this in a large saucepan along with butter and 2 TBSP honey.
Combine cornstarch, salt and lemon rind and juice, mix well and stir into hot zucchini mixture. Cook stirring constantly, until thickened.
Beat egg yolks and add a little of the hot mixture to them. stirring, then stir this back into zucchini mixture and cook approximately one more minute. Remove from heat and pour into baked pie shell. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make meringue by beating egg whites until stiff and adding the warmed honey, gradually, during the beating process. Pile meringue on top of filling, covering it completely. Leave a rough surface on the meringue so it will brown more attractively.
Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 5 minutes until meringue is golden brown. Cool and serve.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

I added a half bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the top of the brownie while it was still warm and once they melted I spread it like frosting.  Then I sprinkled with chopped pecans!!  YUM!!

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES (cake-like brownies)

1 egg
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water
2 cup grated zucchini

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa (or 3 - 1oz squares of unsweetened chocolate melted and added with wet ingredients)
1/4 cup nuts (optional)

Mix together egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, water, and grated zucchini.
sift in flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa. Mix well, add nuts if desired.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a 15x13 pan (bar pan) with the bottom of the pan greased well.
Frost if desired.

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES

When you think of pancakes what comes to your mind???  Hot steaming stacks with lots of butter and maple syrup....maybe slathered with some peanut butter.  Or maybe you just like to add some fruit and whipped cream!!  Well......this is NOT that kind of pancake.  More of a "pan" cake, flat bread, biscuit, or omelet. These savory little pancakes are perfect along side some ham for breakfast or as a quick on the go snack you can eat with your hands.  ENJOY!!

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
1/2 cup bisquick
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheese
2 cup grated zucchini (pat dry or squeeze excess liquid out)
salt and pepper to taste
1 minced jalapeno for added zip

Mix all together, drop by spoon fulls onto heated, buttered pan. Cook like regular pancakes until done.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 cups shredded zucchini (3 medium)
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour\
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup coarsely chopped nuts
½ cup raisins (if desired)

Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½”, or 1 loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3”, with shortening.

Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans.

Bake 8” loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9” loaf 1 hour 10 mins to 1 hour 20 mins, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.