Blueberry Zucchini Bread

I swear this is the last zucchini recipe for today.  It's become a kind of game in our house lately.  Where's the zucchini hidden now?

Got this recipe from All Recipes here.

Ingredients:

3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup vegetable oil 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups white sugar 2 cups shredded zucchini 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 pint fresh blueberries Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use two loaf pans (grease if using traditional)...i used stoneware pans from Pampered Chef so I didn't. Combine all ingredients except blueberries.  Mix well. Fold in the blueberries. Pour half the mixture in each loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 20 mins.

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 pint fresh blueberries

Chocolate Pudding Zucchini Muffins

More zucchini...I know...I swear I have some meat and other type recipes I'll share also.  I just have a freaking lot of zucchini right now!

These were super yummy with a capital Y.  Anything is better with chocolate pudding right?  Right.

Got this recipe from here on food.com.

 

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 (6 ounce) packages chocolate instant pudding
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Beat eggs, oil, sugar, pudding mix, vanilla and zucchini together.
2. Blend dry ingredients and add to zucchini mixture; mix well. Add the chocolate chips if using them.
3. Scoop into greased muffin tins or into a tin with cupcake liners.
4. Bake 17-20 minutes at 350 degrees.  I baked them about 17 minutes and they turned out great.

Zucchini Lasagna

Decided to try substituting the lasagna noodles for zucchini.  Turned out "ok".  Little too runny for me.  If I did it over again I would cook the zucchini a litte first on its own to soften it and get some moisture out. 

Ingredients:

• Zucchini (cut into slices)
• Cottage Cheese (a large tub...I used large curd)
• 1 egg
• 2 small bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
• 2 small jars of Ragu super chunky mushroom sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl combine egg, 1 bag of cheese, cottage cheese, garlic salt, and italian seasoning.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13 pan.  Put down a layer of sauce on the bottom.  Layer with slices of zucchini.

Top zucchini layer with layer of the cottage cheese mix. 

Top cottage cheese layer with light layer of sauce.

Repeat 2 more times.

Top the last zucchini layer with sauce and the 2nd bag of mozz. cheese.

Bake for 60 mins.  Let stand 15 mins before serving.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars

This one is another Six Sisters Stuff recipe that been modified because I didn't have honey or the ingredients for the topping :-(

The orignial recipe is here.

This turned out pretty well!  Pretty yummy!

Ingredients:

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey  -- I didn't have this so I used Nutella...don't laugh it was the only thing I could think of and it turned out really well!

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups shredded carrot

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp baking soda

 Duncan Hines (or other brand) cream cheese frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey (or nutella), and vanilla. Don’t worry about clumps of the brown sugar, those will dissolve as it sits while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Then fold in the carrot and zucchini.
2. In another bowl combine add the flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda. Whisk to blend together.
3. Add to flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Once the cake is cooled spread the frosting.

Presto Salad Shooter..Where have you been all my life??!!

My other big find...my $10 used Presto Salad Shooter from the 80s? 90s?  Anyways this thing rocks.  I've been grating all my zaucchini and cheese my hand lately and its killing me.  Takes soooo much time and effort. 

This little beauty though eats through a zucchini in like 2 seconds!  Score!

Cheese .... no problem!  I've used it like 10 times already this week and it has a slicing attachment I haven't even tried yet.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake / Brownie

Continuing on my Ode to Zucchini line.  I found this recipe on Six Sisters Stuff Blog (becoming one of my favorites!).  The original recipe is here.

I modified it because I didn't want to use walnuts and because I wanted something other than chocolate icing.

This turned out awesome!  I'm calling it a cake/brownie because it got the texture of a cake and the denseness of a brownie.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/4 of a bag of chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 container of cream cheese frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back when gently touched. Spread frosting over cooled cake before cutting.

Zucchini Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

My mom had made this dish awhile back (minus the zucchini) and I loved it.  She got the recipe from the Whole Living website.  The original link is here.

I modified the original recipe to add the zucchini in so because it made it so moist I added another 2 tbsp of bread crumbs.  The sauce and the meatballs were delicious. 

The spaghetti squash came out mushy.  I don't know if its because I cooked too long...too short...the squash was too ripe...not ripe enough.  Who knows.  Spaghetti Squash = 1 .... Me = 0.  It kicked my butt.  So I just ended up eating the mixture by itself.

I'll try again to see if I can redeem myself or if someone can tell me the error of my ways.

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds) -- I used 2 smaller ones...that's all the grocery store had
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (3 tablespoons)
•  3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

• 8 ounces lean ground turkey  -- I used 1lb
• 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster, cut 1/4 inch thick (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 4 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups), washed well
• 1 cup of grated zucchini

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season cut sides of squash with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake, cut sides down, on a baking sheet until tender, about 45 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Scrape flesh into strands using a fork. Let drain, covered to keep warm, in a colander set over a bowl.  --- I had to bake the squash whole because I couldn't cut it.  Maybe this was my mistake?
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, until soft but not brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add oregano; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Divide mixture between 2 bowls.
3. Stir 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese into 1 bowl of onion-garlic mixture. Mix in breadcrumbs, turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper using your hands. Form mixture into 12 balls.
4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs, turning, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet. Cook mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, adding a few tablespoons water if skillet browns too quickly, until soft and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add remaining bowl of onion-garlic mixture, meatballs, and stock; bring to gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered, until meatballs are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook until just wilted, about 1 minute.
5. Divide squash and meatball mixture into 4 servings. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I was doubtful about this one and I pretty much sucked at having any of the ingredients for it the original recipe.   So I improved.  And it turned out pretty darn well!

And I got to use more zucchini!  Yeah me!

The original recipe is here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of shredded zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 ripe bananas mushed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ingredients in bowl.

Pour into loaf pan (i used a pampered chef stone).  If using another kind of loaf pan then grease it.

Bake for approx 45 mins until slightly brown on the top.

Let cool before serving.

Maryland Crab and Zucchini Balls

I'm always looking for ways to trick my kids into eating veggies and with the surplus of zucchinis and my zucchini challenge I've started it was the perfect time to try this idea. 

I've been making crab cakes for years.  I live in Maryland and its what we do :-)

This is a twist on the traditional Maryland crab balls.

Ingredients:

• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper
• Packet of Old Bay Crab Classic mix
• Sprinkle of Old Bay
• 1 tsp of yellow mustard
• Dash of worchester sauce
• 1 cup of zucchini (shredded)
• 1 lb of lump crab meat
• 1 tbsp of Mayo
• Sprinkle of panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Dump crab meat in bowl and pick out shells.

Dump in other ingredients and mix delicately with your hands.

Take a scooper (I used the pampered chef one) and scoop out crab mix and scoop on cookie sheet in ball shape.

Cook under the broiler of the oven on High for approx 5 mins or until the tops brown slightly.

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Around this time of year I'm always faced with the issues of zucchini burn out.  I've made loaves of zucchini bread.  I've grilled zucchini on the grill.  I've used zucchini for stir fry.  I'm just getting tired of the lame ass options for zucchini prep that I'd always gone to.  So I decided to do an "Ode to Zucchini" and experiment a little.

On the Tasty Kitchen website I found an interesting little recipe for "Zucchini Pizza".  It looked intriguiing and almost like I wouldn't feel guilty for gobbling down an entire tray in one sitting of this yummy creation.  Score!

And it lived up to all the hype and then some!

The link to the original recipe is here.

Ingredients:

• One zucchini (cut into small strips lengthwise)
• olive oil for drizzling
• Salt
• Pepper
• Spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu traditional...why?  because it was on sale)
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Toppings (I used sliced mushrooms and pepperoni)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut off ends of zucchini and slice lengthwise into several pieces. Place on a baking sheet or glass dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Lay flat on the pan. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of sauce over each zucchini slice until the entire slice is covered. Sprinkle with approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons of mozzarella. Top with any toppings you like or none at all. Bake for 15 minutes, until brown and bubbly.