oven zucchini and sausage

 In my quest to eat a lot more zucchini since it's going gangbusters in my backyard, here's what I plan to make today:

• zucchini (I used about 6 small-medium), cut in chunky half-rounds
• olive oil (perhaps 1/2 T)
• spices (I used salt, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper) 
• chicken sausage (I used 3 pre-cooked sausages cut diagonally)

Chop zucchini and mix in bowl with oil and spices.  Spread on sheet pan with sausages.

Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and check for zucchini doneness.  (I like mine a bit firm, not mushy.)

another minestrone

Zucchini to use up, I'm following this recipe (sort of) for minestrone.  

• pasta (elbows or another small shape are nice), about 1 cup dried
• onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2-4 cloves garlic (depends on size)
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup green beans (in shorter lengths)
• tomatoes and water (1 15 oz can diced tomatoes + 6 cups of water, or whatever tomato/water combo worked - I used passata for most of it)
• bouillon (or use broth)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (or fresh)
• 1 tsp dried basil (or fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley (or fresh) 
• salt, pepper
• parmesan rind piece 
• bay leaf
• can (or equivalent) of beans: white beans, kidney beans, or cranberry beans  

Saute carrots, celery, and onions until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic and saute gently for a minute or two.  

Add zucchini and beans (and any other vegetables, though leafy greens should come later), beans, spices, tomatoes, water, parmesan rind, etc.  

Cook about 30 minutes until vegetables are cooked but not soft.

Cook pasta separately and add in (unless the whole pot of soup is getting eaten then).   

zucchini apple salad

 OK, this is very good, exactly what I was hoping for to handle my October garden bounty.  Ideas from here, with some changes.  

Ingredients

• 1 pound zucchini, diced

• 3 medium apples, diced

• I omitted because I don't care for bell pepper though I would use a banana pepper or something else: ½ green bell pepper, diced

• ½ red onion, chopped or less - I used maybe 1/5 of yellow onion, chopped fine 

• 1/4 cup olive oil ⅓ cup vegetable oil

• 2 T apple cider vinegar  2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• < 1/2 tsp sugar // 1 teaspoon white sugar

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  pepitas (these were a great addition, and sharp cheddar cheese would be, too) 

   

Directions  

 Combine zucchini, apples, bell pepper, and onion in a serving bowl.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until well combined; drizzle over zucchini-apple mixture. Toss to coat.

Even better the next day.   

wild rice soup with coconut milk

 Going through the cupboards to see what I can use up, looking for recipe ideas.

This Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup is a great idea. 

Ingredients

• 6 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1 small onion, diced  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• Vegetables
• She used: 
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
• today I will use below, with different variations in the future (such as winter squash):
• carrots
• celery
• green beans
• zucchini
• kale 
• Seitan or tempeh or tofu (frozen or pressed) 
• 1 bay leaf
• herbs and spices (she called for Old Bay which is not a thing for me, so I'll play with it)
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (or see cream sauce option below*)
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.  Turn down the heat if necessary to avoid burning the garlic.
2. Add in the firmer vegetables such as carrots and celery and saute lightly.
3. Add in stock, wild rice, bay leaf, and season.  Bring to a simmer.
4. Add other vegetables based on how much time they need to cook (not much for zucchini or kale, more for green beans).   
5. Simmer for about 45 minutes until the wild rice is cooked, then add in the coconut milk and last vegetables.  Season.

 

zucchini lentil bake

 Took this recipe and will cut it in half (though it probably does freeze well).  It's a great way to use zucchini and has good flavor.  

• olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• approx 250 g zucchini, grated 
• 1/2 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 can or equivalent fresh tomatoes (diced, passata, etc. 225-400 g) 
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme 
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• black pepper, salt to taste  
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 
• up to 1/4 cup grated parmesan 
• fresh herbs for garnish  

Instructions

Gently saute onion until soft and nearing transparent (about 8 minutes). Add garlic, for about a minute.  Add zucchini, saute about 8 minutes.  Then add lentils, tomatoes, broth, herbs, and stir well.  Bring to light boil and simmer covered about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  If the cooking pan is not ovensafe, transfer to baking dish.  Put mozzarella and then parmesan on top and bake uncovered about 20 minutes.  

Great with olives, pine nuts, pita, etc.   

zucchini with sardines

 Going to try this based on ideas from this recipe and what I have.

NOTE:

The original recipe makes a lot, so here's the half recipe I make:

•  2 shallots or small onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic
• a couple of tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4# zucchini, grated 
• 1 tin sardines, drained, with oil saved to share with the dog (otherwise it is too fishy)
• fresh basil, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp lemon zest//lemon pepper
• pepper
• grated parmesan  

 Heat olive oil, gently saute shallots and then garlic until soft. Add tomatoes, cook to a sauce.

Add zucchini, cook a few minutes, then add sardines, basil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, pepper, and other spices to taste.  Cook to heat up and meld flavors, not too long.  Serve with grated parmesan.  

 

**

ORIGINAL - LARGE BATCH 

• 2 shallots (or small onion), minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• a few tomatoes, chopped 
• 1.5 pounds zucchini, grated 
• 2 tins sardines, drained, with olive oil saved
• fresh basil, sliced (2/3 cup or so)
• 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp lemon zest (lemon pepper would be a good substitute) 
• pepper  
• finely grated parmesan or similar cheese (4 oz or so)  

Heat olive oil from the tins of sardines.  Gentle sautee shallots and garlic until soft, then add chopped tomatoes and cook down into a sauce.   

Add the zucchini, cook lightly, then add sardines, basil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, pepper, and other spices to taste.  Cook to heat up and meld flavors, not too long.  Serve with grated parmesan.  

 

easy summer garden dinner

 I have *so many vegetables* producing in my garden right now that it's a little overwhelming, and I need quick and easy ways to prepare them.  

I made this with ground beef, garlic, cabbage, and green beans - but it'd be equally good with zucchini (reduce cooktime), winter squash, tomatoes, or whatever else the garden grows.

INgredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 large cloves minced garlic (and/or chopped onion) 
• 1 small head cabbage, chopped
• 2-4 cups green beans, cleaned and trimmed and chopped 
• 4 T soy sauce or coconut amino acids or some other salty flavoring
• black pepper
• spices as desired (I just used onion powder and some salt because I want to eat it with different things and maybe freeze it, but a Cajun seasoning or other things like htat would be great)

Instructions:

- Brown ground beef, breaking into small pieces.

- Before fully browned, turn down heat and add in garlic.

- When fully browned, add in the cabbage and soy sauce and stir well.  Turn up heat to medium.  Cook a couple of minutes with lid on.  

- Add green beans, stir well, cook with lid on for 8-10 minutes (keeping green beans somewhat firm, but cooked).

 Goes well with sour cream.  Would go well with different seasonings, roasted potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, rice or another grain, etc.  

zucchini muffins

 I'm excited to make this zucchini muffin recipe from here once I get some more zucchini from my garden. 

Zucchini Oat Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup packed pitted dates

Boiling water

1 1/4 cups coarsely grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup sugar (I'll probably omit - the dates are enough sweet)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup neutral-tasting oil, such as light-tasting olive oil, avocado, grape seed or canola oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Place the dates in a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over them to cover and let soak for 1 hour. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid, then drain the dates well.Combine the dates and the reserved liquid in a food processor (mini, preferably) and puree to form a smooth paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, as needed.

Place the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink; let drain for 20 minutes, then gather it up in your hands to extract as much moisture as possible.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a standard-size, 12-well muffin pan at hand. Lightly grease the wells with cooking oil spray or line them with baking paper cups.

Stir together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl.

Stir together all the date paste, eggs and oil in a mixing bowl until incorporated, then stir in the grated, drained zucchini. Add the flour mixture and stir until no trace of it remains, then stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter evenly among the wells. Bake (middle rack) for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm, or at room temperature

 

roasted zucchini with parmesan

 At first I thought this roasted zucchini with parmesan was kind of meh, but I ate a heap and I do like the flavor and the texture, so it's a keeper for sure.  

Ingredients

• 4 small zucchini ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise
• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•  
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, dill, or a mix (optional)

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Place the zucchini in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture. Toss to coat, then arrange the zucchini on top of the cooling rack on the prepared baking sheet, being careful not to overlap the spears. Place in the oven and bake until the zucchini is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil. Cook until the Parmesan is lightly crisp on top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t walk away! The second you stop watching the cheese, it will decide to burn. Remove the zucchini from the oven and immediately squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Sprinkle with herbs. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

• 
  

 

summer squash scramble

 I keep struggling with what to prepare for breakfast, and I also struggle with what to do with the vegetable bounty from my garden.  

Finally, after a week of staring at an identified summer squash (not what I planted, but what grew), I realized I can just saute it with eggs and add parmesan that I shredded too much of, and make it a meal.

I can do this with most vegetables, adding whatever cheese or other thing is about like salsa.

Not sure why I keep forgetting this, but putting it here to remind me. 

- Chop up squash or whatever vegetable is lurking

- heat cast iron skillet, add olive or whatever oil

- saute vegetable

- mix in bowl: eggs (I usually use two smaller), salt, pepper, seasonings such as onion and garlic powders

- add egg mixture to vegetables and cook to desired doneness

- top with cheese, salsa, or whatever else needs to get used up

zucchini muffins

 Last year when I had too much zucchini, I shredded and froze it.  Trying to empty out last year's crops I decided to make these zucchini muffins. They're pretty tasty and used up some other things I had on hand and needed to use up.  I double batched them and will freeze most, for a healthy-ish snack. 

Ingredients 

• ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans or hazelnuts
  
• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or other oil
  
• ½ cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• ⅔ cup buttermilk (or ⅔ cup milk of choice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar, allow to rest for 5 minutes before using) - I used mostly yogurt topped up with milk
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop and toast nuts for 4-5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and honey; add eggs.  Then add milk and vanilla. 

In a larger bowl combine flour, spices, leavening.  Add in the liquid ingredients just until mixed (do not overmix), then add in the zucchini and nuts.

Makes 12 muffins. 

minestrone

 OMG, this was so good.  I think I sauteed it just right because it smelled and tasted amazing.  The only bummer was the macaroni I used - next time will try something better.  Putting what I did below and in italics what I didn't from the recipe here. 

 

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work) - I used one zucchini and one potato
  
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
• 1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)

Instructions

1. Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
4. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
5. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
6. Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.

 

vegetable breakfast bowls

 Sweet potato-kale-zucchini breakfast bowls from here, with some adjustments.  It's ... very tasty.  Almost too much because I had a heavy hand, worried about vapid vegan fare.  It also took over two hours to get together and it only made enough for 2-3 meals, so definitely not something to do on a work morning, but a nice Saturday morning activity (and I wonder if I could roast vegetables at my office kitchen).  It's just about restaurant quality, TBH. 

#1 - savory granola (I omitted everything in italics and it still turned out great)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup raw buckwheat groats
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds or hemp seeds
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup golden raisins optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup aquafaba or liquid from a can of chickpeas; substitute an additional 1 1/2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons safflower grapeseed, or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line one or two baking sheets with parchment. Mix the flax, oats, buckwheat, all of the seeds, coconut flakes, raisins, and all of the spices/seasonings together in a large mixing bowl.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the aquafaba, oil, and maple syrup. Pour this wet mixture over the granola mix and stir well to combine everything evenly.
• Bake the granola for 20-25 minutes, stirring a few times during cooking to ensure that the granola at the edges of your baking pan doesn't burn. Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight storage container.

 

#2 - turmeric tahini dressing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tamari or nama shoyu
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated finely on a microplane, or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 small clove garlic grated on a microplane or finely minced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/3 cup water (to desired consistency)
  

Mix together. Note: the flavor is intense.  This will be good on a salad with chickpeas and the savory granola.

 

#3 - roasted vegetables

I did sweet potatoes and zucchini per her recommendations.  Other vegetables could work.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop zucchini, mix with oil & salt and pepper, put on pan.  Peel and chop sweet potato, toss with oil and salt & pepper (other spices as desired).  I put it all on one pan and roasted for 30 minutes.  That was a little too long.  

 

#4 - sauteed kale - from here.

Heat oil in skillet and cook 2 cloves garlic until soft (not colored).  Add in 1/2 c. stock and chopped (young, soft) kale and bring to a boil.  Cover and let cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook until liuid evaporates.  Add 1T red wine vinegar (2T was too much) and salt/pepper to taste.

 

#5 - Assemble bowls with vegetables, granola, and dressing. 

zucchini black bean rice skillet

Edit, modification:

 

- chop and sautee 1 onion, then add

- chopped garlic & 1 chopped zucchini, cook lightly

Drain 1 jar of black beans, add water to 1 cup liquid

- add to pan 1 can tomatoes & 1 small can chilies & can of beans, cook a bit, then add

- 1 cup liquid & 

- 1/2 c. rice

- 1/2 tsp oregano

Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer and cook about 15-20 minutes.

 

Check salt & pepper, serve with cheese

****

 

Always looking for more ways to eat beans and vegetables, I came upon this recipe, which I modified somewhat.  I don't know that I'd want to eat it every day, but it's a nice way to use things on hand.

Ingredients:
Rice (cook earlier; I used 1 cup brown rice dried in rice cooker and then used it all)
1 can/jar black beans (rinsed, drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (including fire roasted, with peppers, etc., with liquid)
1 small-ish zucchini
1/2 onion
1/2 pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 cup shredded cheese 

**
Heat oil.  Saute onion a few minutes, then add pepper and zucchini and cook until onions are translucent.

Add beans and tomatoes and oregano; head until boiling.  Add rice and stir to heat up.  Add cheese and eat. 

zucchini pancakes

Loving these zucchini pancakes from here.  Yum!  Been eating them with sourcream and sriracha. 

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or coarse black pepper
• 1/4 cup (50g) olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup (57g) chopped chives or scallions, about 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil*
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano*
• 4 cups (680g) coarsely grated zucchini, about one 10" zucchini
• 1 3/4 cups (206g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup (113g) freshly grated Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or other cheese (or a combination)

*Substitute 2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning for the dried herbs, if desired, reducing salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons. 

 

Instructions

1. Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat; if you have an electric griddle, set the heat to 400°F.
2. Beat the eggs with the oil, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the herbs, scallions, zucchini, and cheese, stirring to combine.
4. Stir in the flour.
5. Grease the hot griddle lightly. Drop the batter in 1/4 cupfuls onto the griddle; a muffin scoop works well here. If necessary, spread the cakes to about 3 1/2" to 4" diameter.
6. Cook the cakes for 3 minutes, or until they're brown on the bottom, and bubbles have appeared on their tops. The top surface will appear somewhat dry and set.
7. Flip the cakes, and cook them for about3 to 4 minutes on the second side, or until they're as moist/cooked as you like when you break one open.
8. Repeat until you've used all of the batter.
9. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold; with butter and grated cheese, or without. Store any leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven, if desired.

minestrone with kale

This recipe for minestrone with kale is from the Weight Watchers website (minor modifications made).  It is super yummy!!

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 carrots, chopped

2+ cups kale (I used almost a whole bunch from the supermarket)

2 leeks, washed and chopped

2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes with basil

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

salt

pepper

4 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)

15 oz can white beans (such as Great Northern)

1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta, such as orzo

grated parmesan

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots; sauté over high heat until onion is transparent, about 7 minutes. Add kale and leeks; sauté until wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add zucchini, diced tomatoes, broth, herbs and beans. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cooked orzo, salt and pepper.
• To serve, pour into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup of soup and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese per serving.

harira

Harira - North African Vegetable Soup - served during Ramadan at iftar/breaking of fast, the national soup of Morocco (from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant)

serves 6-7

1 cup finely chopped onion
garlic, minced
2 diced celery stalks
3 T oil
1 t turmeric
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t cinnamon (go easy on it - not too much!)
1/8-1/4 t cayenne (to taste - go easy)
1 small potato chopped
1 small carrot diced
4 small tomatoes chopped (I threw in a can of diced tomatoes)
1 cup tomato juice
4 cups vegetable stock or liquid from cooking chick peas or water
1 small zucchini finely chopped
1/2 cup curly vermiceli, crumbled (I couldn't find curly, so used angel hair pasta)
1 c. canned or cooked chick peas (I just threw in a can - 69 cents at Whole Foods!)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I didn't use fresh, but it would be tasty)
salt & pepper to taste
****
Garnish:
chopped fresh parsley
fresh mint leaves
red bell pepper or pimiento strips
********
In a soup pot, saute the onions and celery in the oil until the onions are translucent. Add the spices, potatoes, and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Mix in the chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, and chick pea liquid/stock and simmer until all the vegetables are almost tender.

Add the zucchini and vermicelli and simmer for about 5 minutes longer. Mix in the chick peas, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped parsley, mint leaves, and strips of red bell pepper or pimiento.

*******
I think it would be way yum with cabbage, green beans, and small pasta such as orzo.

Freezes well.

Zucchini Latkes

Zucchini Latkes
Originally uploaded by gummychild

With lots of sweet baking going on, it's nice to balance it with something that's a little savory...^_^ I made these Zucchini Latkes today for lunch, to go with leftover pizza that Mello brought over on Wednesday. ^_^

I love making potato pancakes, but this new discovery is a new species of its own! It's very, very light, and extremely tasty. ^_^ The outside is just a bit crispy, and the inside is moist (I did not squeeze out the water from the zucchini as indicated in the original, because I didn't want just crispy zucchini cakes) and full of zucchini flavor - perfect if you love zucchini as much as I do. =)

The only problem is, I modified this quite a bit from the original at gourmet.com, and went on my own, eyeballing the amounts of ingredients I used, so I'll do my best to give you the best estimate in terms of measurements.

Ingredients:

- 3 regular size zucchinis, peeled and shredded with a grater.
- a pinch of kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 Cup of panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon of parmesan cheese with tuscan herbs (dried basil, thyme, etc...)
- Oil to pan cook with

Directions:

1) Mix everything together well. =) Season to taste.

2) Make one circle of oil on a hot skillet, and wait for the oil to heat up.

3) Drop mixture in by giant spoonfuls (I used a serving spoon; I'm guessing it's about 2-3 Tablespoons) but make sure they are packed together into a latke/thick pancake shape so that it will cook and hold together.

4) When the bottom is browned, flip carefully and wait for the other side to brown.

5) Serve fresh! It's light, tasty, and doesn't need additional seasoning. The original suggests sour cream, but I liked it just as it is. =)

sauteed zucchini for Jenny

This is one of my favorite things to do with zucchini and other summer squash. Super easy, super yummy.

****
Heat oil in pan to low medium (I use olive oil for this even though I *KNOW* not to cook with olive oil. I just think it's a great flavor with the zucchini, so I cook on low heat.)

Add:
onion, chopped
garlic, minced
dash of salt
(could also throw in celery, bell pepper, etc. but it's not necessary)

You're going to sweat the onions, which means cook over low heat until they give up some moisture and turn translucent.

Then add:
half moons of zucchini (slice in half the long way, then chop)

Saute until the taste is good of the zucchini - the cooking sweetens it and changes its texture. I like it only cooked for a few minutes, so it's still firm to bite but is all glossy.

You can add a dash of soy sauce or such things but it's not necessary. The squash has a great flavor all its own, enhanced with the onion and garlic.

***
I don't give quantities because I just use whatever I have on hand. I would say for two medium zucchini I'd use half a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic, but I'm totally guessing.

This is great with meat and salad and/or with rice or pilaf or all on its own. It's very low maintenance (cooking on low heat, you don't have to stir much - I just put the lid on and do other things) so you can prepare other things simultaneously.

You can also add a chopped tomato for a different yet also very satisfying dish.