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If you have any friends who have a home vegetable garden then most likely you are hearing this right now "We had a big crop of zucchini this year.Would you like some?"
and they show up at your house with literally a bushel load of zucchini. Now I don't mind because I love the stuff. And I get to cook zucchini in a myriad of ways
so as to satisfy my culinary imagination. Is it a fruit??? Is it a vegetable? Is it a doorstop? Is it something for the dog to play with? Well in my house it is all of the above and more...
Braised Zucchini with Mint and Lemon
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped mint, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1. Cut the ends from each zucchini, slice the zucchini in quarters lengthwise and then cut the quarters in half crosswise. You'll have large pieces of zucchini about 2 to 3 inches long.
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, warm the olive oil and the onion over medium-low heat until the onion softens and becomes fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, the garlic, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon mint and 2 tablespoons of water and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is extremely tender and almost translucent, about 25 minutes. There should be some liquid still in the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the lid, add the lemon juice and increase heat to high. When the liquid begins to bubble, remove from heat and set aside uncovered. When the zucchini is at warm room temperature, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons mint and the pine nuts, then taste and add more salt and lemon juice if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Parmesan Encrusted Zucchini
(Makes about 4 servings)
4 medium zucchini
salt, for cooking zucchini
1 T butter, melted (optional, see notes above, recipe called for 2 T)
2/3 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese, more or less to taste
Fill a medium pot with water, add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil.
Wash zucchini skins and cut zucchini into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2 inches thick. You will probably need to cut away some of the white inside part of the zucchini to get strips this thin.
Add zucchini to water and cook until barely tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain well and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain in colander for 2-3 minutes. Remove from colander and place in single layer on cutting board and pat dry with paper towels.
While zucchini cooks, preheat broiler and adjust the rack so it is six inches away from the heat. Spray a broiling pan with non-stick spray.
Arrange zucchini on broiler pan in rows, close together, skin side down. (Try to leave just a crack between each piece so the cheese can run down a tiny bit.) Brush zucchini with melted butter if using. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over zucchini, trying to get most of the zucchini covered.
Put zucchini under broiler and cook until cheese is completely melted and well-browned, about 15 minutes, or perhaps a little more, depending on how hot your broiler is and how close the pan is to the heat source. Serve hot or warm. There will not be any leftovers, so you don't need to worry about whether this will keep in the refrigerator.
Zucchini Ricotta Frittata
Ingredients
6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small zucchini, or one larger one, washed and sliced into thin rounds (about 3/4 pound)
Method
1 Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and Parmesan and beat to combine. Add the salt, freshly ground black pepper, basil and thyme and beat to combine. Set aside.
2 Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch oven-proof stick-free skillet on medium high. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add the zucchini slices. Stir so that the zucchini slices are all coated with some of the oil. Cook, stirring only occasionally (if you stir too much the zucchini won't brown), until the zucchini slices are lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove zucchini slices from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let cool for 30 seconds or so, and then stir the zucchini slices to the egg mixture.
3 Reheat the skillet. There should be a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the pan, if not, add some. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Do not stir it. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the egg mixture cook. Run a spatula along the edge of the frittata, separating the cooked edges from the pan. Let the egg mixture cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is beginning to set, about 5-6 minutes.
4 Set the top rack 5 inches from the heating element in the oven. Preheat the oven broiler. Once the top of the frittata has started to set in the pan on the stove top, remove the pan from the stove and place it in the oven. With the broiler on, the door of the oven needs to be open. You can let the pan's handle stick out from the oven through the open door. Cook under the broiler until the top starts to become lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Alternatively, instead of using the broiler, you can place a plate face-down on top of the skillet. Flip the skillet over to release the frittata on to the plate. Then slide the frittata from the plate back on to the skillet. Let cook for a couple of minutes more until the bottom side gets browned.
5 Slide the frittata out of the skillet onto a serving plate. Let cool for a minute or two and serve.
Serves 2-3.
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.
Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.
Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield
2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)
Crispy Zucchini Sticks with Olive Dip
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup beer, plus more as needed for thinning
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound, washed
Vegetable oil, for frying
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whisk 1 cup of the flour with the beer in a large bowl until smooth. Pour through a strainer into another bowl and let stand for 1 hour. Thin with additional beer just before frying, if necessary. It should be the consistency of pancake batter.
Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the olives and lemon juice in a small bowl. Thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if you like. Keep covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve the zucchini. Makes about 1 1 4/ cup.
Cut the zucchini into sticks that measure 3/4-inch wide and 4 inches long. Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a large deep saucepan until a deep-fat frying thermometer reaches 360 degrees F. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Add the zucchini and toss to cover in flour. Transfer to a sieve and shake to remove excess flour. Working in batches, dip in the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve the olive mayonnaise on the side for dipping.
Stuffed Zucchini: Zucchini Ripieni (from Mario Batali)
Ingredients
4 medium zucchini
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound ground lamb, crumbled
2 eggs
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, picked but left whole
1 cup basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Trim the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, remove the flesh making a canal down the center of each zucchini half, leaving 1/4-inch all around and the ends closed. Roughly chop the excess zucchini flesh and set aside.
In a 10 to 12-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil until just smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the zucchini pieces and crumbled lamb and cook until the lamb is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the lamb mixture and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, half of the mint leaves and the tomato sauce and mix well. Season both the mixture and the zucchini boats with salt and pepper. Stuff the lamb mixture into the zucchini boats and pile it high. Place in an oven-proof baking dish just large enough to hold all the zucchini and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp on top, and remove. Serve warm or at room temperature and sprinkle with remaining mint leaves.
Basic Tomato Sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4 inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt, to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups
Zucchini Grinders
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
4 (6 inch) French or Italian sub rolls, split
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the zucchini in butter until browned and slightly tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir in the marinara sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is heated.
Place a handful of mozzarella cheese in the sub rolls, then add the zucchini mixture. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Turkish Zucchini Pancakes
About 10 pancakes
1/2 pound zucchini (I used one medium-large specimen), coarsely grated
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Olive oil for frying
Place the grated zucchini in colander, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, squeeze the zucchini with your hands to remove the excess liquid.
While the zucchini is draining, you can assemble the rest of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. When the zucchini is ready, stir it in.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet (nonstick would help) over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop the zucchini mixture into the skillet by heaping tablespoons, a pat to flatten a bit. Fry until pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
If you need to keep these warm while you're cooking the batches, transfer each batch to a baking sheet in a 300 °F oven.
Serve warm, with fresh lemon juice and/or sour cream.
. . . . . . . . .
Also you can take two pancakes and put a layer of goat cheese between, warm in oven or under broiler until cheese is all melty and you have a Zucchini Pancake Sandwich with Goat Cheese Filling.
Source: Cooking Light
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elise.com
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