Got zucchini?

Need some ideas for that glut of zucchini you have lyin' around? Here are some ideas for your perusing pleasure.

Veggie Pasta Stir-Fry - simple, light summer supper

Zesty Veggie Enchiladas - heartier and more filling

Sicilian Lentil Pasta Sauce - make some for the freezer!

My Favorite Muffins

Super Stuffed Tortillas - use corn, onions and peppers from your garden too!

Creamy Garden Spaghetti - yum

Veggie-Packed Chili - recipe to come!

Zucchini Bread - This is the best recipe I've tried

The following recipes I haven't tried, but I plan to.

Stealth Zucchini Dinner

Zucchini Apple Crisp

Summer Lentil Salad

I've also been blanching and freezing zucchini dices and slices for use in future stir-fries and recipes. I also heard that you can thinly slice, season and dehydrate them to make zucchini chips. Don't let any of this green goodness go to waste!

Sicilian Lentil Pasta Sauce

This pasta sauce is hearty, filling, and cheap. I like to make a batch (or two) and stick it in the freezer for a couple of later meals. It's also a great food storage recipe!

2 t olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2 c fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small zucchini, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry lentils
3 cups water
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1.5 t white sugar
1/2 cup water

Saute vegetables in oil in a large saucepan. Add lentils and water and simmer 45-60 minutes, until lentils are tender, but not mushy. Stir in tomato sauce, paste, sugar and water, Simmer 20 minutes.

Zesty Veggie Enchiladas

Another zucchini recipe? Yes!! See, I really could use a car full of this most versatile of vegetables. This recipe is also from a family cookbook (thanks, Aunt Miriam). This is a great food storage recipe.

1/3 cup lentils, rinsed
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 medium carrots, shredded
oil
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 cup shredded cheese
6-8 flour tortillas

Simmer lentils in water with salt 20-30 minutes, until tender. Rinse and drain. In a large skillet, stir fry carrots. Add zucchini and fry a few more minutes. Add stewed tomatoes, broken up, salsa, cumin, and lentils. Stir in cheese. Place some of the mixture in the center of a tortilla, roll up, and place seam down in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Bake in a 350 oven for 8 minutes or the microwave (in a microwave safe dish) for 3-4 minutes. Top with more salsa and cheese and bake again until cheese melts. Eat and say yum.


Do you like lentils?

Veggie Pasta Stir Fry

My mom was kind enough to give me some zucchini and tomatoes last weekend, which means we get to have one of our new favorite recipes tonight. I found this in an old family cookbook. (thanks, Janette Anderson, whoever you are...) It is really, really good, and very economical, especially if you can grow your own veggies.

8 oz. pasta, cooked
2 T. butter or oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 large or two smaller tomatoes, diced
2 t. Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a wok or skillet, melt butter or heat oil, add onion and garlic and cooked until tender. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until crisp-tender. Drain pasta and add with tomatoes, stirring until just heated through. Add Italian seasoning, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan just before serving. Makes 4 servings (depending on who's eating it...)

Note: I have used canned mushrooms and they also work, although they are not as good. I also used Romano cheese because we had it lying around and it was very good! You will probably want to add salt.


What's your favorite way to use zucchini?

Muffins

Muffins are probably my favorite of the baked goods. They're light and fluffy, sweet (most of the time) and can be packed with all sorts of good stuff. Today I share my two favorite muffin recipes.

I wish I could get my hands on more zucchini so I could make these first ones more often. I have been leaving my car unlocked, hoping someone will fill it with zucchini, but so far, no luck...

Apple Zucchini Muffins
1.5 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup grated zucchini
1 small apple, grated

Mix the dry stuff, mix in the wet stuff, fold in the zucchini and apple, spoon into muffin cups and bake for 20-22 minutes at 350. To make them extra delectable, dip the tops of the still warm muffins in melted butter and sugar.

I have also made these with part whole wheat flour and applesauce in place of some of the oil, but they just weren't the same. Modify at your pleasure (just please don't leave me comments telling me all your modifications. I like them the way they are).


Next up, my healthy muffin recipe. I have no hesitation eating these for breakfast (disclaimer: I have no hesitation eating almost anything for breakfast), but I actually feel good eating these for breakfast.

Banana Blueberry Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup blueberries

To give credit where credit is due, I did not come up with this recipe. I found it somewhere on the World Wide Web. I couldn't tell you where because I wrote the above on a post-it note with these instructions: 375. 25 min. I guess that's not really giving credit, but simply claiming that this recipe is not the product of my own genius.

I would suggest, however, that you start by creaming the butter and sugars, then add the eggs, milk, vanilla and mashed bananas, then add in all the dry ingredients and mix well, and lastly fold in the blueberries.


Let me know when you make either of these. I'll be over for muffins and cold milk!

What kind of muffins are your favorite?