One final zucchini recipe before summer leaves us for good.
Three kinds of chocolate (Nutella, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips) make the zucchini hard to spot in this delicious quick bread. But the added vegetable helps to keep the loaves soft and moist. And it lets you pretend this is a healthy treat.
This recipe make one regular-sized loaf or 6 mini loaves, which freeze perfectly and are just the right size for when there are only two of us left at home.
RECIPE: Continue reading
A flavorful side-dish full of fresh summer vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes and flavored with pungent Indian spices.
My kids call this Indian Ratatouille. It is a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats.
RECIPE:
Filed under Low Carb/Keto, Side Dishes
Zucchini bread is always the favorite option for an excess of garden squash in the summer.
Chocolate chips are optional. I prefer it without, but many in our family like a generous studding of chocolate chips in their zucchini bread.
RECIPE:
Filed under Breads, Breakfast/Brunch
DAY 5: Frosted Zucchini Brownies
For when you want to pretend that your brownies are actually healthy.
RECIPE:
Continue reading
Summer is in full swing, which means it is prime zucchini season. Pair this quiche with a salad for a perfect summer meal that can be eaten hot or cold.
For a perfectly browned crust, bake the quiche with a pie crust shield. It is easy to Make Your Own:
For a low carb version, just bake this quiche without a crust in an 8-inch square baking dish.
Some ideas for salads to serve alongside this quiche:
Chopped Caprese Salad
Greek Summer Salad
Chipotle Lime Quinoa and White Bean Salad
Thai Cucumber Salad
RECIPE:
Single pastry crust for 9” pie plate
1 ½ cups heavy cream
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground cayenne or Ancho chile pepper
1 Tbs butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped cooked ham
¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan
1 ½ cups shredded Swiss, cheddar, or Gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare pastry crust and place in 9” pie plate (deep dish, if possible).
In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
Heat butter in a skillet. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add diced zucchini and cook until crisp-tender (about 3 minutes). Place vegetables in a mixing bowl and stir in diced ham. Cool slightly. Stir in shredded cheese. Spread filling evenly into unbaked crust. Pour egg mixture over filling. Use a spatula or fork to remove any large air pockets.
If desired, cover the crust of the quiche with a pie crust shield. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to set at room temperature 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.
NoEmptyChairs.me
Filed under Breakfast/Brunch, Main Dishes, Side Dishes
The transition from summer to fall is my very favorite time of the year. I love the cool mornings and sunny (but not humid) days. It is the perfect time for making my favorite comfort food: Ratatouille. Like all good comfort foods, it is warm and filling and permeates your house with delicious smells as it cooks low and slow on the stove. And during this change of seasons, I love that I can still get great fresh garden vegetables and herbs to use in this recipe.
Ratatouille is not always the most visually appealing dish, but is bursting with flavor. It is full of hearty vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and lots of fresh herbs Then cooked down on the stove until the flavors blend and meld into the most delicious vegetable stew. Eating healthy has never tasted better!
This is Little A’s very favorite side dish. His face just lights up when he smells it as he comes into the house. All of the kids love it except for Little J (but she hardly counts as she turns her nose up to EVERY vegetable in this dish).
Ratatouille makes a perfect side dish to grilled or roasted meats. I love to serve it this time of year, when we still like to grill chicken, pork, or other things outside. Grilled meat is wonderful, but also begs for something juicy to eat with it. Ratatouille fits that bill perfectly. It is also great later in the winter with a roasted pork tenderloin, roast chicken, or beef roast.
This recipe makes a good-sized pot of ratatouille. You could always scale it back if you don’t want to make that much, but I love to have leftovers of this dish. It makes a perfect lunch all on its own the next day. Or as a sauce for pasta for an easy meal later in the week.
I never measure things when I make this recipe. It is very flexible based on your personal tastes. Below is a good approximation of the amounts that I use.
RECIPE:
½ cup olive oil
1 large eggplant, skin on, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 red/orange/yellow pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 zucchini and/or yellow squash, sliced and quartered
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
3 cups chopped tomatoes
½ tsp Tabasco sauce (adjust to taste)
3 Tbs chopped fresh basil*
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley*
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme*
1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano*
Heat olive oil in a large saucepot. Add eggplant to the hot oil and cook until eggplant begins to soften. Add onions, red pepper and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, salt, pepper, and dried herbs; cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add chopped tomatoes and Tabasco sauce and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, until mixture is cooked down and thickened (30-40 minutes). Stir in fresh herbs during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste and add additional salt, if necessary.
*Or substitute an additional 2-3 tsp dried Italian seasoning for the fresh herbs.
NoEmptyChairs.me
Filed under Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Soups/Stews/Curries
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