Tag Archives: zucchini

Happy Veterans Day!

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Happy Veterans Day! Our family has a strong tradition of military service. My Dad and my husband’s Dad were both in the Army. My husband, my brother, several of my husband’s brothers, and I are all veterans. Now, my son is a Navy officer, as are a couple of his cousins. So, I guess it is fitting that I come back from my unplanned blogging hiatus on Veterans Day. My laptop spent most of the last 2 weeks in the “computer hospital.” It is good to have it back and working.

Grilled Marinated Zucchini

I saw several recipes on the internet for grilled, marinated zucchini. This one is unique because the zucchini slices were marinated in balsamic vinegar and rosemary. The yellow squash is the last of what grew in our garden, the zucchini came in our CSA box. This would be great for your Veterans Day BBQ, but start early since you have to marinate the squash for 8 hours.

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Grilled Marinated Zuccchini
Recipe type: Side
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
  • 2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
  1. Place zucchini, squash, and rosemary sprigs in a zip top bag.
  2. Whisk together oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour into bag. Toss to combine.
  3. Marinate for 8 hours.
  4. Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill zucchini and squash until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
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Black Bean Quesadillas

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If you have been following my blog for a long time, you might recognize this recipe. This was one of the first green chile recipes I shared, back in 2011. My food photography is getting better, so I’ve decided to re-post some of my older recipes with new (hopefully more appealing) photographs.

Black Bean Quesadillas

These quesadillas are really easy to prepare. They are also a great way to sneak some vegetables into your diet!

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Black Bean Quesadillas
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
  • 1 small yellow summer squash, finely chopped
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup green chile, chopped
  • 8 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1½ cups shredded fat free cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion. Saute until the vegetables start to get soft.
  2. Add black beans and chile. Continue cooking until the beans are heated through. Remove from heat.
  3. Spray both sides of an indoor grill with non stick cooking spray. Place a tortilla on the bottom plate of the grill. Top with ¼ cup cheese, then ¾ cup of the vegetable mixture. Top with another ⅛ cup cheese. Place a second tortilla on top. Lower the top plate and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. (You can also cook in a skillet on the stove, flipping the quesadilla half way through.)
  4. Remove quesadilla and cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
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Grilled Zucchini Tacos

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While looking for zucchini recipes this week, I was surprised at how many recipes I found for tacos! I always thought of zucchini as an Italian vegetable. (And, indeed, they probably did originate there.) However, zucchini are apparently used in all different cuisines. We see zucchini used often in calabacitas, a Mexican side dish of summer squash, corn, and chile peppers.

Grilled Zucchini Tacos

This recipe is completely vegetarian. I served them with sour cream and cheese, but if you avoid dairy products, this would be great without them.

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Grilled Zucchini Tacos
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1¼ pounds zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ground cumin to taste
  • ½ large onion, cut in ¼ inch thick slices
  • 2 ears fresh corn
  • 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup chopped green chile (fresh or frozen preferred)
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • tortillas of your choice
  • Salsa, shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, sour cream or other taco accompaniments
Instructions
  1. Preheat grill for medium heat. Brush olive oil over both sides of zucchini slices and season with cumin to taste.
  2. Remove all but about 2 layers of husks from the corn, as well as the visible portion of the silks.
  3. Grill zucchini, onion, and corn. Corn should be turned every 2 minutes, zucchini and onion should be turned once during cooking. Chop zucchini and onion into small bitesized pieces. Cut corn from cobs.
  4. Heat black beans and green chili in a large pot over medium heat. Add grilled zucchini, onion, and corn, heat through.
  5. Serve zucchini mixture in tortillas, with accompaniments to taste.
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Vegetable Tortellini

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We got zucchini from the farm (again!) this week. It is way to early for me to be struggling for something new to make with zucchini. Fortunately for me, there is Pinterest! I found this great recipe from The Mushroom Council for Tortellini with Mushrooms, Zucchini, and Bell Pepper. We also got a lot of bell pepper, so this killed 2 birds with 1 stone.

Vegetable Tortellini

I changed the spicing and sauce (added some wine!), and also added some carrots for more color and texture. The leftovers are even better the next day!

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Vegetable Tortellini
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped bell pepper
  • 2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
  • 1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup red wine
Instructions
  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain.
  2. While tortellini is cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute carrots, pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms until they begin to soften.
  3. Combine garlic, rosemary, and basil. Add to skillet and cook a couple more minutes.
  4. Add broth and wine, cook until vegetables are softened.
  5. Add tortellini, toss and cook until tortellini is reheated.
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Chocolate Chipotle Zucchini Bread

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Skarsgard Farms, the local organic farm that supplies our harvest boxes, has been sending plenty of zucchini this month. When I searched for a way to use them, several recipes for chocolate zucchini bread came up. I’ve been trying chipotle chili powder in different chocolate recipes, some with more success than others.

Chocolate Chipotle Zucchini Bread

This is one of the successful attempts. The original recipe came from Eating Well. The original recipe is delicious, my chipotle version adds a little kick.

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Chocolate Chipotle Zucchini Bread
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
  • 2 cups grated zucchini, (1 medium)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Place walnuts in a pie plate. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 5-7 minutes until toasted, checking frequently.
  3. Combine flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chipotle powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and unsweetened chocolate. Stir to combine. Add to flour mixture and stir just until the flour is moistened.
  5. Add zucchini and nuts, stir until just combined.
  6. Divide the mixture between the 2 pans, level the top. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
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