Operation Zucchini Bread

 

Our zucchini plants must have taken lessons from movie serial killers. You know those movies when the serial killer is lurking underneath the blanket in the backseat? As the music swells, the bad guy comes out of nowhere and attacks the poor, unsuspecting victim.

Thankfully, our garden zucchini don't have much in common with bad guys except for that propensity for hiding in plain sight. One day, you don't see a zucchini big enough to harvest. Seemingly overnight, it becomes this behemoth that's only suitable for grating and adding to zucchini bread.

The girls helped harvest zucchini, potatoes and onions when they visited. While our gardening efforts pale in comparison to their paternal grandparents, they still had fun picking vegetables and then eating them in the meals we fixed during their visit. 

I grated one of those mammoth squashes last week and got 14 cups of grated zucchini for my troubles. (Well, actually, the food processor did most of the work.)

I thumbed through cookbooks and found a couple of zucchini bread recipes to try. The guys got some for treats in their harvest suppers.

One was combined with blueberries, which I knew would make my farmer happy.

The other used crushed pineapple.

Honestly, they were pretty similar in makeup. The main difference came in the spices added. Both were tasty. I just wished they used a little more zucchini per recipe. Remember? I have 14 cups! Some of it is in my freezer for another baking project.

Now ... if only those green tomatoes would turn red. That seems to be taking forever. Until then, here are the zucchini bread recipes to try. Let me know what you think if you try them!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

From Stafford County Hospital Cookbook: 

Working Hands, Caring Hearts

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cup grated zucchini
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (opt.)
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add oil, sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Mix in zucchini, mixing lightly. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Fold in blueberries and nuts (if desired). Grease and flour two 9- by 5-loaf pans (or use 4 smaller loaf pans). Pour mixture into pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes for large loaves. Test with toothpick and remove after toothpick comes out clean.

Zucchini Pineapple Bread

From Kansas Country Kitchens

Recipes from the Rural Electric Cooperatives of Kansas

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts)
2 cups zucchini, grated
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

Beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla together until thick and foamy. Add dry ingredients and mix until batter is smooth. Fold in nuts, zucchini and pineapple. Divide batter evenly and put into two greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pan (or 4 smaller pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Turn out of pans and cool completely.

***

Baked Chicken and Zucchini

Looking for savory recipes for zucchini? Here are a couple from past blog posts on The County Line. Just click on the link.

Squash Casserole

Farmers Market Pasta: A Recipe

I am ready for fall. After our day-time temperatures again soared into the 90s this week, I'm ready for sweatshirt and soup weather. Anybody else with me?

Even though I won't miss the sweltering temperatures, the humidity or the gargantuan mosquitoes as we transition to fall, I will miss the plethora of fresh vegetables. Living where we do, I don't get the opportunity to frequent farmers markets as often as I'd like. But if I happen to go to Hutchinson on a Wednesday or Saturday during the summer, a stop at the Reno County Farmers Market is a must.

And, here in the U.S., we are fortunate to have fresh fruits and vegetables available to us at the grocery store year-round.

The stereotypical farm wife is queen of her garden. Sadly, I am not. That's probably not a surprise to anyone who reads this little spot of the internet with any regularity. But I am always thankful to my friends and family who share. And I certainly don't mind supporting the hard-working folks who bring their produce to farmers markets or the farmers who make it possible for me to choose beautiful fruits and vegetables in my grocery store's produce section.

During the summer, there's a long-running joke that you need to keep your car locked so productive gardeners don't load it with excess zucchini or squash. This Farmers Market Pasta includes those veggies, along with broccoli, a bell pepper and tomatoes. The delicious combination of pesto, balsamic vinegar and spices will have you searching out your gardening friends who are still reaping the bounty of their hard work.

Or pick up the ingredients the next time you're at the grocery store. We highly recommend this tasty dish! I served it with grilled steak, but it would be delicious with other proteins as well. Enjoy!

Farmers Market Pasta

Adapted from Skinny Taste blog

For vegetables:
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds (halve or quarter, if the zucchini is large)
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds (halve or quarter, if the squash is large)
1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, halves
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

For pasta:
1/3 cup basil pesto
1/2 pound fusilli pasta (you can use another shape, like rotini)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 2 sheet pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, Italian herbs and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and whisk until emulsified.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables. Stir in contents of small bowl and toss to evenly coat. Spread vegetables out in an even layer onto prepared sheet pans. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions or until al dente. Before draining pasta, reserve a small amount of pasta water.

To assemble: Combine drained, cooked pasta, pesto and beans, adding 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water as needed. Toss with roasted veggies and top with Parmesan cheese.  Toss well to coat.

To serve, drizzle with a little more balsamic vinegar and additional Parmesan, as desired.

We had leftovers. I added a little additional pasta water before putting it in the fridge, since pasta leftovers notoriously absorb liquid. 

Makes 6, 1 1/2 cup-servings.

NOTE:  The original recipe called for 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Feel free to add those, if desired.

Hide and Seek

Our zucchini plants must have taken lessons from movie serial killers. You know those movies when the serial killer is lurking underneath the blanket in the backseat? As the music swells, the bad guy comes out of nowhere and attacks the poor, unsuspecting victim.

Thankfully, our garden zucchini don't have much in common with bad guys except for that propensity for hiding in plain sight. One day, you don't see a zucchini big enough to harvest. Seemingly overnight, it becomes this behemoth that's only suitable for grating and adding to zucchini bread.

We like zucchini bread, but now I have a main dish alternative for those green giants of the garden. Zucchini Pizza Casserole has another kind of "stealth" mode. It's a great way to "hide" vegetables in a family main dish. From the top, there's not a bit of zucchini to be cleverly discovered by a picky kid's roving fork. The zucchini is in the "crust," and it's covered up with pizza-flavored hamburger and cheese.

It was good the first time and good as leftovers, too, since there's no way Randy and I were going to consume the whole casserole in one sitting.  Don't you love leftovers? I do.

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

From Taste of Home

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 20 minutes    Bake time: 40 minutes

4 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz.) Italian tomato sauce or canned spaghetti sauce
1 medium green pepper, chopped

Place shredded zucchini in strainer; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out moisture. (Don't skip this step. It's amazing how much moisture is extracted in just 10 minutes! I used a clean paper towel to squeeze out even more liquid.)

Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half the mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Press into greased 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

While the zucchini-egg mixture is baking, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain well. Add tomato or spaghetti sauce; spoon over baked zucchini layer.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Sprinkle with green (or other color) pepper. Bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through.

Notes:

• I didn't have green pepper. I had yellow. So, to add some green color, I chopped up a little green onion and sprinkled it on top with the yellow pepper.
• If you don't like having a little crunch to the green/yellow peppers, you could add them to the skillet when browning the beef. Prepared as the recipe suggests, the peppers are a little bit "al dente." We liked that, but I know there are those who want their veggies softened.
• I didn't have the Italian tomato sauce so I used prepared spaghetti sauce. It worked well, and it's something I always have in the pantry, as opposed to Italian tomato sauce.
• Below is a photo of how the zucchini-egg layer looked before topping with the beef mixture. 

***

Need other ways to use those large zucchinis that need to be grated to be tamed? Try:

Low-Fat Banana Zucchini Bread (or Muffins)

or

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

***

A little bit of housekeeping: 

Winner of the $50 gift card in the Kansas Beef Council giveway on Kim's County Line was Ginger Sanders. Randy pulled her name out of a bowl filled with those who named their favorite way to use beef in family meals. Congratulations to Ginger, and thank you to everyone who participated. Ginger and her husband, George, voted for meat loaf, by the way.

***

I'm linked today to Wake Up Wednesday. It's hosted by Wichita blogger Ashley and several of her food blogging buddies. Check out the yummy recipes!

Did You Hear The One About ...?

Looking for a tasty wrap recipe to serve with your zucchini? Try Sweet Potato & Beef Mash-Up Wraps.

Poor zucchini! It always seems to be the punch line of every garden joke.

Did you hear about The Best Zucchini Recipe? You'll need:

• 1 bushel zucchini
• 1 raincoat
• 1 pair of sunglasses
• A moderately fast car

Directions:  Go to a busy parking lot. Drive around until you find an unlocked car. Put the zucchini in the back seat and drive away fast before you are discovered!

Our zucchini plants are prolifically producing during these hot, dog days of August. Our tomato plants seem to have taken a late summer vacation, much to my disappointment. But I'm back to trying to figure out new ways to use zucchini morning, noon and night.

I saw the recipe for these Zucchini Parmesan Crisps on Facebook. Both Randy & I really liked this tasty sidedish of zucchini jazzed up with Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs. And it didn't take long to prepare. Since I used foil on my baking sheets, clean-up was a breeze, too.

If you're looking for a tasty way to use up the zucchini in your garden ... or you didn't run away fast enough when an enthusiastic gardener thrust some extra zucchini into your hands - I'd recommend Zucchini Parmesan Crisps.

And that's no joke.

Q: What kind of vegetable likes to look at animals?

A: A zoo - chini!

Q: What is a zucchini’s favorite game?

A: Squash!

 

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

1 lb. zucchini (about 2 medium sized)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with vegetable spray.

Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil, coating well.

In a wide bowl or plate, combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, mixing well.

Place rounds in parmesan-panko mixture, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side. Place rounds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining bread crumb mixture over the rounds. (I didn't have extra.)

Bake for about 22 to 27 minutes until golden brown. There's no need to flip them during baking. They crisp up on both sides as is. (FYI: This is not a "potato chip-like" crisp. They are just nicely browned.)

Serving size:  1/2 cup. Calories:  About 105. Serves about 4.

***

I'm linked today to Wake Up Wednesdays, now sponsored by four food bloggers for even more ideas to that "what's for dinner" question.

***

And a reminder:  Are you signed up for the chance to win a $50 gift card from the Kansas Beef Council? You have until midnight tonight. Go to my Sweet Potato and Beef Mash-Up post last week and leave a comment about your favorite meal featuring beef. I'll throw your name in the hat for a chance to win. Good luck!

Farmers' Market Salad

 

Colorful and tasty: That's what's for dinner. With both zucchini and tomatoes available from our garden and beef stocked in the freezer, it was a perfect summertime meal. 

And, even if you don't have the fresh produce available out your back door, many towns now have farmers' markets available once or twice a week. Even our small town has one! 

I've enjoyed searching the Beef: It's What's for Dinner website, especially recipes from The Healthy Beef Cookbook. Dieters may not think about beef as part of a plan for smart eating. However, the Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) study, conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, found consuming lean beef daily as part of a heart-healthy diet lowered LDL “bad” cholesterol by 10 percent, which was just as effective as the DASH diet. That's good news for Kansas cattle producers like us.

This research provides support that nutrient-rich lean beef can be an everyday part of a heart-healthy diet:

• On average, a 3-oz. serving of lean beef is about 150 calories.
• Beef is an excellent source of nutrients, including protein, zinc, vitamin B₁₂, vitamin B₆ and niacin.
• Many of the most popular beef cuts sold at retail are lean, including T-Bone, Tenderloin, Top Sirloin and more. 

This salad will definitely be on our dinner table again!

My dietitian daughter would tell me to remind you that this is not a full-sized dinner plate, though it may appear so. I've used a smaller plate for portion control.

Farmers' Market

Vegetable, Beef & Brown Rice Salad

Adapted from   

The Healthy Beef Cookbook 

published by John Wiley & Sons

Marinade time: 6 hours or overnight

Total recipe time: 50 minutes

Makes 4 servings

1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups asparagus pieces (2-inch pieces)

1 small yellow squash,diced

1 small zucchini, diced

3 cups hot cooked brown rice

1 cup diced, seeded tomatoes

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak and 1/4 cup marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight. Reserve remaining marinade in refrigerator for dressing.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. To grill, place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals or cook on medium heat on preheated gas grill. Grill, uncovered, 10 to 11 minutes until it is medium rare (145 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally.

For salad: Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add asparagus and squash; cook and stir 7 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Toss with rice, tomatoes, beans, basil, salt and reserved marinade in large bowl.

Carve steak into thin slices. Serve over rice salad. 

Notes: I used sirloin steak instead of top round. I also used dried thyme, since I didn't have fresh available. I used about 1/2 teaspoon, but you could add more to taste. The original recipe just called for a medium-sized yellow squash. However, since I had zucchini available, I used some of both.  The original recipe gave a broiler pan alternative for cooking:  Place steak on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat. Broil 12 to 13 minutes for medium rare (145°F) doneness, turning once. Remove; keep warm. 

Nutrition information per serving: 514 calories; 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 8 g monounsaturated fat); 61 mg cholesterol; 593 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 7.3 g fiber; 36 g protein; 8.6 mg niacin; 1.1 mg vitamin B₆; 1.5 mcg vitamin B₁₂; 5.9 mg iron; 50.8 mcg selenium; 7 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B₆, vitamin B₁₂, iron, selenium and zinc.

It's not too late to take the My Plate, My Way quiz and get personalized recipes for you and yours family.

Garden of Eden?

Baked Chicken and Zucchini

Our little garden spot is certainly no Garden of Eden. But it is still struggling along, no thanks to me and much thanks to my husband. Our zucchini are still producing, though they've slowed down a bit. (You definitely don't have to turn away from me if you meet me on the street. I don't have extra to give away these days.)

The tomato plants appear to be on their last leg. (My Dad says it's spider mites.) So it was time to unearth these recipes before fresh veggies from our garden are mere memories of summertime goodness. 

Both recipes are from my friend, Kim Volker. She is a true gardener, so she has to figure out tasty ways to use buckets of produce. These recipes definitely qualify. Hope you enjoy them, too!

Baked Chicken and Zucchini

1 egg
1 tbsp. water
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
5 medium zucchini, sliced
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
1cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tsp. fresh minced basil

In shallow bowl, beat egg, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons of bread or cracker crumbs. Place the remaining crumbs in a large resealable plastic bag. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then place in bag and shake to coat.

In a skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons of oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute zucchini in remaining oil until crisp-tender; drain. Transfer to a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved bread crumbs over the zucchini. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle with 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, basil and remaining salt. Top with chicken.

Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

***

Here's a side dish recipe. Kim's original recipe called for yellow squash. Since I don't have that variety in my garden, I've also used all zucchini. It's just as good.

Squash Casserole

2 lbs. squash, peeled and cut up (zucchini or yellow or both)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup sour cream
1 8-oz. pkg. seasoned stuffing mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Cook squash and onion in salt water for 3 minutes. Drain. Combine chicken soup and sour cream. Stir in shredded carrots, squash and onions. Mix well and add salt to taste.

Combine stuffing mix with butter. Spread half of stuffing in bottom of 12- by 7-inch baking dish. Spoon vegetable mixture on top. Then put rest of stuffing on top of vegetable mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serves 6 (generously!)

***

Just in case you missed it the first time, here's Low-Fat Banana Zucchini Bread (or Muffins). You can change it up by adding dried cranberries instead of raisins or dates. (Thanks for the suggestion, Nina!) Or get crazy and add a combination!

And this one is super easy since it starts life as a cake mix! This recipe for Zucchini Carrot Muffins is also from Kim Volker.

Zucchini in Disguise

Do you have your cup of coffee ready to go this morning? I have your muffins hot and just out of the oven. Sorry the scratch and sniff portion of the blog is malfunctioning this morning. 

A few years ago, I asked a real gardener named Kim for some zucchini recipes. She shared this easy one that uses a carrot cake mix as the base. This week, I tried an orange supreme cake mix. If I go that route again, I'll bump up the orange flavor even more by adding a little fresh orange zest. I think it would also be tasty with spice cake or butter brickle flavors. Just use your imagination - or what's in your pantry.

This recipe is a good one for using up some of the prolific zucchini in your garden. We're not to the stage where we are going to put the zucchini in grocery sacks, knock on our neighbor's door and run away. That's a little hard to do when your closest neighbors are a mile away.

But if someone happens to share their garden bonanza with you, this recipe's a winner. And, with a cake mix, it won't take you long to be unwrapping a hot muffin at your house. You supply the smell-o-vision.

Happy weekend!

Look closely and you can see the grated zucchini in these. But if you distract your kids, they may not notice it - not that I'm trying to put anything past your kids.

Zucchini Carrot Muffins
Recipe from Kim Volker

1 pkg. (18 oz.) carrot cake mix
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup raisins (or dates)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In large bowl, combine the cake mix, applesauce, oil and egg for 30 seconds. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini, raisins and pecans.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: About 16 muffins (I got 18).

Variations: Use a spice, orange, butter brickle or similar cake mix instead. For more fresh taste, you can also grate a little orange or lemon zest into the batter before baking. 

If you missed it earlier this week, here's a totally homemade muffin, complete with whole wheat flour and oats:  Low Fat Zucchini Banana Bread/Muffins.

The Incredible Green Hulk

The zucchini didn't get the memo. I said we aren't gardeners around here. They ignored me.

Leave them a day to get a little bigger, and they become The Incredible Green Hulk. We could make our own B movie: Giant Zucchini Take Over the World (or at least our little garden plot). I wish the tomatoes would vie for starring roles in that film.

Yesterday, I tried a new quick bread recipe. While I had the grater out, I grated the largest three zucchini and portioned it out in 2-cup measures. I put the bags in the freezer and will use them for future baking projects.

If this plentiful harvest continues, I may have to invest in a new food processor. The grater portion of my ancient machine doesn't work anymore, so I used my box grater. On second thought, maybe not. I think that grater and I built up some new arm muscles (or gave me a neck ache).

This recipe combines whole wheat flour and oats with all-purpose flour. It also uses applesauce to replace part of the vegetable oil. Add zucchini, mashed bananas and some dates, and it packs a nutritious punch without sacrificing great taste. Enjoy!

Low-Fat Banana Zucchini Bread (or Muffins)

Recipe from Food.com

1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup dates (or raisins or walnuts or a mixture)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, applesauce and mashed bananas to the eggs; mix well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and dates.

Pour into 2 lightly greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

I made smaller loaves and some muffins. Bake the small loaves 25-30 minutes and the muffins 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Ovens vary a lot: You know yours better than I do!

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I'm linked today to Crazy for Crust's Crazy Sweet Tuesday. Check out the other sweet treats there!