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Posts Tagged ‘Zucchini’
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Some nights I crave breakfast for dinner and on these nights an omelet makes a delicious meal. It’s healthy, filling, and can be made in a matter of minutes. I like to make omelets later in the week or on the weekend since they are a great way to use up any leftovers that may have accumulated in the fridge during the week. If you don’t have zucchini you can sauté any veggies you have on hand.
 Open-Face Omelet
(Yield: 1 serving)
1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 small (about 1/3 lb) zucchini, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 oz cheese, shredded or thinly sliced (I used Swiss)
Salt and pepper
Toast (optional, for serving)
Preheat the broiler. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small pan (a 6 or 8-inch pan works well) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and a dash of salt and pepper, and sauté about 4 minutes (stirring frequently), until it softens and starts to turn golden in spots. Turn off the heat and add the garlic, stirring for 1 minute (the heat from the zucchini and the pan will cook the garlic). Transfer the zucchini and garlic to a bowl and set aside.
To the same pan add the remaining 1/2 tsp oil and heat the pan over medium heat. Season the eggs with a dash of salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Let the eggs set on the bottom (this should take only about 10 seconds), then use a rubber spatula to push in the edges of the egg and allow the unset egg to run to the bottom of the pan. Once the eggs are set but not overcooked, transfer the zucchini/garlic mixture onto the eggs and top with the cheese. (To serve open-face, do not fold the omelet over.)
Broil the omelet for about a minute, or until the cheese is melted. Serve with toast if desired.
Tags: Eggs, Meals in Minutes, Omelet, Zucchini
Posted in Meals in Minutes, Recipes | 28 Comments »
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Fritters are a the perfect summertime dish to help use up veggies from your garden. They’re super versatile – you can substitute any veggies that you like or have on hand. Serve them as appetizers, or they make a delicious side dish along with fish or chicken off the grill, but in the summer when I’m in the mood for a light meal I think they make a fantastic lunch or dinner by themselves.
I’m sending this recipe to Reeni of Cinnamon & Spice for her Side Dish Showdown. July’s theme is Anything Goes!
I’m also sending this recipe off to Chaya of Sweet and Savory for My Meatless Mondays!
 Vegetable Fritters
(Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main)
1 medium zucchini, diced small (about 2 c diced)
1 small ear cooked corn, cut of the cob (about 1/2 c to 3/4 c corn)
3 spring onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced (reserve 2 TB of the thinly sliced green parts)
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 c low-fat sour cream
1/4 c plain, low-fat yogurt
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Canola oil (for shallow frying)
Large skillet
Preheat the oven to 200F. In a small bowl, toss together the zucchini, corn, spring onions, flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir in the beaten eggs just until combined. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to generously coat the bottom. Heat the skillet over medium to medium-high heat, then drop the vegetable batter by the rounded tablespoonful into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping once (about 5 minutes per side). Turn the heat down if the fritters start to brown too quickly.
Once the fritters are cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil, then transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them in warm the oven until all the fritters are made. Repeat this process until all the batter is gone.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, yogurt, seasoned salt, and 1 TB sliced spring onion greens.
Serve the fritters garnished with the sour cream mixture and the remaining 1 TB of sliced spring onion greens.
Tags: Corn, Fritters, My Meatless Mondays, Recipes, Side Dish Showdown, Vegetables, Zucchini
Posted in Recipes | 37 Comments »
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow we’ll start taking submissions for your Easter recipes on All Through the Year Cheer…there will be a fantastic prize for the winner! You can submit any recipe that says Easter to you. Brandy and I can’t wait to see what you all came up with.
Also, be sure to check out the lovely Krista’s fantastic Nature’s Path Granola Bar Giveaway!
When it starts to get warmer out I’m always on the lookout for healthy meals that keep me full and satisfied but don’t sit heavily in my stomach. This soup is hearty enough to fill you up but light enough to not weigh you down. It’s the type of soup I don’t mind eating even on warm spring days. The best thing is it’s a nourishing, delicious meal ready in a matter of minutes.
 White Bean & Zucchini Soup
(Yield: 2 servings)
1 TB olive oil
1 small zucchini, cleaned and chopped into bite-size pieces
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained (such as cannellini, navy, great northern, etc.)
1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small-medium pot, heat the oil in a small pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and sauté about 4 minutes (stirring frequently), until it softens and starts to turn golden in spots. Add the garlic and sauté about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the beans, bouillon, and 1 1/2 c of water, and turn the heat up to medium or medium-high heat; bring the soup up to a boil then turn off the heat. Blend the soup (I used an immersion blender, but you could also use a food processor or blender) until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper.
Tags: Beans, Meals in Minutes, Recipes, Soup, Zucchini
Posted in Meals in Minutes, Recipes | 19 Comments »
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
I know I promised a few recipes with yogurt this week, in honor of the Blogger Secret Ingredient. It came at a good time because I was planning on making baked zucchini fries, and what goes better with zucchini fries than ranch dressing? And ranch dressing goes perfectly with almost anything I can think of (raw veggies, crackers, sandwiches, grilled meats, etc.) so I always make extra. The zucchini is really just a guise so I don’t just eat the ranch by itself.
A Note on the Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own. Pour ½ c of milk into a small bowl, then add ½ TB of lemon juice or vinegar (I like to use some kind of white vinegar for this). Don’t stir! Let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle, then use.
Baked Zucchini Fries with Homemade Buttermilk-Yogurt Ranch Dressing
(Yield: 2 servings, plus extra dressing)
Zucchini Fries:
1 medium zucchini, cut into long, thin pieces
¼ c Italian-style dry breadcrumbs
2 TB fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried herbs (any combination of parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)
½ tsp garlic powder
Pinch salt and pepper
1 egg beaten with 2 TB milk
Cooking spray
Buttermilk-Yogurt Ranch Dressing:
½ c buttermilk
5 TB Greek plain low-fat yogurt
1 TB dried parsley
½ tsp dried dill
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, dried herbs, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Coat the zucchini in the egg/milk mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping the zucchini once.
For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients. Serve the zucchini alongside the dressing for dipping.
Tags: Blogger Secret Ingredient, Ranch Dressing, Recipes, Yogurt, Zucchini
Posted in Recipes | 24 Comments »
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Depending on where you’re from, you might know this type of sandwich as something other than a bomber, such as a submarine (or sub for short), hoagie, hero, blimpie, grinder, or po-boy. Anyway, it doesn’t matter since a meatball sandwich by another other name would taste as delicious! These sandwiches are picky-eater pleasers…my husband (who typically will only touch a steak sub) actually loved these meatballs…of course he wanted his bomber without cheese, but at least he was eating turkey-veggie meatballs! (Yes, for some reason my hubby is able to consume slimy green soup without any qualms, but he has a problem when it comes to cheese…go figure.)
When cooking ground poultry, it usually has a tendency to dry out faster than ground beef due to its low fat content. Not these meatballs. They are moist and flavorful because of all the veggies. These meatballs are also fantastic with spaghetti, so you might want to make extra. ;)
Turkey-Vegetable Meatball Bombers
(Yield: 4 servings)
Bombers:
16 turkey meatballs
4 (6 to 8-inch) sub rolls
1 1/3 c tomato sauce
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
Meatballs:
1 (1 lb) zucchini, shredded
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
¼ small onion, grated
1 egg
½ TB Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried Italian herb mix (I use a mix with basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
¾ c Italian-style breadcrumbs
½ lb ground turkey
Cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Use your hands to combine all the meatball ingredients. Form the meat mixture into walnut-sized meatballs (you should get about 18 meatballs) and line them up on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the meatballs halfway through. Once the meatballs are out of the oven, turn the oven up to 500F.
Slice each sub roll in half. To make each bomber, spread ¼ c of tomato sauce on the inside of a hoagie, line 4 meatballs up on 1 side, and top the meatballs with ~1 TB of tomato sauce and 1 oz of cheese. Place the bombers on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly toasted.
Tags: Meatballs, Recipes, Turkey, Zucchini
Posted in Recipes | 18 Comments »
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