Zucchini Alfredo

An old school sauce with zucchini noodles.  You can top with chicken breast or leave it a vegetarian meal.  From Food and Drink Winter 2017.  I don’t have a spiralizer so I just cut long thin slices of zucchini.

1 cup 35% cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Black pepper to taste
4 large zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil

• In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, pour in 2/3 cup cream; stir in garlic, butter and salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to slightly thicken while making sure it never boils.  Add remaining cream and simmer for 3 minutes more, then stir in cheese and simmer until sauce is noticeably thicker, about 2 to 4 minutes.  Taste to adjust seasoning and add pepper if need be. Set aside.
• Wash zucchini and trim both ends to make them flat.  Place onto the spiralizer glider, making sure the centre of the zucchini is aligned with the circular centre blade.  Push the glider towards the from blades as you turn the handle and watch as your spiralled zucchinis materialize.  Keep a bowl nearby to collect noodles and clean out the pulp and cores as you go.  Toss with olive oil.
• Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add zucchini and cook in several batches, stirring often until just cooked and tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Alfredo sauce into pan with hot zucchini noodles, toss to coat and serve hot with a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Serves 4

Zucchini, Tomatoes and Herbs

A quick, healthy and delicious side dish!  I don’t find you need to add the salt for this but I included it from the original recipe from Food and Drink Spring 2015.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion sliced
4 medium zucchini cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
24 cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup lightly packed chopped dill
1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, sliced

• Heat oil in a large high sided skilled (love using my cast iron) over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent.  Stir in zucchini, sea on generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes or until tender crisp.
• Pour vinegar over, sprinkle with sugar, and cook, stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes to pan, toss to combine, cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until zucchini are tender and tomatoes have just burst.
• Remove from heat, stir in dill and turn out onto a platter or shallow serving bowl; sprinkle with mint.

Serves 10

Stuffed Zucchini

Love sauteed onions with anything!  A simple recipe that you can mix up with different herbs or switch the rice for quinoa.

8 zucchini
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup cooked rice
Fresh basil, thyme and summer savory
1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup tomato/pasta sauce

Slice zucchini in 1/2 lengthwise.  Scoop out flesh.  Place flesh in colander.  Sprinkle salt on shells and flesh.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Rinse zucchini.  Place shells in greased baking pan.  Squeeze water out of flesh.

Saute onion, zucchini and garlic in oil or butter.  Add fresh herbs.  Mix with rice and place back into shells.  Top with bread crumb/cheese mixture.  Dot with butter.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350F.  Serve with your favourite tomato sauce.

Hash with Chorizo and Fried Eggs

This is a fabulous comfort food.  I am a big fan of sweet potatoes and love that regular potatoes were switched for them.  If you are not a fan..just use regular baking potatoes.  If you are not a fan of Chorizo sausage, a nice Italian sausage would be just fine. From Food and Drink Winter 2012.

2 medium sweet potatoes, about 500g
1 tbsp olive oil
4 fresh chorizo sausages, casings removed, about 425 g
1 small red onion, thinly sliced, about 1 cup
1 small zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
2/3 cup thinly sliced roasted red pepper
1 cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 to 6 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Prick sweet potato and bake for 40 minutes or until sweet potato is still firm to the touch but a knife can glide through when tested.  Let cool; peel and dice.
3. Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat.  Crumble in sausage and fry about 7 minutes or until sausage is getting crispy and no longer pink.
4. Add onion, zucchini, roasted red peppers, chickpeas and sweet potato; cook for 3 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and stir in parsley.  Press mixture into pan with spatula and cook for a further 5 minutes, without stirring, until crisp and golden on the bottom.  Adjust heat if browning too quickly.
5. Serve out each portion of hash, wipe out pan, and then return pan to heat.  Add butter, and when it has stopped foaming, fry eggs sunny-side up until whites are set and crisp around the edges, about 3 minutes.  Season eggs with salt and pepper and serve on top of hash.

Serves 4 to 6

Grilled Vegetables

I love veggies on the grill!  Switch up the veggies with your favourite and add some herbs and spice.  You will get a different taste every time.  Try a little bbq sauce on them some time.

Vegetables of your choice cut into large pieces (try to keep the pieces about the same size)

• onions, zucchini, red onion, red and yellow peppers

Cherry or grape tomatoes

garlic

Olive oil

fresh herbs such as basil and oregano

• Preheat your grill and oil the grates.
• Place the cherry tomatoes in foil.
• Chop garlic and place on top of tomatoes, drizzle with oil and add 1 tbsp fresh herbs
• Place on grill
• Mix other vegetables in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Place on grill and bbq for approx 5 minutes, turning once to get a nice char mark.
• Place vegetables on plate and top with tomatoes.

Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Tomatoes

These are a good starter and a nice way to present zucchini.  The Roasted Tomatoes are flavourful and work really well with the fritters.  From Food and Drink Autumn 2010.

Roasted Tomatoes
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Zucchini Fritters
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, approx 1 zucchini
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, parsley and or sage)
Vegetable oil

• For the roasted tomatoes, preheat oven to 400F.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine tomatoes, garlic and oil in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place, cut side up on baking sheet.  Roast for about 25 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• For the zucchini fritters, preheat oven to 300F.  Place an ovenproof cooling rack on a large baking sheet and place in the oven.
• Combine flour, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  In another bowl, using a fork, whisk together eggs and yogurt.  Stir in zucchini and herbs.  Pour over flour mixture and combine with a fork just until evenly moistened.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Pour in a thin layer of oil an swirl to coat pan.  Drop a heaping tbsp of batter for each fritter into pan, being careful not to crowd the pan, and flatten slightly.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until dry around the edges and bottoms are browned.  Flip over and cooked through.  Transfer to rack in the oven.  Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil and adjusting the heat as necessary between batches.
• Top hot fritters with roasted tomatoes and place on a serving platter.

Garden Vegetable Platter

1 lb fresh asparagus
1 lb yellow squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into strips
3 carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1 red pepper cut into slices
Olive
salt and pepper to taste

Wash asparagus and snap off ends.  Place all vegetables on a cookie tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.  Place in 400F oven and roast for 10 minutes, flip and roast for another 5 minutes or until done.

Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Vegetables

A wonderful dish you won't even know is meatless.  Well maybe you will, but you won't care.  From Food and Drink 2011

Roasted Vegetables
1 small whole head garlic
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 each large red and orange sweet pepper seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 each medium yellow and green zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce (good quality)

Polenta
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1. For roasted vegetables, preheat oven to 425F.
2. Slice top off head of garlic to expose cloves.  In a large roasting pan, toss together head of garlic, eggplant, sweet peppers, zucchini, onion, olive oil, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown.  Remove roasting pan from oven and set aside.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 400F.
4. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves from skins and stir into vegetables.  Discard bay leaves.
5. Spread half of vegetables in a 12 cup baking dish.  Spoon half of pasta sauce over vegetables.
6. For polenta, bring milk, water, lemon zest and slat to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.  Very gradually add cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly as you do so (don't add cornmeal too quickly or the mixture will be lumpy).  I find it helpful to use a small whisk for this.  
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often and reducing heat further if mixture spatters, for about 8 minutes or until polenta has thickened and is smooth.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and parsley.
8. Working quickly, spread half of polenta over vegetables.  Top with remaining vegetables and pasta sauce.  Spread remaining polenta evenly overtop.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Zucchini Bites

Yummy and easy, it is easy to change this up by switching the meat and cheeses.

2 large zucchini, halved and cored
500 g ground meat (I like sausage)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil or oregano, chopped
3/4 cup Havarti with jalapeno or tomato and basil
3/4 cup feta
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Place zucchini on cookie sheet.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and use to stuff zucchini.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is well cooked and zucchini is fork tender
5. Serve immediately with rice or couscous

Zucchini and Mushroom Vegetarian Lasagna

Preparation time:  15 minutes
Cooking time:  20 minutes
Baking time:  30 minutes
Makes 12 servings

4 large unpeeled zucchini
1 lb (500g) fresh mushrooms, such as button, brown or shiitake
3 tsp butter
4 crushed garlic cloves
700 ml jar spaghetti sauce
5 1/2 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz mozzarella or provolone cheese, grated
475 g container ricotta cheese, well drained
2 eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Cut unpeeled zucchini, lengthwise,, into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Take 8 outside slices (the ones that are primarily peel) and finely chop.  Slice mushrooms
2. Melt 1 tsp butter in a large wide saucepan.  Add garlic and chopped zucchini.  Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  Add remaining butter to pan along with mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.  Drain off all liquid.
3. Add spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and cooked zucchini to mushrooms and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often for 10 minutes.  Stir in half of grated cheese.  Remove pan from heat.  Cover and set aside.
4. Place ricotta, eggs and flour in a food processor.  Whirl, using an on-and-off motion, until smooth.  Or beat with a spoon until smooth.
5. Cover bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with some of large zucchini slices.  Spread with half of ricotta mixture.  Top with half of tomato sauce.  Repeat layers and sprinkle remaining grated cheese overtop.
6. Bake in centre of oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until hot in centre.  If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.  Bring to room temperature before baking.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

A lot of flavour here!

Preparation time:  45 minutes
Cooking time:  50 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
Makes:  8 servings

12 lasagna noodles (not oven ready noodles)
3 onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 crushed garlic cloves
5 1/2 oz can tomato paste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried leaf basil or 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes, including juice
2 lbs (1kg) Italian sausage
2 sweet peppers
2 zucchini
1 cup grated Asiago cheese about 125 g
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, about 125 g

1. Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water, according to package directions, until al dente, about 12 to 14 minutes.  Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.  Lay wet pasta in a single layer on waxed paper.  Cover with another piece of waxed paper.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop onions.  Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat.  Add onions, parsley and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally , until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.  Do not let onions brown.
3. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings.   Continue stirring mixture for 2 more minutes.  Stir in red wine.  Add tomatoes and juice, breaking up tomatoes into bite-size pieces.
4. Cover and bring to a boil over medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for about 30 minutes.  This sauce can be made up to 2 days before preparing and baking lasagna.
5. Meanwhile, pierce sausage casings several times.  Place whole sausages in a large frying pan set over medium heat.  Cook, turning often until well browned, about 15 minutes.  Cut sweet peppers into 1 inch pieces and slice zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds.
6. Cut cooked Italian sausages into large bite size pieces.  Stir sausage pieces, sweet peppers and zucchini into simmering sauce.
7. Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly coat bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with about 1 cup sauce.  Arrange a single layer of noodles over sauce.  Spoon one third of sauce over noodles.  Sprinkle with one third of asiago cheese.  Repeat layers twice.  Top lasagna with mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake immediately or cover and refrigerate.  Lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.  Bring to room temperature before baking.  Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until golden, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Green Minestrone with Pesto

Not a beautiful looking soup, but delicious and healthy!

1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

pinch hot red chili flakes

2 zucchini, diced

1 bunch swiss chard or kale, chopped

1 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped

1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1/2 in slices

8 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock

1/2 cup macaroni or other small pasta (whole wheat if possible)

1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas

2

cups chopped escarole or baby spinach leaves

3 green onions, chopped

Pesto

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 

2 oz (60g) shaved or grated Parmesan (preferably parmigiano reggiano)

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven.  Add onions, garlic and hot chili flakes.  Cook gently until tender.
2. Add zucchini, Swiss chard, broccoli, green beans and stock. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.  Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes longer.
3. Add chickpeas and escarole, salt, pepper and green onions.  Cook 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile make pesto by placing garlic, basil and salt in a food processor and chopping finely.  While the machine is running, add olive oil through the feed tube, until mixture is thin enough to drizzle.
5. Serve soup, drizzled with pesto and topped with Parmesan.  Freeze any leftover pesto. 

Firecracker Chicken Salad

A great salad that kids will enjoy because of the salsa - spice it up with a hot salsa or keep it mild depending on your taste.  The avocado in this is my favourite!

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 1/2 lbs (750g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 sweet onion, sliced in thick rounds
1 red pepper cut in quarters
2 zucchini cut in half
salt and freshly ground pepper

Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp chopped coriander
salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
2 cups tortilla chips

1. Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and coriander.  Brush on to chicken breasts, onion rounds, red pepper and zucchini.  Marinate for 1 hour.
2. To make dressing, combine mayonnaise, salsa, lime juice and coriander.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reserve.
3. Preheat grill to high.  Season chicken and vegetables with salt and pepper.  Place chicken breasts and vegetables on grill.  Grill chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until juices run clear.  Cool.
4. Grill vegetables about 4 minutes per side or until tender.  Cool.  Remove skin from peppers.  Slice onions, peppers and zucchini into strips.
5. When chicken has cooled, slice it and mix with dressing.  Add vegetables and toss to lightly coat with the dressing or serve dressing on the side.  Surround platter with sliced avocado and tortilla chips.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

My kids won't knowingly eat zucchini but they did eat these muffins! Ha! one for the veggies....:)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 small zucchini, unpeeled and coarsely grated
1/2 cup chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients along with the zucchini and stir until almost combined; add the chocolate chips or nuts and stir just until blended.
• Pour into muffin tins lined with paper liners.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until tops are springy to the touch.

Grilled Zucchini Pepper Wraps with Lemon Grass Aioli

I love grilled vegetables and this is a really great way to jazz them up a bit.  If you want to skip the Aioli they also taste great just on their own or you could drizzle a bit of balsamic vinaigrette over them - definitely a healthier choice.

Aioli
2 stalks lemon grass
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wraps
4 medium zucchini, each about 7 x 1 3/4 inches
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
36 thin strips each sweet orange and yellow pepper each about 2 inches long

1. For the aioli, cut lemon grass stalks in half lengthwise.  Trim out tender inner hearts and the tenderest inner layers.  Reserve remaining lemon grass for another use.  Finely mince hearts and enough of the tender layers to make about 2 tbsp.
2. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium low heat.  Saute minced lemon grass and garlic for about 3 minutes or until softened but not browned.  Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool.  Whisk in mayonnaise until blended.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to blend the flavours or for up to 2 days.
3. For the wraps, heat barbecue to medium.
4. Trim ends from zucchini.  Cut lengthwise into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick, until you have 36 slices.  In a shallow dish, combine oil, coriander, salt and cayenne.  Add zucchini, and rub or brush to coat evenly with spices.  Grill, turning once for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until grill marked and tender (do not let crisp).  Return to shallow dish and let cool to room temperature.
5. To assemble, hold 1 strip orange pepper and 1 strip yellow pepper together.  Wrap 1 slice of zucchini horizontally around peppers, with peppers sticking above the top edge of the zucchini.  Secure with a toothpick and place on a platter; gently separate pepper strips so the point in opposite directions.  Repeat to make about 36 wraps.  
6. To serve, place bowl of aioli on platter along with a small spoon to dollop on top of wraps.

Grilled Zucchini Pepper Wraps with Lemon Grass Aioli

These are great as appetizers or as a side dish.  For maximum flavour make the Aioli ahead of time.  If you have a hard time finding Lemon Grass, substitute for your favourite herb.  I used Basil and it came out just fine. This recipe came from the Food & Drink Summer 2011.

I absolutely love grilled vegetables and this is a nice switch to the usual that I make.

Aioli

2 stalks lemon grass
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wraps

4 medium zucchini, each about 7 x 1 3/4 inches
3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt (I left this out)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
36 thin strips each sweet orange and yellow pepper (2 peppers cut up)

• For the aioli, cut lemon grass stalks in half lengthwise.  Trim out tender inner hearts and the tenderest inner layers.  Reserve remaining lemon grass for another use.  Finely mince hearts and enough of the tender layers to make about 2 tbsp.
• In a small skillet, heat oil over medium low heat.  Saute minced lemon grass (if using fresh herbs instead add at the end) and garlic for about 3 minutes or until softened but not browned.  Transfer to a heat proof bowl and let cool.  Whisk in mayonnaise until blended.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to blend the flavours or for up to 2 days.
• For the wraps, heat barbecue to medium.
• Trim ends from zucchini.  Cut lengthwise into thin slices, about 1/3 inch thick, until you have 36 slices.  In a shallow dish, combine oil, coriander, salt and cayenne.  Add zucchini and rub or brush to coat evenly with spices.  Grill, turning once for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until grill marked and tender (do not let crisp).  Return to shallow dish and let cool to room temperature.
• To assemble hold 1 strip orange pepper and 1 strip yellow pepper together.  Wrap 1 slice of zucchini horizontally around peppers, with peppers sticking above the top edge of zucchini.  Secure with a toothpick and place on a platter; gently separate pepper strips so they point inopposite directions.  Repeat to make about 36 wraps.  (Platter can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 4 hours; let wraps warm to room temperature before serving).  
• To serve, place bowl of aioli on platter along with a small spoon to dollop on top of wraps.