Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is "A Squash is a Squash, Of Course, Of Course..."  Participants could cook any Ottolenghi recipe using squash.  Here in New York it's springtime, so I didn't want to cook with any of the winter squashes.  I ended up choosing zucchini, since it's one of my favorite squashes.  I saw this recipe in Jerusalem but sadly had to return the cookbook to the library.  Luckily, I found an online version from Recipe Connoisseur that I adapted to suit our tastes.  The original sauce recipe called for ground sumac.  According to Wikipedia, sumac is a reddish-purple powder often used in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to foods.  Obviously, the local grocery store doesn't carry sumac.  There's actually a small Middle Eastern grocery store in the neighborhood but I never made it there.  I also didn't really feel like spending money on a spice that I thought I'd probably never use again.  I thought the sauce tasted fine without.  Overall, these burgers were okay.  They were nice and moist and both kids ate their entire patty.  I served them over couscous, as seen in the pic below. 

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onions and Cumin
Recipe adapted from Recipe Connoisseur, via Ottolenghi's Jerusalem

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
about 3-4 tbsp olive oil, for searing

For the Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
⅔ cup plain yogurt
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tbs olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
First, make the sour cream sauce by mixing all ingredients in small bowl and placing in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine all burger ingredients except oil. Mix with your hands and form into desired patty sizes.

Pour enough oil to cover bottom of large frying pan. Heat over medium heat until hot, then sear burgers about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Carefully transfer the seared burgers to a baking sheet and place in oven 7-10 minutes, or until cooked through.    

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Caramelized-Onion Lasagna with Gorgonzola Sauce

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  We hosted Christmas with both my family and my husband's family.  I just realized now that with all of the hustle and bustle of trying to get the food ready and on the table at the same time, that I didn't take any pics of the dishes! :(  I also realize that as the holidays wind down now, that many people, including myself, are thinking about eating healthier and lighter fare.  However, maybe you can squeeze this dish in before the end of the year! 

A couple of weekends ago we were home making gingerbread houses with the kids.  I had the time so I thought that I'd make this dish, which I've had bookmarked for awhile.  I love caramelized onions and with the added gorgonzola sauce I thought it sounded really good.....and it was! I was surprised at how well the two ingredients paired together.  Now the original recipe calls for fresh zucchini.  I had sent my husband to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients to make the gingerbread houses and also asked him to pick up a zucchini.  He came home with a cucumber though!  Luckily, I had a bag of zucchini/squash in the freezer and defrosted and used that instead. This was definitely a weekend-type meal, where I wasn't concerned with and also had lots of time to make this.  This also isn't a dish that I'd make often, but it was a tasty dinner for my husband and I.  Onions and gorgonzola....not my children's favorite ingredients!  So for them I just cooked up some extra lasagna noodles and served with butter and cheese. 

Caramelized-Onion Lasagna with Gorgonzola Sauce
Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light, April 2001

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, divided
8 cups thinly sliced onion (about 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bag frozen, sliced zucchini and squash, defrosted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated fat-free milk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine; cook 2 minutes or until wine evaporates. Spoon into a bowl; cool.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the zucchini and squash; cook 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan. Add remaining zucchini; cook 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add Gorgonzola ; stir until cheese melts.

Spread 1/4 cup cheese sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles slightly overlapping over cheese sauce; top with half of onion mixture, half of zucchini, and 1 cup cheese sauce. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread the remaining cheese sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Zucchini Bread

I had bought some zucchini with the intention of cooking it as a side dish one night.  However, when looking for a muffin recipe, I thought that I'd go with a bread instead.  I'm always making muffins and I thought some zucchini bread sounded good.  I posted the original recipe below but I ended up halving it and making only one loaf.  The recipe was easy to put together and really tasty!  This was a great breakfast for everyone and I probably should have made the second loaf and frozen it.  We ended up slicing and freezing half of the one loaf I had made and had some for breakfast days after. 

Zucchini Bread
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional - I left them out)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays @ Our Delightful Home
Tempt My Tummy @ Blessed with Grace

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries

I had a leftover zucchini in the refrigerator and had this recipe bookmarked in my "To Try" folder.  So I thought now would be a perfect time to go with the Hummus Turkey Burgers.  I thought the breading might entice the kids to eat zucchini, but I was wrong.  They didn't like these.  I did, although they didn't come out as crispy as I would have liked.  For the amount of time and dirty dishes this created, I don't think I'll be making these again.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
recipe from The Soulicious Life

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut into french fry sticks about 3″ long
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. Panko or traditional bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
1 tbls. fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange three bowls assembly line style. In the first, stir together flour, 1/2 tsp. garlic salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the second, whisk together eggs with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the third bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan and/or Romano, and oregano.

Working in batches, first dip zucchini in flour, then transfer to egg mixture and toss until coated. Finally, coat zucchini in breadcrumb mixture.


Arrange zucchini on prepared baking sheets in single layers and without touching. Bake 22-27 minutes until breadcrumb coating is golden and crisp.


Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Pizza

Another pizza recipe here for you!  I know I've mentioned numerous times that pizza is almost a weekly dinner staple in my house.  It's really quick and easy (depending on what you put on it!) and so much healthier to make it yourself than eating what you get from the local pizzeria. Just to note, I do not make my own pizza dough.  The store sells dough for less than $2 each and we like it.  I knew my kids weren't going to eat this, so they got a plain pizza.  But I love zucchini and wanted to try this recipe out.  The original recipe, linked below, called for zucchini ribbons.  I thought grating it would make for more manageable bites. My husband really enjoyed this pizza.  He liked the flavors of the dressing that the zucchini was mixed in.  I thought that this recipe wasn't bad, but not a favorite. It was definitely something different that we had never had before!

Zucchini Pizza
recipe very slightly adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients:
10-ounce pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 ounces mozzarella (low-moisture), thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, grated
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 shallot, minced
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Make your pizza dough or grab your store-bought pizza dough.

2. Preheat pizza stone in oven to 475 F degrees. Stretch out your pizza dough into desired shape.

3. Add the tomato sauce to the center of the pizza dough, spreading it evenly. Arrange the cheese over the tomato sauce. Mozzarella melts and spreads like crazy so don’t put too much. Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza are golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, grab the zucchini, cut off the ends and grate. Set aside.

5. In a medium bowl, add red wine vinegar and using a whisk, slowly add the olive oil until it emulsifies. Add the Dijon mustard, minced shallot and mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss the zucchini with the dressing until lightly coated.

5. Open the oven and carefully place the zucchini mixture atop the pizza. Bake for an additional 1-2 minutes, until zucchini is warm.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Waffles

I love zucchini but unfortunately, the kids do not.  However, the kids do love anything breakfast - especially pancakes, waffles, french toast.....anything they can pour syrup over!  I found this waffle recipe and decided it was time to dust the waffle maker off and put it to good use.  It had been awhile since I had made homemade waffles.  I had my daughter help grate the zucchini for this recipe while my son and I got the batter ready.  As she was grating she said, "I'll grate this for you but I am NOT eating these. I don't like zucchini!"  Who ate all of her waffles?  Actually, both of the kids did.  I knew they would too!  In a recipe like this, when it is grated, there's very little zucchini flavor.  This was another great breakfast for dinner served with some breakfast sausage.  Just to note, as usual, I didn't read through the recipe before I went to make it.  I didn't have time to salt the zucchini to get out the excess water.  Instead after my daughter grated the zucchini I pressed the excess liquid out with my hands.  I guess it worked well enough, the waffle batter wasn't too watery!  Note to self....pre-read the recipe before making!

Zucchini Waffles
recipe from The Perfect Pantry

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups skim (nonfat) milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Directions:
Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Place in a strainer, and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of kosher salt. Place the strainer over a bowl, and let the zucchini drain for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water, shake off excess liquid, and transfer the zucchini to a clean dish towel. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the zucchini, and set aside.


Preheat waffle maker to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Stir together.

In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture), and beat until smooth. Stir in the zucchini and mix well.

Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray (top and bottom plates). Spread half of the batter evenly over the bottom of the waffle maker, and close the top. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the waffles are as crisp as you like them. (Different waffle making equipment will cook at different rates, so please follow the instructions that come with your machine.) Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve hot, topped with maple syrup.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa

I can't believe September is half over!  The time just keeps flying by.  The 15th means that it's time for the Eating the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic.  This month's letters were P, Q, or R and the challenge is to make a recipe using a fruit, vegetable, or grain that begins with that letter.  I have already made a lot of recipes with peaches, plus, pineapple, etc.  That seemed too easy for me to do.  Since I've really been "challenging" myself during these challenges I decided to make a recipe using quinoa (pronounced keen-wah).  I think I've only tried this grain once before, when someone at supper club made a recipe with it.  I don't remember disliking it, I just was never really inspired to try cooking with it myself.....until this challenge. I have to say that this recipe is super quick!  I was somehow able to make this and the shrimp dish that I served it with in about 20 minutes or so. My daughter started religious education this year and from 4:30-6 every Monday is in class.  I didn't realize the time was getting so late and I had to get ready to pick her up (especially on the first day!) but I didn't want to start cooking when we got home.  I was somehow successful in getting both dishes completed before I left to get her!   At first my daughter was into the quinoa.  She thought it reminded her of couscous.  But then she started not liking it.  I had made a special dessert to celebrate my son's first day of preschool and I'm not sure if it was the lure of the dessert, but I was able to get him to eat about 3 big bites of this.  After making this, I can't say that I'm a quinoa lover, but this dish was super easy and something new for us!

Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa
recipe from Closet Cooking

Yield: makes 4 servings


Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 cup cheddar, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender,about 15-20 minutes.

2.Remove from heat am mix in the zucchini, cheese, salt and pepper.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

Yesterday I posted the Peach Gazpacho that we weren't really fans of. I made these muffins to serve with the soup for a quick and easy dinner.  These muffins were the star of the meal.  The kids loved these!  I loved that they ate them, zucchini and all.  And I was able to use up a leftover uneaten ear of corn on the cob from a previous dinner.  These were easy to make and really tasty.  They're a great way for kids to eat some extra veggies, since you couldn't really taste the zucchini.  I ate some of the left over muffins for breakfast!  I can see myself making these again!

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins
recipe slightly adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup course ground yellow cornmeal
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed and drained on paper towels
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, melted butter, oil, and eggs until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Fold in the zucchini and cheddar cheese. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and serve.

Family Rating:  2 thumbs up!

Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry

I love making stir frys.  They are great when you need a quick dinner.  All the work is in chopping whatever you want to put in it.  Otherwise, some high heat and sauce, and voila dinner is ready!  I usually put some rice in the rice cooker and my meal is complete.  I thought that this recipe was different with the zucchini.  Although I haven't learned my lesson....the kids don't like zucchini as my daughter is always quick to point out whenever she sees it in her dinner.  Like I didn't get the memo the first time!  I keep trying hoping maybe they'll change their taste buds' minds.....I like zucchini a lot and it's in such abundance and cheap over the summer!  Overall, this recipe was okay but definitely has potential.  I used regular Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce.  I don't normally buy the teriyaki cooking sauces they sell in the grocery store, though I think that type would have added more flavor to this.  The kids basically had chicken and rice for dinner, picking out all of the veggies after the required one bite of each.  Oh well!

Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry
recipe from Mandy's Recipe Box

Ingredients:
oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
additional veggies like bell peppers, canned baby corn, water chesnuts, etc.
teriyaki sauce
cooked rice

Directions:
1. Heat oil in skillet or dutch oven and add chopped onion. Cook a bit and then add the chicken. Cover and cook part way and add zucchini.

2. Cover again and cook till zucchini and chicken are done. Add pineapple, additional veggies and teriyaki sauce. Heat through. Serve over rice.


Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Meatless Monday: Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies

I can spend hours looking for, sorting, and organizing my recipes.  I have pages and pages of ripped out recipes from the various food and cooking magazines that I've subscribed to over the years.  I have most of them organized my dish (appetizer, dessert, main course, etc.) in labeled manila folders.  However, I recently took it one step further and organized the main dish recipes into spring/summer and fall/winter.  This is how I came upon this recipe that I tore out of Cooking Light from last July!  Summer veggies.....August.....perfect!  Unfortunately, my kids are not summer veggie eaters.  But after their mandatory try a bite, they were easily able to pick out the veggies from this dish.  My husband really enjoyed this, while I thought it was okay.  Meaning, I won't be making it again!  If you have a bounty of leftover veggies from the garden this is a good dish to use some of them in.  

Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies
recipe from Cooking Light, July 2011

Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 400°.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

4. Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

It's time again for another muffin recipe.  Muffins and yogurt are a breakfast staple in our house.  The kids have that combo at least once a week.  I try to mix up the breakfast menu so they don't have the same breakfast every day.  One morning I'll give them cereal, another morning bagels, and once a week muffins and yogurt!  While I'm not a big fan of chocolate muffins for breakfast I thought it helped that these had zucchini!  The original recipe, which I've linked to below, had spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.  I wanted to keep the muffin more chocolatey than spice flavored so I left those out.  These muffins were super moist and tasty!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com by Larry B

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease or line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.

2.In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.

3.Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until just moist.

4.Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Meatless Monday: Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce

As much as I try to get my kids to like zucchini, they don't.  The same goes for mushrooms.  And unfortunately, these are two of my favorite veggies.  We end up having some type of pasta dish at least once a week because it's such a quick and easy food to make.  I can't remember the last time that I just cooked up pasta and tossed it with a jar of spaghetti sauce though (the jars are collecting dust in my basement pantry!).  This recipe seemed pretty close though to pasta with red sauce with the added benefit of some fresh veggies.  The recipe calls for the chef to crush the tomatoes with your hand in the skillet.  Can I tell you how covered in tomato juice I got when the tomatoes "exploded" all over me (luckily I've learned to cook with an apron or clothes I don't care if they get dirty).  I had tomato juice and seeds that squirted across the kitchen!  And as I'm screaming in surprise when this happened a couple of times, my two kids who were watching television in the room next door were oblivious!  Good thing I wasn't hurt or anything because they weren't coming to see what happened! I debated about omitting the red pepper flakes but in the end decided to add them.  It was such a small amount that the heat didn't overpower the dish and my kids were able to eat this.  It was definitely quick and easy to make but it was just a little plain for me, flavor-wise.  For the kids, it was just like eating spaghetti with sauce from the jar (but it wasn't jarred sauce!) and the required one bite of zucchini. 

Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce
recipe adapted from Foodnetwork Magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes in puree
Kosher salt
1 medium zucchini, cut into small chunks
1/2 pound spaghetti
Grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is just golden, about 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes into the skillet with your hands and add the juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Drain and add to the sauce; toss to coat. Top with parmesan.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Italian Meatloaf in Zucchini Boats

So, this picture isn't very pretty (I had a bit of a difficult time getting it out of the pan!)....however, I thought this dish was delish!  I had something similar when I was down in Florida visiting family.  However, my relative served ground just ground beef in a zucchini with sauce.  The seasoning of the ground beef really made this dish.  And of course cheese always helps! This does take about 45 minutes to cook.  So with prep time this doesn't work too well as a quick weeknight meal.  If you have some time though It's definitely worth it.  If you want to make it a more filling meal, you can serve with pasta and a salad. We did eat it as is. The kids weren't a big fan of the zucchini but they did eat the "meatloaf."

                        
Italian Meatloaf in Zucchini Boats
allrecipes.com - Egallagher55

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (26.5 ounce) can spaghetti sauce, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Scoop out and discard zucchini seeds, leaving the hollowed-out shells. Sprinkle the garlic salt into the hollowed-out zucchini, and set aside. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3.In a mixing bowl, mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, basil, carrot, and Parmesan cheese together with the onion mixture. Stuff the zucchini halves with the meat mixture, and place them into a baking dish. Spoon about half the spaghetti sauce over the zucchini, covering all the meat and allowing sauce to drip down the sides of the zucchini boats.

4.Bake in the preheated oven until the meat is no longer pink in the center and the zucchini are tender, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the zucchini, and return to oven until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes. Heat the remaining spaghetti sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat while the zucchini boats are cooking. Serve the zucchini boats with the additional sauce on the side.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Meatless Monday: Zucchini-Onion Pizza

I think I've made home-made pizza dough once, for a supper club pizza themed dinner.  It's one of those things that I'd like to make home-made more often, but it's so cheap and readily available at the grocery store!  I almost always pick up a pizza dough or two during my weekly grocery shopping trips.  It's a fast and easy meal when I need it.  So, last night my husband was nice enough to make this for dinner for us.  I have to admit that I didn't even have the kids try a bite of this. We made them a plain pizza.  Dinner was late, since I was out shopping at Kohls (I had to use my Kohls cash!).  By the time I got home and informed my husband of what he was going to be cooking, it was close to 6:30.  Being in a time crunch, I wasn't going to argue with the kids about trying this pizza....plus that meant more for us!  I thought this was delicious and it only uses 5 ingredients!  It was a nice change from the tomato sauce based pizza that we usually make. Just some changes - didn't have asiago cheese.  We used a mix of grated romano and shredded mozarella.  I didn't weigh the zucchini in the store. I just bought a smallish medium zucchini.  We grated that and sauteed it with the onion, but there was plenty of the mixture left over. 

Zucchini-Onion Pizza
Every Day with Rachael Ray, October 2010

Ingredients:
2 pounds grated zucchini
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
1 pound prepared pizza dough

Directions:
1.Position an inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°. Toss 2 pounds grated zucchini with 3/4 teaspoon salt in a colander. Let stand for 20 minutes, then squeeze dry. In a large skillet, cook the zucchini and 1 finely chopped onion in 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil until softened, about 7 minutes; transfer to a large bowl, season with pepper and freeze for 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup each grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and grated asiago cheese. Divide 1 pound prepared pizza dough in half. On a parchment-lined rimless or inverted baking sheet, stretch out 1 piece of dough to a 12-inch round; brush with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle half of the zucchini mixture on top, leaving a ½-inch border, and slide onto the hot baking sheet. Bake until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a second pizza.


Mommy & Daddy rating:  2 thumbs up!

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Angel Hair Pancake

With all of the Christmas leftovers, I haven't cooked in the past day or two.  I actually made this last week, when my computer had a virus and I couldn't post anything. To make this more quickly, I didn't let the zucchini drain for 20 minutes.  It sat while the pasta cooked and I got the other ingredients mixed together.  It was definitely a bit difficult to turn the pancake over and mine ended up breaking a bit.  I read reviews on the cooking light website after that recommended using a cookie sheet to help flip it over.  I thought that this was tasty as is, without the sauce.  But I did serve sauce on the side for the kids to dip it in.  As usual, my daughter ate it and my son didn't.

Zucchini Angel Hair Pancake
Cooking Light, August 2011

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (8-ounce) package angel hair pasta, broken into 3-inch pieces
1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce
1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1. Place zucchini in a colander, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Drain for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Press zucchini between paper towels until barely moist.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

3. Bring marinara to a simmer in a small saucepan; keep warm.

4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and the next 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini and pasta to bowl; toss well.

5. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini mixture to pan, pressing down. Cook for 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Carefully turn pancake over; cook 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve with marinara.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.