This year we joined a vegetable CSA and the abundance of zucchini and squash the past two months has had me scrambling for new ways to eat it. Before now, I've only sliced it up and sauteed it, which gets pretty boring after a couple times. And it doesn't reheat well, blech! So I went on the search for some new recipes and boy did I find some good ones. If you're looking to use up some zucchini or squash, here are several ways I'd recommend:
1) Fried Zucchini: you just slice it thin, dip it in egg, then in cornmeal, and cook it in a little oil. Delish! I added basil and salt to the cornmeal.
2) Next I tried Zucchini Muffins. I picked a recipe that uses a good amount of the veggies, because to me it seems pointless to consume a bunch of flour and sugar just to consume a little bit of vegetable. But that's just me.
3) After that was Zucchini Cakes, and let me tell you, these are amazing. My husband told me I need to make these once a week until we're out of zucchini. I subbed cornmeal for the breadcrumbs and monterey jack cheese for the parmesean (just because I was out of breadcrumbs and parmesean), but I bet they're just as good with the original ingredients.
4) I don't have a picture of this one, but I chopped up little pieces of the yellow squash and put it on salad. It added color and crunch. Yum.
5) I've also flash frozen some to have for later. To flash freeze you just slice or shred the zucchini, lay it out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet for an hour or so in your freezer (this keeps it from freezing together in one big ball), then bag it up. Nope, you don't have to blanch it first. I'll use the frozen stuff for soup, casserole, or baking. Maybe I'll add a new post with more recipes once I get around to using the frozen goods.
6) Zucchini Sausage Casserole: Yum. But two things: the pecans were very overpowering; I'd use a lighter nut next time. And I didn't squeeze enough water out of the zucchini (something I've learned you have to do with this vegetable cause it's so watery.) This recipe actually made a double batch for me.
7) Added it to a cold pasta salad. Very good. I've had to start throwing zucchini into things I'm making, just to use some of it up.
8) Like with this Zucchini and Squash with couscous, herbs, and chicken. Just made this one up from leftovers.
9) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread: This was really good, even with whole wheat flour.
10) Vegetable Parmesean: I forgot to take a picture of this one, but it was sooooooo good. I used zucchini/squash (of course), eggplant, and peppers. A winner for sure. (Thanks Karin!)
Next I'm trying Chocolate Zucchini Cake which I tasted at my friend Karin's house and had to get the recipe from her to make it myself.
As of this blog, I still have 7 zucchinis/squash in my fridge, with more sure to come each Tuesday from our CSA. Besides that chocolate zucchini cake, I may resort to just freezing more of it. It's zucchini overload around here!
Happy Eating.
