[Bobbolink]

We have lots of zucchini & all my friends, neighbors lock their car doors so I can't unload on them.
I'm looking for your favorite way to prepare them as a side dish or vegetable. I belong to allrecipe.com plus some other recipe sites but nothing beats your personal favorites. I'm not looking for anything sweet, we're not bread, dessert types. Please post your favorites, Thanks!

[nelie]

One of my favorite ways to cook zucchini is with hominy, onions and a little water in a sautee pan. Sautee the onions a little, deglaze with a little water, add sliced zucchini slices. Cover and stir for a couple minutes. Add a can of rinsed hominy. Cover and stir occasionally until zucchini is tender. You can add a bit of salt and pepper near the end.

A similar way would be to omit the hominy, add a can of diced tomatoes and some italian seasoning.

Or you can roast chopped hominy in the oven, which I do fairly often.

Last night I mixed some eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, onions and a can of diced tomatoes with some indian spices. It was really good.

[kuhljeanie]

i made an asian-style zucchini slaw with shredded carrots, onion, beets, turnips, and added diced garlic, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, and a little bit of sriracha (i like it spicy.) i now have mounds of the stuff, but it's very pretty.

[Bobbolink]

Thanks girls!
Nelie...

A similar way would be to omit the hominy, add a can of diced tomatoes and some italian seasoning.

I've never tried hominy, not real sure what it even looks like. I have used some of our garden tomatoes and Italian seasoning before and we like that. We like Parmesan cheese on top of it.
Kuhljeanie...The Asian slaw sounds good, we have all the veggies in our garden to put the recipe together. I don't have a clue what sriracha is? Do you use sesame oil in the dressing?
I've been getting lots of hits on this question, apparently everyone grows zucchini, Thanks again.

[PhotoChick]

Sliced into "planks" ... lengthwise, basted with balsamic vinegar, and baked or (even better) grilled.

Chopped into chunks, sauteed in a little olive oil with garlic and onions. Once they're done, add a handful of diced tomatoes and heat through. Sprinkle with parmesan. Mmmm - good enough for a full meal.

Shredded and incorporated into carrot muffins or spice muffins.

Steamed until mushy, blended and mixed into a smoothie (yeah, I know - sounds gross but it works to add a serving of veggies to my day when I add it to my morning smoothy and you can't taste it if you use a strongly flavored fruit in addition).

Cut in half lengthwise, hollow out the center, fill with whatever stuffing you like - I use a sort of chicken salad mixture, top with some panko bread crumbs and some shredded parm and bake until brown and crispy on the top.

Slice into really thin rounds brush or spray with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake until crispy in a 300 deg oven (takes a while, but these are yummy treats). The thinner you slice them, the more they are crispy all the way through. If you slice them thicker, they get crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Either way, they're yummy.

Slice or chop and saute with garlic, onion, artichoke hearts, chopped spinach, and diced tomatoes. Finish with a bit of butter just to thicken (optional) and pour over chicken or fish.

Raw, sliced and dipped in ranch dip.

I loooooove zucchini ... pretty much anything you can do with it, I've done. I'll eat it just about any way I can. And it's one of those veggies that you can do just about anything with. If I need an extra serving of veggies, I usually grab a zucchini and do something with it.

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[Bobbolink]

Photochick...The smoothie doesn't sound gross at all, it reminded me of what I do with overgrown zucchini. I cook them (scrap out all seeds) in chicken broth and seasonings, run it through the blender or food processor. I freeze in individual 8 oz. containers for a quick lunch in the winter time.

Steamed until mushy, blended and mixed into a smoothie (yeah, I know - sounds gross but it works to add a serving of veggies to my day when I add it to my morning smoothy and you can't taste it if you use a strongly flavored fruit in addition).
I have a recipe for zucchini boats that's yummy but the cheese and sausage in the recipe isn't very calories friendly. I make them for special occassions only. I would like your recipe with the chicken salad in them.

Cut in half lengthwise, hollow out the center, fill with whatever stuffing you like - I use a sort of chicken salad mixture, top with some panko bread crumbs and some shredded parm and bake until brown and crispy on the top.
I tried these zucchini crisps before and could eat a ton of them. Unfortunately I'd have to heat the house up, I wonder if the countertop toaster oven would work?
Slice into really thin rounds brush or spray with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and bake until crispy in a 300 deg oven (takes a while, but these are yummy treats). The thinner you slice them, the more they are crispy all the way through. If you slice them thicker, they get crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Either way, they're yummy.

Thanks for the recipe ideas, I'm going to work on the zucchini crisps.
DH would have a hissy fit if I turned the oven on while the air conditioner is running.

[nelie]

Hominy is either sold in cans or dried with the beans. A simple explanation is that they are large corn kernels. I also usually add some mexican oregano (which tastes different than regular oregano).

I've also made a raw zucchini salad that is pretty good. You dice up the zucchini, add fresh diced tomatoes, corn kernels, black beans, diced cucumbers, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and a bit of salt and pepper.

[rockinrobin]

I LOVE zucchini. There are some great ideas here.

I very often have one for a snack. I spray a cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Lay out a fairly thickly sliced zucchini, sprinkle with oregano, salt, garlic and onion powders. Spray a little more spray on. Then I broil it for about 2 -3 minutes on each side. Great, quick snack.

WaterRat or Pat, just left this yummy sounding recipe over at the Maintainer's Forum. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I share it with you all. Doesn't it sound GREAT?!?!? I can't wait to make it.

Summer Squash Ribbons with Oregano, Basil, and Lemon


You can also toss the ribbons with wide flat pasta, such as pappardelle, for a delicious entrée. While we recommend basil and oregano, use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. Serve with a crisp sauvignon blanc and crusty bread.


3 small zucchini (about 1 pound)
3 small yellow squash (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Shave zucchini and yellow squash into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, stopping at the seeds; place ribbons in a large bowl. Discard seed cores.
2. Combine oil, rind, juice, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over vegetable ribbons; sprinkle with basil and oregano. Toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup vegetable mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese)

CALORIES 50 (52% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 62mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.4g; SODIUM 207mg; PROTEIN 2.8g; FIBER 1.3g

Cooking Light, JULY 2008

This is really good! I made it using only one of each kind of squash, and about 1/2 the oil and lemon juice. I didn't have fresh basil, so instead I stirred in about a tablespoon of my homemade pesto, used the salt and pepper, and about 2 TBSP of parmesean on top.

[Bobbolink]

Hi Robin..........nice to hear from you again.
Thanks for the recipe and I'll make this when we get back from running errands. It sounds delish! DH isn't real fond of cooked zucchini, I think he'll like this one.
Nelie... Hominy must have lots of calories but I'll check it out this morning, we have errands to run and groceries to buy. thanks

Hominy is either sold in cans or dried with the beans. A simple explanation is that they are large corn kernels. I also usually add some mexican oregano (which tastes different than regular oregano).

[nelie]

1/2 cup of hominy has 60 calories, 3 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein. When I eat hominy, I usually don't eat it by itself (although I could). I usually eat it in soup or mixed with zucchini.

(Not to change the subject from zucchini) Here is a recipe that includes hominy as well:
http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=37

[Fat Chick B Gone]

I enjoy is sauteed and tossed into tacos/burritos etc. mmm good.

[PhotoChick]

I use the toaster oven all the time for this kind of stuff, yeah! I can't stand turning on the oven in the summer time, so I use it as little as possible. And the toaster oven lets me make a batch of zucchini chips just enough to snack on.

The chicken salad recipe is kinda whatever I feel like at the time. Usually it's 1 can of chicken breast, a little light mayo, some chopped celery, some dijon mustard. Sometimes I omit the dijon and add lots of yellow curry (I love curry). Or I might saute some diced onion and chopped mushrooms and then mix all that together with paprika. I honestly just throw together whatever I have handy at the moment and whatever I flavors I feel like having.

.

[Apple Cheeks]

I just cut it into round slices, stir-fry it in garlic flavored olive oil, then when it's done I put shredded parmesan cheese on it and cover it until the cheese starts to melt.

That's the only way I've ever known to make zucchini, since it's what my Mom always did. I see some great new ideas here to try out, though.

[nelie]

I've been using my toaster oven a lot to cook lately. I use both trays to roast veggies. Only problem is I like to cook large batches of food and sometimes it isn't enough.

If I have been using the oven, I've been making multiple items. I had 3 trays of various veggies in the oven last time I used it.

[midwife]

I am sooo jealous about your zucchini access. Mine have failed miserably this year. Only one plant has survived and it has two flowers that are just sitting there, mocking me, refusing to open and grow zukes.

I've been on a kick lately where I just eat sliced zukes with laughing cow cheese. But I love reading all these other recipes! Maybe someone will leave some zucchini in my car.