zucchini

Lemon Zucchini Pasta

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My sisters and I grew up with grandparents who had huge gardens!  They may not have been as big as my childhood memories make them seem,  but my sisters and I helped harvest more goodies than you can imagine. We learned to dig potatoes and peanuts, how to pick okra and how to shuck corn, and of course we learned how to snap beans.  I remember sitting outside in the summer and eating fresh watermelon (with salt, of course).  I think that’s one of the reasons that I’ve developed such a nostalgia about growing anything that I can manage, and I love using those things in my kitchen.  The fresh zucchini and basil in this dish are so summery tasting!  I wish I could say that I grew the dill.  Our Mammaw often had dill growing in her back flower beds, and it smelled better than any flower.  Good food is a source of such good memories – and this is definitely good food! ~Tracy 

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Zest from 1 lemon

½ c. finely chopped white or yellow onion

2 c. zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 T. finely chopped capers

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

3 T. finely chopped fresh dill

3 T. finely chopped fresh basil

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ c. fresh grated parmesan

½ c. crumbled feta cheese

1 c. reserved hot pasta water from spaghetti

Cook spaghetti in large pot, with salted water, according to package directions.

While spaghetti is cooking, heat olive oil in large, high-sided skillet. Saute onion and zucchini until zucchini begins to soften and onion begins to become translucent. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and capers, continuing to simmer on low for another minute or two.  

Add cooked and drained spaghetti to the pan with the zucchini. Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, and basil.  Toss the entire mixture with the spaghetti to combine. Add in ½ c. of the reserved pasta water and stir (you can gradually add a little at a time before serving if pasta appears too dry). Remove from heat and allow to sit for two to three minutes to begin the cooling process.  Then toss in both the parmesan and feta cheese.

Serve immediately with grilled chicken or enjoy as a tasty meatless pasta dish.

This recipe makes 8 servings at 9 points per serving on all three WW plans. 

Summer Zucchini Skillet

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We started a Quarantine Garden!  Is that what we are going to call them in history books?  Folks during WWII had victory gardens; we have quarantine gardens.  We planted zucchini squash, sweet banana peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, basil, and cilantro.  Y’all, we had zucchini running out our ears from only a few plants!  One of my favorite dishes to make with our plentiful harvest is this Summer Zucchini Skillet.  It’s so fresh and summery, hence the name.  It pairs perfectly with some grilled chicken and sliced avocado.  I chop my chicken and avocado in small bites and mix everything together on my plate.  It’s a perfect summer meal!  ~Erin

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1 – 1 ½  lbs zucchini, stems cut off and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 T. olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 small-medium tomatoes (such as Roma), seeded and chopped

½ a small red onion (about 1/3 c. chopped)

1 – 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

10 ounces frozen or fresh corn kernels, thawed if frozen

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

The juice of half a lime

Chili Lime salt to taste (I like Tajin brand, low sodium version)

Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook a few minutes, until it starts to look translucent.  Stir in the garlic and corn and cook until fragrant (a couple minutes).  Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and jalapeno and cook until zucchini starts to soften, about 3-4 minutes.  Lastly, add the cilantro and lime juice and stir until heated through.  Remove from heat and add chili lime salt to taste. This is delicious served with grilled meat and avocado (will change the WW points).

WW info:  This recipe makes 4 large servings.  On Green plan, each serving is 4 points.  On Blue or Purple, each serving is 1 point.

Italian Veggie Stuffed Portabellas

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I don’t know about you, but summertime makes me want to fill my plate with allll the veggies. Grill ‘em, roast ‘em, serve ‘em to me in a fresh bowl of salad. I don’t care how, just send them my way.

If you feel the same way about light summer meals and veggie side dishes, you’ll love these Italian Veggie Stuffed Portabellas. They are the perfect side for grilled meats, but they are HUGE, so they also work great as a meatless main dish. Plus, portabellas are so meaty, you won’t even think to ask, “where’s the beef?” I’m definitely showing my age with that classic TV reference! If you are a young’n, you can find it on YouTube. ‘80s commercials were the best! A little cheesy but that’s what made them great.

Speaking of “cheesy,” if you prefer a cheesy topping, I also sometimes cut the breadcrumbs down to ¼ cup and top each veggie-loaded shroom with a little mozzarella & parmesan. You can’t go wrong either way! ~Erin

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Ingredients

  • 4 large portabella mushroom caps
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 2 medium zucchinis, diced
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
  • 4 sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained on a paper towel, finely diced
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large handful of spinach, chopped
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 T. olive oil, divided
  • 1/3 c. seasoned breadcrumbs (I use garlic & herb flavor)
  • 1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375°F or the outdoor grill to medium. If grilling, use a veggie pan or place on foil, to catch veggies that may fall off during cooking.

Clean mushroom tops with a damp paper towel. Use a small knife to cut off the stems and a spoon to scoop out the veins.

Spray the tops with non-stick cooking spray and place them top-down on a parchment-lined baking sheet or on the grilling pan; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and 1 Tablespoon of oil until combined; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil to sauté the onion 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until it begins to soften. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan to help steam the zucchini soft.

Add roasted red pepper, sundried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, and spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted.

Add the garlic and cook another minute or two, until fragrant.

Turn off the heat and stir in half the breadcrumb mixture. Reserve the other half for topping.

Divide the veggie mixture evenly among the four mushroom tops. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb mixture over top.

Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the mushrooms are fork-tender.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 4 large servings. Each serving is 5 SmartPoints.

Zucchini Soup

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I recently did a 28 day challenge at a local gym, Signature Fitness.  The challenge included 4 trainer-led (killer! – but doable) workouts per week and a meal plan.  Well, I didn’t exactly follow the meal plan (I do Weight Watchers anyway so I felt no need to deviate from that) but I did try to eat more “clean” during the challenge.  I didn’t win the 4 week challenge but I did lose a few pounds (which was not my goal) and some inches (that was more my focus).  Even though I didn’t follow the meal plan exactly, I did try a few of the recipes.  This Zucchini Soup is one of those.  It’s a very summery soup… does that make sense for a soup?  It does in this situation… it’s so fresh tasting!  You have a couple options for flavors here.  The original recipe calls for fennel.  I loved it with the fennel, but not all members of my family are fennel fans so I often make it with dill instead.  I love it just as much with dill, and it’s delicious served warm or cold, either one!  ~Erin

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Ingredients:
  • 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
  • ½ a medium white or yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp. dried fennel seed OR ½ tsp dried dill weed (not both!)
  • 3 c. low-sodium chicken stock
  • Salt, to taste (plus black pepper if using fennel)

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot with zucchini, onion, and fennel seed (if using).
  2. Sautee over medium heat until onion becomes translucent.
  3. Add chicken stock and dill, if using instead of fennel.
  4. Simmer until zucchini is very tender (about 10-15 minutes).
  5. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes, then blend with an immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, let the mixture cool to almost room temp and then puree in your blender. Do not put hot liquids in the blender.
  6. Add salt (and pepper if you used fennel as the spice – pepper is not necessary if you used dill) to taste.
  7. If you used fennel, you may want to strain out the seeds at this point; they don’t blend.
  8. Serve warm or cold.

WW Freestyle Info: This soups makes about 4 one-cup servings. Each serving is ZERO points!

Thai Chicken Pizza

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My family loves pizza. What’s not to love?  But I get tired of the same, run-of-the-mill basics.  They are good, but come on.   I’ve got to have some variety, y’all!

When I was going to college, there was a little, local restaurant in Stillwater called the Thai Cafe, which I loved.  I miss it!  Now, I have to travel quite a ways to get Thai food.  So I came up with this jazzed up, easy to make, tasty pizza, combining some of my favorite flavors.

It is our new favorite!   ~Kathy

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Ingredients:

1 pizza crust (your favorite recipe or refrigerated — I used Pillsbury thin crust refrigerated dough; points figured with this dough selection)

3 to 4 T. Chili Garlic Sauce*

1 heaping c. chicken breast, cooked and sliced thin**

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin, seeds removed

1 small zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick

Red onion, sliced thin (about 2 slices)

1 ½ c. shredded low moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese

½ c. shredded mild cheddar cheese (reduced fat, if following WW)

2 T. cilantro (for optional garnish)

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Instructions:

On a lightly greased baking sheet, roll pizza crust out into a rectangle, about 10 x 14 inches.

Spread sauce over crust, very thinly.

Spread remaining ingredients over pizza as desired, ending with cheeses.

Bake according to crust directions, until golden brown, cooked through and cheese is melted.

Garnish by sprinkling with cilantro once it’s cooled a little (optional).

Notes:

*Chili garlic sauce is found in the Asian food section (see photo).  It is full of flavor and some heat.  Use 3 Tablespoons if you like it mild/warm.   If you want it warmer, use up to 4 Tablespoons.  It doesn’t look like much on the crust, but it gives plenty of flavor!

**I used chicken breasts boiled with some onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Once drained and cooled, slice thin.   Rotisserie chicken breast would also be a good substitute.

Weight Watchers Info:  This makes 6 servings, 8 Freestyle SmartPoints per serving.

Zucchini Bread with Streusel Topping

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Unfortunately, the growing season is quite short where we live in the mountains, so there are just a few things we can grow successfully. Tomatoes don’t stand a chance! However, zucchini will do well if you don’t start it from seeds.

It hasn’t been long since zucchini was plentiful here at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, & luckily for me, in my own garden. ~Kathy

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Ingredients for Bread:

3 c. shredded zucchini*
1 2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (heaping)
½ tsp. ground cloves
Pinch nutmeg
½ tsp. baking powder

Ingredients for Topping:
½ c. packed brown sugar
Pinch salt
6 T. flour
4 T. butter

Directions:
In a separate bowl, using a pastry cutter blend together Streusel ingredients until it makes coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Move oven rack to low position so the top of pans are in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350˚F.

Grease bottoms only of two 9” loaf pans.

Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix to combine.

Divide equally into loaf pans, then sprinkle the top of each loaf with Streusel mixture. Finally, if desired, cover each loaf with 1/3 c. chopped nuts.

Bake for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

*I have used a combination of shredded apple and zucchini when I was didn’t quite have enough zucchini, and it worked out great.