Well here we are again and it’s Tuesday. I was wondering if I should put in some funny pictures. I may decide to do that later.
I can’t believe how hot it is today. Just getting in and out of the car is horrible. Thank God for air conditioners. I am getting around to head to my Jazz class and I bet it will be very hot. Well I guess then I’ll sweat more and burn more calories.
My neighbor has bombarded me with more zucchini, so I am looking for more things to do with it. I have made zucchini bread. I am the only one that eats it, so if I keep making it I will probably have enough for the next year. I have used some in my stir fry. I started looking on the Internet for more ideas. I was thinking someone could write a book on a 101 things to do with zucchini. Now get your mind out of the gutter, this is a pg blog…….Don’t worry I was probably thinking what you were thinking, and if you saw the size of some of these zucchini, all I can say is Ouch!!!! And if your thinking that you need therapy…Sorry just kidding..
So what to do with all this green squashy goodness? There are 3 main ways to use up your zucchini: as a vegetable, a pickle or a fruit (believe it or not)
As a vegetable, an easy way to prepare zucchini is to boil it until just barely done. Then I sprinkle with Seasoned Salt and eat! Low calorie and yummy. The very easiest way is to cut up the zucchini, place it in a microwave safe bowl and throw it in my measuring cup, fill with water just to cover, and nuke on high for 3 minutes. Then you can drain the water and eat.
Another super simple way to eat it is raw. You can chop it up and throw it in a salad, or cut it into slices/spears for a crudities and serve with dip.
The other classic way to use up your surplus is to make zucchini bread. If you’ve never had it, this is a sweet (not savory!) lightly spiced quick bread. Many recipes include extras such as raisins or nuts. I had posted a great Zucchini bread recipe in an earlier post, so look for that.
But even I get sick of raw and boiled zucchini after a while. And although I could eat Zucchini Bread every day, after a while it would get very old. So the next step is to add it to stir fries, curries, soups etc.You can also saute it with some onions and serve it as it’s own side dish. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is lovely on this as well.**
There is also a delicious baked zucchini casserole that yu can make. You can find tons of different casserole styles. Here is one listed below I got off the internet.
So enjoy your zucchini and try to use it in many ways so you don’t get sick of it.
Happy Tuesday…..
Lady O
Dilly Zucchini Casserole
1 Cup Bisquick or homemade alternative
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Dill Weed
1 teaspoon Salt (if you’ve salted and drained your zucchini, I’d skip this)
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
4 Eggs, beaten
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
3 Cups Chopped Zucchini (I salt and drain mine-just to keep it from getting soupy)
1 Large Onion, Chopped-In a bowl, combine Bisquick, Parmesan, Dill, Salt and Pepper.
-Add Eggs and Oil; Mix well.
-Stir in Zucchini and Onion until well blended.
-Scrape into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
-Bake uncovered at 375 for 30 minutes (mine takes more like 45-you don’t want the middle to be raw but rather bread/biscuity) until golden brown.
