Zucchini

4 Favorite recipes for Zucchini

Zucchini is a wonderful vegetable to enjoy in a wide variety of ways. Here are some of my favorite recipes.

Zucchini is abundant now, for which I am grateful. zucchini could happily be eaten every day. One of the ways I enjoy it is simply sautéed and lightly salted. Other times I add red bell pepper and fresh corn off the cob and then toss with fresh basil. Yum!

Because zucchini has a fairly light flavor, it takes on other flavors well too. Adding it to curries, shredding it into certain ground beef dishes, or making it into sweet zucchini bread all work well.

Summer squash is a good source of potassium (1 cup gives you more than three times the amount of potassium in the typical potassium supplement). It also contains a fair amount of vitamin A and a punch of lutein and zeaxanthin (members of the carotenoid family) that can protect the eyes from macular degeneration and other vision problems.

Here are some Recipes:

1. Zucchini Chips

2 zucchini (medium small)
1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
Unrefined Salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions:
1) Thinly slice your zucchini. A mandolin would be best for this job.
2) Add the slices to a small bowl and add the oil, a nice sprinkle of salt, garlic powder and a turn of freshly ground pepper. Zucchini will shrink dramatically. This also means that all seasonings will become much stronger in your finished product, so go easy on the seasoning.
3) Spread out on baking sheet.
4) Use the lowest setting on your oven. It will take a shorter amount of time, so check every 1/2 hour or so. At 175 degrees, you can expect them to be done in roughly two hours


Tips:. Play around with the seasonings. Spice it up with chili powder. Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. Sprinkle with lemon juice or vinegar for some tang.
The zucchini chips do become more chewy as they cool down. Make sure you store them in an airtight container.
5. This makes about 1 cup of chips, so I recommend after you’ve tried it and if you like it, doing many batches at a time.

2. Simple Zucchini and Onions Makes 4 generous servings

4 medium zucchini’s or other summer squash (or a combo), washed
1 medium onion, peeled
2 tablespoons of olive oil, coconut oil, high quality lard fat of choice
Himalayan  salt and pepper

1-Slice the ends of off the summer squash and thinly slice. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice as well.

2-In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat fat of your choice until hot. Add squash and onions and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook, stirring as needed, until the vegetables are quite soft. You can do this to taste, but we usually cook them about ten minutes.

3-Taste test and sprinkle with more salt and freshly ground pepper if desired!

Mini Zucchini Millet Muffins These are gluten free.

Yield: 16-20 muffins
As always, this recipe contains an overnight soak for better nutrition and texture.
The night before mix up the following:

2 cups of millet flour (preferably freshly ground )
1 tablespoon chia seeds
3/4 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (you can substitute well fermented kombucha, water kefir, whey, coconut kefir)

Leave covered in a warm place for 12-24 hours. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a mini muffin pan with baking cups. Then add the following to the bowl.

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 heaping cup of grated zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup of coconut oil, melted gently
1/4-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is nice)

Whisk to combine and then fill muffin pans 3/4 full. Cook for ten minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of the muffin. Remove from oven and serve right away with slivers of soft butter. Leftovers will last a few days in an airtight container.
Creamy (Creamless) Zucchini and Potato Soup
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups of chicken stock
4 medium potatoes (or 4 large red potatoes), peeled and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme
4 medium zucchini, cubed (about 4 cups worth)
1) In a large pot, heat the olive oil over med-high heat until just hot. Add the onion and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook, stirring as needed to prevent browning, until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute.
2) Add the stock and potatoes and thyme and bring to a low simmer. Cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add the zucchini and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the zucchini is very soft.
3) Puree using a hand blender or blend in a blender in batches, being very careful not to overfill.
Salt to taste and serve with a dab of butter, dollop of sour cream,  drizzle of cream, or drizzle of olive oil.