Recipes by their Ingredients

zucchini

  • Vegetables, Wild Rice and Sausage

    Vegetables, Wild Rice and Sausage
    Vegetables, Wild Rice and Sausage
    1 Cup Wild Rice (I used Lundbergs)
    2 Cups and 2 oz. Water
    1+¾ tsp chicken stock concentrate (bouillon), (low sodium, no MSG), OR substitute the water above with chicken stock.
    1-2 Cups Butternut squash in ½" squares, (seeded and skin cut off)
    ½ Cup Frozen Petite Peas
    ½ Cup Frozen Corn Niblets
    ½ tsp butter
    ½ tsp garam masala
    1 zucchini, split lengthwise and sliced thin
    1 Tomato, (Vine Ripe), diced small
    1 Red Onion, diced small
    1 Small head of broccoli, cut into small Florentines
    ½ tsp Olive Oil
    3 hot link sausages, cut into small squares

    Spice Blend: Makes enough for a few recipes
    3 peppercorns, ground fresh
    1 clove, ground fresh
    1 green cardamom seed, (insides only)
    1 black cardamom seed, (insides only)
    ¼ tsp whole cumin, ground fresh
    1/8 tsp whole black cumin, ground fresh
    ¼ tsp ginger powder, (or fresh minced)
    ¼ tsp garlic powder, (or fresh minced)
    ¼ tsp coriander
    ¼ tsp cinnamon
    chili powder
    ¼ tsp salt
    1/8 tsp mace
    1/8 tsp turmeric
    pinch saffron (about 3 or 4 strands)

    Once the spices are ground mix them all together and set aside, lets call it: Biryani Spice Blend
    NOTES: Instead of the sausage, you can substitute chicken, shrimp, beef or pork. (Bacon is great in this dish!) Just keep the meat portions down to equal a deck of cards in size for each serving in order to keep this a very healthy meal. My go to chicken stock is "Better then Bouillon" brand.

    Instructions

    In a saucepan with a tight fitting lid, add the water and wild rice and 1½ tsp chicken concentrate. Bring to a boil, over heat to lowest setting and let simmer 55 minutes. When done remove from heat and let sit with cover on for 5 minutes.

    In the meantime, get a small saucepan and fill with 2-3" of water, depending on how much butternut squash you are using. Salt the water (1 tsp salt). Add the cubed and seeded butternut squash and boil until tender. Strain and give a small sprinkle of ground pepper and salt (¼ tsp each), set aside when done.

    Using the same technique, boil the corn and peas until warmed through, drain and set aside. Add 1/2 tsp butter to the corn/peas mix along with a sprinkle of garam masala (about ¼ tsp).

    For the broccoli and zucchini, I use a technique called dry frying, similar to stir frying in a wok. High heat, relatively little or no oil and some spices. So get a heavy duty frying pan and turn up the heat to high. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil, just to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the zucchini and broccoli pieces, sprinkle with the spice blend (try a small amount at first ½ tsp) and taste after a few minutes. Toss them around every 45 seconds, until they all start getting a small char on (Charring occurs usually on a BBQ Grill, its that blackened look). Taste and add another sprinkle of the spice blend if needed. After about 5 minutes add about 2 oz. of water mixed with ¼ tsp chicken concentrate, pour over broccoli and zucchini, stir once, wait until the stock boils out, mix the broccoli and zucchini into the peas and corn blend, set aside.

    Now warm up those sausage pieces, if you use a precooked sausage, that is all you need to do, warm them up, if, however, you are using a raw sausage, you need to cook it thorougly. Drain any grease from the sausages. Now mix all the vegetables together with the sausage in the large fry pan, add the rice, sprinkle with some of the spice blend, add salt to taste (1/2 tsp??). Finish with another sprinkle of garam masala (about ¼ tsp). Enjoy!

  • Yellow Squash Casserole

    Yellow Squash Casserole
    Yellow Squash Casserole
    (Serves 6)

    2 large yellow squash
    1 large zucchini
    ½ cup carrots, coarsely chopped
    ¼ cup unsalted butter
    1 large yellow onion, chopped small
    1 large clove garlic, minced
    1&¼ cup crackers, crushed
    ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
    Tabasco sauce, dash or 2 to taste
    salt and pepper, to taste
    2 eggs, beaten


    NOTES:
     

    Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
    Prepare a medium sized casserole dish by spraying with vegetable spray (or oil/butter the dish).
    Slice the squash and zucchini length-wise, then slice each ½ length-wise again, then cut them cross-wise in ¼ chunks.
    Add the carrots, zucchini and squash to sauce pan, cover with cold water, salt it well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, until the veggie's are soft.
    Meanwhile in a skillet, melt 3 tblsp butter over med/low heat. Stir in the onions. Cook slowly until translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minute. Set onions aside in a mixing bowl.
    In the same skillet you just used, add the last of the butter (1 tblsp) over med/low heat, when melted, add ½ cup of the cracker crumbs. Cook the crumbs until they're golden brown, about one minute.
    Drain the crumbs on a paper towel on a plate.
    Now, drain the vegetables, mash them up slightly.
    Add the mashed veggie's to the onion/garlic mix.
    Stir in the remaining cracker crumbs (not the toasted crumbs!), cheese, dash or 2 of Tabasco sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
    Stir in the eggs.
    Transfer to the baking dish that's greased.
    Sprinkle the toasted cracker crumbs over the top.
    Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until golden brown and slightly firm in the center.
    Serve hot.

  • Zucchini Fries

    Zucchini Fries
    Zucchini Fries
    (Serves 2-4)

    2 or 3 large zucchinis
    ½ cup flour
    ¼ tsp salt
    ¼ tsp garlic, granulated
    ½ cup milk
    1 cup breadcrumbs
    2 tblsp Romano/Parmesan Cheese Blend, optional


    NOTES: I was using chick pea flour (besan) you can pretty much use the flour of your choice.
     

    Pre-heat the oven to 420&deg. F.

    Make an asembly line of a plate of flour, a plate of breadcrumbs and a container of milk.
    Mix the salt and garlic into the flour. (You may also mix the cheese into the breadcrumbs if your using cheese)

    Peel the zuchinni and cut the ends off, slice the zucchini into french fry like shapes about 3" long and about 1/3 inch wide.

    Now using your asembly line, coat a few pieces of the cut zuchinni in flour, shake off the excess flour, now in the milk, shake off excess milk, into the breadcrumbs, on to the cookie sheet, line them up really close but not touching.

    Repeat until all the zuchinni are coated and sitting lined up on an ungreased, baking/cookie sheet.

    Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden.

  • Zucchini Fritters

    Zucchini Fritters
    Zucchini Fritters
    (Makes 15 or so)

    2 medium zucchinis, grated
    2 eggs
    1 onion, grated
    ¾ cup almond flour
    1 tsp garlic
    1 tsp black pepper
    1 tsp basil
    pinch of salt


    NOTES:
     

    Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
    After grating the zucchini, squeeze out the excess water, combine all ingredients.
    On a lightly greased sheet pan add 1 tblsp of the mixture with some space inbetween each tblsp of mixture.
    Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops and sides have started to brown.