Savory zucchini pie

Savory zucchini pie ~ Thanks, Martha!!

* For the crust:
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
* 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash for the filling
* For the filling:
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 shallot, finely chopped
* 1 small zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch-thick half-moons
* 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 4 ounces bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls)
* 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Make the crust: Pulse flour, cheese, salt and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 egg yolk; pulse to combine. Drizzle in 1/4 cup ice water, and pulse until dough just comes together. (If dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Form dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium. Add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden and liquid has been released, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Halve one-third of the tomatoes. Stir halved and whole tomatoes, both cheeses, basil and flour into shallot-zucchini mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Make seven 3-inch-long cuts around edge of dough, evenly spaced. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Drizzle shell with remaining tablespoon oil. Transfer filling to shell. Fold in flaps of dough, slightly overlapping. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk cream and remaining egg yolk in a small bowl, and brush over crust. Bake pie on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 70 to 80 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Zucchini Rice Casserole

Zucchini Rice Casserole Recipe

12 servings, about 1 cup each
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
* 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 4 cups diced zucchini , and/or summer squash (about 1 pound)
* 2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
* 1 large onion, diced
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
* 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
* 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 8 ounces vegetarian sausage, crumbled
* 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini (and/or squash), bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. (If using vegetarian sausage, just microwave 2 minutes til crumbly.)
5. When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
6. Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

* Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 5; cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To finish, bake at 375°F until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted, about 45 minutes.

Fettucini Zucchini Alfredo

2 servings, 1 1/2 cups each Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

•3/4 cup veggie chicken broth
•4 large cloves garlic, peeled
•4 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
•1 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks
•2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
•2 Tbs reduced-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
•Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
•1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste
•3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
•1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley


1.Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Combine broth and garlic cloves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the garlic cloves are soft, about 15 minutes.

2.After the garlic has simmered about 10 minutes, cook fettuccine in the boiling water, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Drop in zucchini and cook until the fettuccine is just tender, about 1 minute more.

3.Meanwhile, transfer the garlic and broth to a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. (Use caution when blending hot liquids; see Tip.) Return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk it until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return the pot to very low heat to keep the sauce warm. (Do not boil.)

4.Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan separately.

Crock Pot Ratatouille

Idea: Use it over pasta w fresh mozzerella, use as pizza topping, on a crostini w shaved parmesan, as a stew w veggie chicken and fontina cheese added in, as a base for minestrone, topping for couscous, layered in lasagna --- the options are endless!




Servings:8

* 2 large onions, cut in half and sliced
* 1 large eggplants, sliced, cut in 2 inch pieces
* 4 small zucchini, sliced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 large green bell peppers, de-seeded and cut into thin strips
* 2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedges or 28oz can unsalted diced
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano
* 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but it does help)
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* red pepper flakes, to spice it up

Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1/2 day

Layer half the vegetables in a large crock pot in the following order: onion, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, green peppers, tomatoes. Next sprinkle half the basil,oregano,sugar,parsley,salt,pepper on the veggies. Dot with half of the tomato paste. Repeat layering process with remaining vegetables, spices and tomato paste. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate to store. May freeze up to 6 weeks.

Variation: add a can of rinsed chickpeas and probably about 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar and topped with shredded mozarella cheese

Zucchini Breakfast Casserole

Zucchini Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

* 6-8 eggs
* 1 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 cups grated zucchini (from 2-3 fresh zucchinis)
* 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (from 4-5 fresh tomatoes),
* 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil (from about 20 leaves)*
* 4 cups cubed day-old bread (from about 4 slices)
* Olive oil

*Chiffonade basil by stacking a few leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, slice thin, starting at one end of the cigar and working your way down.
Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese, Tabasco, salt and pepper.

2 Prepare the vegetables and bread. Once you chop the tomatoes, squeeze excess moisture out of them by pressing them in a sieve, or wrapping in paper towels and squeezing. Add the tomatoes, basil, and zucchini to the egg mixture. Moisten the bread cubes with a little water then squeeze out any excess moisture using paper towels. Mix the bread cubes into the egg mixture.

3 Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish generously with olive oil. Pour the egg vegetable mixture into the baking pan and even it out in the pan. Place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. The casserole should puff up and brown lightly. If it hasn't after 30 minutes at 350, increase the heat to 425° and cook for 5-10 minutes further. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Makes 6-8 portions.

Grilled Zucchini Sandwiches

Grilled yellow squash
Grilled zucchini
Tomato slices
Red pepper hummus
Fresh spinach
Gouda or provolone cheese
Bacon -- Completely optional, but make the veggie bacon crisp. The crunch will add a nice texture to the sandwich.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Moist chocolaty quick bread

Servings: 2 loaves or 6 mini loaves
Prep time:15 minutes
Cook time:1 hour
Total time:1 hour 15 minutes



Ingredients:
3 eggs, beaten
2 c sugar (I'm going to cut the sugar in half)
1 c vegetable oil (I'm going to use applesauce instead)
2 c zucchini, grated (I'm using pureed, adds to the moistness)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, (in case you were wondering, 2 rectangles, so really 4 squares)


Directions:
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Combine dry mixture with egg mixture and add 2 rectangles unsweetened chocolate melted. Pour batter into 2 well greased loaf pans, or 6 mini loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If making mini loaves cut time to 45 minutes. I might also throw a pecan glaze on top of this... will do a cpl loaves and tinker with it for fun.

Zucchini Pancakes

Zucchini Pancakes

easy pancakes with a healthy dose of zucchini.

Servings:4 to 6
Prep time:10 mins.
Cook time:12 mins.
Total time:22 mins.


Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, grated
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup Feta cheese, grated.
1 tsp. mint (dried)
1/2 tsp. salt ( go lightly on this, as Feta is salty)
Pepper--to taste
1/4 cup butter--for frying.



Directions:
Mix zucchini with salt and let stand for at least one hr.
Squeeze juice out of zucchini.
To the beaten eggs, add zucchini, mint, cheese, flour and pepper. Stir.
Form into patties and fry in butter over med. heat, being careful not to burn.
Brown on each side.
Place on paper towel-lined plate, and serve warm.

My Best Zucchini Bread

This is by far the best I've ever had. It came out light and moist and deliciously flavorful! Deb, I'm sending one with you on the ATL trip. This one's a definite keeper!



My Best Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar **See note**
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla - might be 3 tsp. LittleOne was helping me make this and she might have spilled a little extra into the bowl :)
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup diced apples ** see note**
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup orange juice
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350*. In large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add zucchini, apples, applesauce and orange juice; stir well. Combine flour with next 5 ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture; stir well. Add nuts; stir gently to combine. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9in loaf pans. Bake for 60-70 mins; till toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely.

** Sugar Note**
Substitute agave for sugar


**Apple Note**
(I used one of the little lunch pack fruit cup diced apples, drained. They're already soft and after the first run thru with this recipe, I was looking to make it a little lighter and more moist. The first try came out heavy. Well-flavored, but heavy and dense. These apples just happened to already be in my pantry for school lunches, so I grabbed one and it was PERFECT. The only pic I could find was the diced pears, which would be a yummy substitution for sure!)

Simple Summer Pizza

Fresh Veggie Pizza

one 12-inch pizza, 6 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 pound frozen whole wheat or white bread dough, thawed
* 2 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, sliced
* 1 medium red, green or yellow sweet pepper, chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
* 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
* 2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
* 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
* 1 8oz can pizza sauce -- we chose to use a can of Italian Seasoned diced tomatoes. Doing this we also eliminated the sliced plum tomatoes in the toppings.
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted green and/or black olives
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella, provolone or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree F. For dough: Place thawed bread dough on lightly floured surface and let rest 10 minutes. Roll into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface, building up edges slightly. (Be careful not to stretch too far; however if a hole appears, you can pinch it back together with your fingers.) Transfer pizza circle to a greased baking sheet. Here would be a good place to lightly brush the dough w olive oil, garlic and oregano for that hidden flavor boost. Using the tines of a fork, prick dough over entire surface. Bake about 8 minutes or until set but not browned.

2. Meanwhile, for veggies in a large skillet, cook and stir zucchini or squash and sweet pepper in hot oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir 2 minutes more or until just tender. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes.

3. Spread pizza sauce/tomatoes on hot crust to within 1 inch of edge. Using a slotted spoon, spoon zucchini mixture over sauce. Top with olives. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake about 15 minutes more or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Makes one 12-inch pizza, 6 servings.

Zucchini Sandwiches

Grilled Zucchini Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds mixed zucchini and yellow squash

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for grates
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Coarse salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint plus whole leaves

5 ounces herb and chive cream cheese

4 ciabatta rolls, split

2 ripe tomatoes, cored and thickly sliced

Directions
1. Heat the grill to medium. Trim tops and bottoms of zucchini and slice each 1/2 inch thick lengthwise. Place in a large bowl, add oil and thyme, and season with salt. Lift zucchini from bowl (reserve bowl) and grill until tender, turning the zucchini as it browns, about 3 minutes per side. Return to bowl, add mint, and toss.

2. Spread goat cheese on one side of each ciabatta. Top with zucchini, tomato slices sprinkled with salt, and whole mint leaves. Close.

To bulk this up, try adding fresh grilled portabellas! Might also be yummy with a little pesto sauce added for zing.

Table for 2, please?

Last night, thanks to the generosity of JAM, hubby and I got the chance to actually go to a restaurant and sit at a table for 2 and get mushy with each other. We LOVE trying new restaurants, so upon recommendation from my very dear SGTSG, Deb, we headed to Carraba's. We gave it 3.8 out of 5 stars. The food was AMAZING good, but heavy on the salt. The only other con was the ambiance, or rather the lack of it. The place was loud and hopping and the booths were highly uncomfortable. Not quite Santaniellos, but a very suitable replacement. Let me see if I can show you what we tried..... here we go.

Carrabba's Bread Dipping Spice

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My Notes:

My Notes

ONLY YOU see your private notes, and they print with the recipe.

This is a favorite with Italian style-grub. They serve the spices on a small plate and the waiter adds olive oil, now you are set to dip your bread. YUM YUM TIP: Chop all spices in small chopper then store them in a small container in the refrigerator, since a little goes a long way--then you can have it anytime.

SERVES 1 -4 , 1/4 cup

Change to: cup US Metric

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon minced basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (Italian is best)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or ground sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pe pper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients, EXCEPT oil.
   
2. Put in a small food processor or a small food chopper. Chop briefly until all ingredients are about the same.
3. Stir in oil.
4. TO SERVE: Combine about 1 1/2 teaspoons spice blend to 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil on a small Dish.
5. Dip sliced bread in mixture.
6. French bread is good.
7. ENJOY.

Zucchini Fritte
Fresh zucchini lightly battered and fried, served with roasted garlic aioli

FRIED ZUCCHINI

Olive oil, for frying
1 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 medium zucchini, cut into 3-inch long by 1/2-inch wide strips

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.

Stir 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, the panko, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk the eggs in another medium bowl to blend. Working in batches, dip the zucchini in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the zucchini strips on a baking sheet.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the zucchini sticks until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.

Arrange the fried zucchini on a platter. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve.

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI

FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC:
1 head of garlic
olive oil
sprig of fresh thyme
ground black pepper
FOR THE GARLIC AIOLI:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

to prepare the Roasted Garlic:
Remove top of garlic exposing just the top. Prick top with tines of a fork and drizzle with olive oil and pepper. Top with fresh thyme and wrap in foil. Place over low heat or preheated BBQ. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until tender. Remove.

to prepare the Garlic Aioli:
In a medium bowl add some of roasted garlic without skin that has been smashed with a fork. Mix in all ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.


From there we had the bruschette and the brick oven Quattro Formaggi. The pizza was good, although I think next time we'll opt for the Margherita instead. Probably more flavor and not quite so heavy. But of you're looking for comfort food, the Formaggi is the way to go. Definitely hit the spot for me :)