Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Zucchini Manifesto

This all started when someone on Threshold asked about zucchini bread, and what else one can do with a huge glut of the veggie/fruit/big green thing..  So I started digging through my cookbooks, and my online files of recipes, to see what I could find. 

First off, zucchini have a LOT of water.  So when you're grating them for a recipe, then you really should try to drain off as much as possible.  You can then use this liquid in the recipe, if it calls for water, or to help beat the eggs, or even just save it for making soup.    I don't really think you need to salt it and let it drain for other recipes, unless you really, really want it salty and limp. 

The easiest thing to do is slice it thinly, brush both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with some garlic salt, and grill till brown and slightly crispy.   But there are of course other things you can do with it.  And, as always, here is a link to even more stuff!

Zucchini Frittata

8 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 3 pounds)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 small  finely chopped onion
1 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
6 whole eggs
2 T milk
1/2 t crumbled oregano
1/2 t crumbled dried basil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
dash of hot pepper sauce or cayenne pepper
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Squeeze as much liquid out of the shredded zucchini as possible.

Heat the oil and butter in a large, oven-proof skillet (preferably non-stick),
and saute the onion and garlic for around 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and
cook over moderately low heat, stirring often, until the zucchini is just
tender. If any liquid collects in the pan, pour it off.

In a medium bowl, beat together egg whites, eggs, milk, oregano,
basil, salt, pepper, hot sauce or cayenne and 2 TBSP of the Parmesan
cheese. Add this to the zucchini mixture in the skillet and cook
everything together, stirring often, until the eggs begin to set.

Sprinkle the frittata with the remaining Parmesan cheese and place
the pan under the broiler or in a 500 degree oven and cook just
until the top is lightly browned.

(This only takes a very few minutes, so watch carefully).

Let the frittata stand for a few minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.


This next one uses zucchini, and other veggies.

Veggie Frittata

INGREDIENTS

1 large zucchini, grated
2 carrots, washed, peeled and grated
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
1 C Self-Raising flour
1 C grated low fat cheese
5 eggs
1/2 C olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C grated cheese

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place grated and chopped vegetables into a large basin
together with flour and 2/3 cup grated cheese.
(Reserve 1/3 cup for top.)

Beat eggs until frothy with olive oil and add to bowl.
Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Spread mixture over bottom of an oven proof dish,
sprinkle reserved cheese on top, and bake in a
preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

This fritatta is delicious served hot and accompanied by salad,
or cold with hot vegetables for a snack meal.


These are similar to a frittata, but only need a stovetop, as they're sort of a savoury veggie pancake.

Fritatten

2 or 3 C grated zucchini (about 2 pounds)
1 C flour or bisquick
2 t baking powder
2 eggs, beaten (you can use some of the liquid from the zucchini to help beat the eggs)
1/2 t thyme
Butter or oil for frying
Optional: pepper, minced onions, minced garlic, garlic salt

Mix together the baking powder and the flour or bisquick. Mix that with the grated zucchini. Beat the eggs, then add the thyme, garlic salt, pepper, dried minced onion, or what have you.

Blend till it's a nice thick pancake batter, and drop by spoonfuls onto a frying pan in which you've made hot the butter or olive oil. You'll want the fritatten about 3 inches wide. Cook as you would any pancakes. Wait for bubbles, then flip, and brown the other side.

Now, onto zucchini bread. I have savoury and sweet.

Basic zucchini bread

Ingredients
2-1/2 C sugar (white, brown, or mixture)
3 eggs
3 C flour
3 T vanilla
1 C oil
2 C zucchini, grated
1/4 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
4 t cinnamon
Optional - Nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc, about a cup

Grate and drain the zucchini. Mix together the wet ingredients, and the
dry in a separate bowl, mixing them well. Add the dry ingredients to
the wet ingredients, then the optional nuts or chocolate chips, or what-have-you.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans, bake at 350 for an hour

Savoury Zucchini Bread

1 C chopped onions
1/4 C butter
2 1/2 C Bisquick
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 T thyme
3 eggs
1/4 C milk
1 C grated cheese
1-1/2 to 2 C shredded zucchini

Saute onions and zucchini in butter. Cool a little and then add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8x8-in. baking pan and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 


Today's film pick:  Bride and Prejudice -  Bollywood meets Hollywood in this fantastic adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and PrejudiceGurinder Chadha, who is one of my favourite directors, did a wonderful job of combining genres to make it modern and as believable as any musical can be.  Naveen Andrews, who I've had a crush on since long before Lost, is one of the stars.   If you like musicals, comedy, and romance, I'm sure you'll love Bride and Prejudice.