Oven Baked Zucchini Chips

Oven Baked Zucchini Chips (from Skinny Ms., Total Time:40 minutes , Servings: 4)

Ingredients

·         1 (large) zucchini, cut into 1/8" - 1/4" slices  (I had to use 3 small-medium sized ones)

·         1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

·         ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, reduced fat

·         ¼ tsp. black pepper

·         Kosher or sea salt to taste

·         1/8 tsp. garlic powder

·         1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

·         Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.       Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

3.       Spray zucchini slices with non-stick cooking spray. Dip zucchini into bread crumbs to coat both sides. Note: It may be necessary to press crumbs onto zucchini slices to ensure the crumbs stick.

4.       Arrange zucchini on a non-stick cookie sheet.

5.       Bake 15 minutes, turn over and continue baking until golden, approximately 10-15 minutes (being careful not to burn). Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.

These were pretty easy to make since I used a mandolin to slice the zucchini.  I found that the breadcrumb mixture did not want to stick onto the zucchini slices, so I pressed it on and added a bit more on top.  When they were done baking, they were still a bit soft and I thought that they would get more crispy, unfortunately, that was not the case.  I found them to be soggy, which kind of ruined the taste.  My husband enjoyed them though, and so did the people at the work potluck (why I made them).  If you plan to make this recipe, I recommend sprinkling the zucchini slices with a little salt and letting sit for a few minutes before coating them.  It will help draw out some of the moisture and hopefully help them crisp up.

Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats (slightly adapted from Skinny Taste, Servings: 4, Total Time: 70 minutes)

Ingredients:

·         4 medium (32 oz.) zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise

·         ½ cup salsa

·         1 pkg. Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles

·         1 tsp. garlic powder

·         1 tsp. cumin

·         1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

·         1 tsp. chili powder

·         1 tsp. paprika

·         ½  tsp. dried oregano

·         ½ small white or yellow onion, minced

·         2 Tbsp. red bell pepper, minced

·         8 oz. can tomato sauce

·         ½ cup taco shredded cheese

Directions:

1.)    Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving 1/4-inch thick shell on each half.

2.)    Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside to add to the taco filling, squeeze out excess water with a paper towel.

3.)    Cook Burger Crumbles in a large skillet, breaking up while it cooks. When heated through. add the spices and mix well. Add the onion, bell pepper, reserved zucchini, and tomato sauce. Stir and cover, simmer on low for about 20 minutes

4.)    Preheat oven to 400°F. 

5.)    Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

6.)    Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water.

7.)    Place ½ cup of salsa in the bottom of a large baking dish.

8.)    Using a spoon, fill the hollowed zucchini boats dividing the taco mixture equally, pressing firmly. Top each with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

9.)    Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

I made some adjustments to the original recipe so that the meal would be vegetarian and to use the rest of a few of the ingredients that I had (for example, using 8 oz. of tomato sauce).  I used red bell peppers instead of green because I wanted to add a little extra color to the meal.  I recommend trying yellow or orange as well.  The resulting meal was fantastic!  The boats are Mexican through and through.  The zucchini got a little too mushy for my liking, but my husband loved it.  Using vegetarian crumbles really keeps the calorie count down.  To cut down on fat, you can also use a different type of cheese – I like taco shredded cheese because the flavor, in my opinion, is much bolder than Mexican shredded cheese.  Enjoy!

Summery Risotto With Corn, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Oil

Summery Risotto With Corn, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Oil (from Herbivoracious.com, Servings: 6, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients for the tomato oil:

•  6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• handful of flavorful cherry tomatoes (or ¼ cup diced ripe tomato)
• ¼ tsp. salt

Ingredients for the risotto:

• 6 cups mildly flavored vegetable broth
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 2 cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tsp. salt
• corn kernels from 1 and 1/2 ears, reserve the cobs (apparently they give it a more corny flavor)
• 2 small zucchini, fine dice
• ½ cup or more grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese plus more for serving

Directions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer, and add the corn cobs (if using).
2. Prepare the tomato oil by pureeing all ingredients in a mini-food processor.  Allow to steep for half an hour if possible and refrigerate if not using soon.
3. Heat 4 Tbps. olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. Sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until softened but not browned. Add the rice and sauté for a minute or two until it turns slightly translucent.
4. Add the wine and salt stir until absorbed.
5. Add the broth, one ladle at a time, stirring very frequently. Continuously isn't necessary. When the rice begins to dry out, add another ladle.
6. After approx.. 16 minutes, begin to check a grain every minute. When there is a slight white pinhead that is a bit tough inside, add the vegetables. If you have used up all of the broth, you can start using water. Add more salt if needed.
7. Within 10 minutes, the rice should be tender. Take it off of the heat right away and stir in the cheese.
8. Serve in individual bowls. Add a good squeeze of the tomato oil around the edge, and top with more cheese.

This risotto recipe is fairly easy, which I always like.  I used a vegetable bouillon mix to make the 6 cups of broth needed.  I also used the white wine that we had in our wine cabinet, which was more of a semi-sweet than dry (it added some nice sweetness to the flavor, though).  I also used frozen corn instead of corn on the cob (so, I obviously did not add cobs to the brother, either).  As I said, this was an easy recipe and it turned out pretty delicious.  It was slightly salty, so you may want to consider cutting back to 1 ½ tsp. in the risotto.  I was a little hesitant about the tomato oil – but it does add a little bit of an olive oil/salt flavor, but I cannot really taste the tomatoes, which would have been nice.  It does add a nice color component to the dish though – then you have red, yellow, white and green! 

The zucchini and corn stayed crisp even when cooking for 10 minutes with the risotto.  It was a nice texture component paired with the creamy risotto.  And I will give that to this risotto – it is creamy, even when reheating for leftovers!  My husband and I both liked it a lot (and I didn’t even add the extra cheese on top!) and I do plan on making it again.  I just had some for leftovers and my mouth is already watering for it again!

Roasted Spring Vegetable Risotto

Roasted Spring Vegetable Risotto (from AllRecipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 lb. asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths

·         2 cups whole baby carrots cut in lengthwise quarters

·         6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

·         3 medium assorted peppers (yellow, red, green), cut into 1-inch strips

·         2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into diagonal slices (I used zucchini)

·         1 cup halved fresh medium mushrooms

·         2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves

·         3 ½ cups vegetable broth

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         1 1/3 cups uncooked Arborio rice

·         ½ cup shredded Italian Five Cheese

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 17x11-inch roasting pan with cooking spray.

2.       Mix asparagus, carrots, onions, peppers, squash, mushrooms, rosemary and ¼ cup broth in prepared pan.

3.       Roast 20 minutes or until done, stirring once. Prepare risotto while the vegetables are roasting.

4.       Heat oil in saucepot. Add rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

5.       Add ½ cup broth and cook until broth is absorbed. Add remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring until all broth is absorbed before adding more. (Total cooking time: 25 minutes)

6.       Add vegetables and cheese. Heat through. Serve immediately.

First off, I love this dish! Yum, yum, yum! My husband enjoyed it too.  With that said, I think that the recipe needs to be tweaked slightly.  If you use the size of veggies recommended, you need to roast for more than 20 minutes – maybe even up to 30 minutes.  The next time that I make it, I will probably chop all of the veggies smaller, more of a rough chop.  That is just the size that I would prepare in this risotto dish.  There are a lot of veggies, and I actually only put in about half because I knew that my husband would want more of the rice part.  I used the remainder as a “base” for my risotto!  More veggies for me!

Now, for the taste – even though there is only ½ cup of cheese, this was creamy and I could see the stringy cheese each time I brought a forkful to my mouth.  The rice was cooked through with only a slight crunch to it. The veggies were really crunchy (see above recommendation), a little too much for my husband, but I liked them that way.  Overall assessment – I cannot wait to make this again!

Tomato Zucchini Casserole

Tomato Zucchini Casserole (from AllRecipes, Servings: 4, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 ½ cups grated Cheddar cheese

·         1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano

·         ½ tsp. dried basil

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced

·         5 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

·         ¼ cup margarine

·         2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

·         ¾ cup fine bread crumbs

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan.

2.      In a large bowl, combine Cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3.      Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another ¼ of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

4.      Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.

5.      Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

This is not something that I would normally make because of the amount of cheese in it; however, I am glad that I tried it.  I made it for Easter lunch at my mother’s – I chose it because my stepfather is picky about the vegetables that he will eat.  Tomato and zucchini are both on the list.  Although it is not healthy, I made it according to the directions (for the most part, I did use margarine instead of butter) instead of trying to “health” it up.  I found that I needed 6-7 plum tomatoes, but I was using medium-sized ones.  If I was making it for myself, I would probably add another layer of veggies to the dish.   I also used triple cheddar instead of regular cheddar cheese.

Health aside, this dish was mmm-mmm, good.  It was very cheesy in the middle and the top had a nice crunchy, breading texture.  It was a tad runny because of the water from the tomatoes, so I recommend drying them or sprinkling with a little garlic salt before layering in the casserole.  My family loved it and wanted the recipe – they ate almost the whole dish, which has never happened before!  The zucchini also stayed a little crispy, which was a nice component with the tomatoes.  A winner in the taste department!  Just watch the portion control… 

Sauceless Garden Lasagna

Sauceless Garden Lasagna (from AllRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: approx.. 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

·         1/3 cup chopped red onion

·         1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, divided

·         ½ cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

·         2 Portobello mushrooms, sliced into small pieces

·         4 cups fresh baby spinach

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

·         1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         3 Tbsp. olive oil

·         ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

·         1 tsp. sugar

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·         1 (8 oz.) package no-boil lasagna noodles

·         9 roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2.      In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, red onion, ½ cup mozzarella, and feta. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, stir in basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3.      Place a layer of lasagna noodles into the bottom of the prepared pan. Make a layer of tomato slices over the noodles. Spread a generous amount of the spinach mixture over the tomatoes. (NOTE: it shrinks a lot while cooking.) Layer slices of tomatoes over the spinach mixture, then another layer of noodles. Start with another layer of tomatoes on top of the noodles, and repeat layers until ending with the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top.

4.      Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until noodles, and vegetables are tender. Let stand for a few minutes to set, then slice and serve.

First, I’ll say that this dish is not too pretty to look at – the cooked spinach looks a little mushy.  But the taste is there, for the most part.  I think that there is a little too much balsamic vinegar and it slightly overpowers the taste – I recommend either less vinegar, or adding more olive oil.  The dish does become quite large, and I only used 3 cups of spinach and bout 1/3 of the box of lasagna noodles (it would have overflowed the pan with 4 cups of spinach and the whole box of noodles).  One other change I recommend making – remove the skins from the tomatoes, I had some stringy parts in mine.

The zucchini and red onions remain crisp, which adds a nice texture component compared to the softness of the other ingredients.  Surprisingly, the tomatoes were a little crisp too (probably because they were not fully ripe when we bought them).  My husband was OK with the dish, but did not eat any of the leftovers.  The above veggies also remain crisp upon reheating.  Enjoy!

Grilled Herbed Ratatouille and Polenta

Grilled Herbed Ratatouille and Polenta (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 small eggplant

·         1 medium zucchini

·         1 small leek

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         2 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·         1 14 ½  oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

·         1 cup cornmeal

·         2 cups water

·         1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.      Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and leek crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. In a small bowl combine the oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Brush the vegetables with the oil mixture.

2.      Preheat an open indoor electric grill on high setting, if available. Arrange half the vegetables on the grill rack. Grill 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender and grill marks appear, turning once. Remove vegetables from grill rack or pan; set aside. Repeat with remaining vegetables.

3.      Meanwhile, mix cornmeal, water, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan.  Mix until combined.  Add more water to get the polenta to your desired texture.  Allow to heat through.

4.      In a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes until boiling. Add the grilled vegetables. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

5.      To serve, place a spoonful of polenta into a bowl; spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta.

The original recipe called for ½ of an eggplant, 1 small zucchini, and 1 fennel bulb.  I chose to use the whole eggplant and a medium zucchini because the more the merrier!  Actually, it seemed that only that amount of vegetables wouldn’t be enough for the full meal.  I subbed a leek for the fennel bulb (1. Because there were no small fennel bulbs at the grocery store, and 2. Because I don’t like the licorice taste).  I found the meal to be lacking on taste, even with added rosemary to the polenta – just a bit bland.  I did add some Italian pizza cheese and that went a long way!  The recipe does not have much protein, but is high in fiber and low(er) on calories than other meals.  However, I do not think that I would make this particular recipe again. 

Quinoa and Black Bean Chili

Quinoa and Black Bean Chili (from AllRecipes, Time - 1 hour)

      

This is a healthy chili with a good mixture of protein and carbs.  I was hesitant about using quinoa because my husband is not a fan, but he really liked this dish.  He actually wanted me to make it again for a chili cookoff!

Ingredients

·         1 cup uncooked quinoa 

·         1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·         1 onion, chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, chopped

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1 tablespoon ground cumin

·         1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

·         2 (19 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 green bell pepper, chopped

·         1 red bell pepper, chopped

·         1 zucchini, chopped

·         1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

·         1 Tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

·         1 tsp. dried oregano

·         salt and ground black pepper to taste

·         1 cup frozen corn

Directions

1.    Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Set aside when finished.

2.    While the quinoa is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion.  Ccook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook and stir 1 minute to release the flavors. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno pepper, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

3.    After 20 minutes, stir in the reserved quinoa and corn. Cook to reheat the corn for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.

The vegetables stayed crisp-tender and added a nice crunch to the otherwise smooth texture of the chili.  As it stands, the recipe is not quite spicy enough for me, but it is easily amended with some hot sauce.  This chili is very filling due to the high protein and fiber contents of the beans and quinoa.  A keeper in my book!

Fall Ratatouille

Fall Ratatouille (from KraftRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         1 eggplant, cut into bite-size pieces

·         1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         1  red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         ¼ cup Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing

·         1can  (14.5 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

·         2 Tbsp. Parmesan Grated Cheese

·         ½ cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 350°F.

2.      Cook and stir first 5 ingredients in large skillet on medium-high heat 6 to 8 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender and lightly browned.

3.      Add tomatoes; cook 15 min., stirring occasionally. Spoon into casserole; top with cheeses.

4.      Bake 15 min. or until mozzarella is melted and vegetable mixture is heated through.

A good vegetable dish, but low on the protein.  The dish comes together well, but you can still taste the individual ingredients.  I added some extra zucchini because I didn’t want our’s to go bad, but it didn’t mess up the dish’s synergy.  The parmesan and mozzarella add a little bit of protein, but a lot of flavor.  Next time I make it, I may use Italian style diced tomatoes or through in some basil, oregano, and garlic powder to make it a little more Italian.  I have made this before and added Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage to help out on the protein-side.  A nice warm dish that sits well in your stomach on a cool fall day.