Ode to Zucchini

It would be no exaggeration to say that I've been cooking squash all summer. When we planted the garden, we planted six zucchini plants and six crookneck squash plants. The crookneck squashes each morphed into at least 3 plants giving us at least 18 crookneck squash plants and although the zucchini came in late, it produced some of the largest zucchini I'd ever seen. Needless to say, we've cooked it in every way imaginable: baked, sauted, bbq'd, raw, but not steamed, that's disgusting. This week I was trying to catch up with the zucchinis on my counter so we have two zucchini recipes for you.

This cake owes its yumminess to one ingredient: Orange Zest! In retrospect, there are a few things I'd do differently. First, I'd omit the cinnamon. I don't particularly care for the chocolate/cinnamon combination and found that the cinnamon detracted from the orange flavor. Second, I'd take the cake out of the pan immediately after taking it out of the oven. I think that would improve the cake's moistness.

This cake was delicious with ice cream and tasted even better the second day. The next time that I make it, I think I'll try making the glaze with orange juice instead of milk and vanilla.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

• 1 ½ C. whole wheat flour
• 1 C. all-purpose flour
• ½ C. cocoa
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon, optional
  
• 2/3 C. applesauce
• ¼ C. oil
  
• 2 C. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. grated orange peel
• 2 generous C. grated zucchini
• ½ C. milk
• 1 C. chopped walnuts
• Glaze:
• 2 C. powdered sugar
• 3 TBSP. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
  
• (or substitute 3 TBSP fresh orange juice)
  

Preheat the oven to 350°
1. Combine the whole wheat flour through cinnamon; set aside.
2. With a mixer, beat the oil, applesauce and sugar together until they are smooth and creamy in appearance. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel and zuchinni.
3. Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zuchinni mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, including the nuts with the last addition.
4. Pour the batter into greased 10-tube pan or bundt pan. Bake the cake 45-50 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.
5. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Stuffed Zucchini












I based this recipe of a recipe featured on one of my favorite food blogs, Simply Recipes. We catered it to our tastes and found it absolutely delicious. Travis and I agreed that because the zucchini doesn't have an overwhelming flavor on its own, the dish tastes a lot like sausage pizza. I was excited to find such a healthy alternative to quelch that craving. Play around with this dish and use your favorite fillings, I think you'll find it as satisfying as we did.

• 2 large zuchinni, seeds and softest flesh scooped out
• 1 tsp. olive oil
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 Italian turkey sausage links
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 C. cooked rice
• 1 TBSP. Italian Seasoning
• ½ tsp. salt
  
• 2/3 C. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 C. parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°
1. Fill a large pan with ½" water and bring water to a boil. Cook zucchinis in water until fork tender, but not cooked all the way through. Remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack. (I used my large, metal lasagna pan for this and put it over 2 burners)
2. Over medium-high heat cook garlic and onions in oil until soft.
3. Squeeze sauage out of link casing ino the pan with the onions and garlic and break into smaller pieces while cooking. Cook until sausage is done.
4. Place sausage/onion mixture in a bowl and return pan to stove. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, salting to taste. Remove from pan and place in bowl.
5. Add bell peppers to pan and cook until soft. Add to bowl.
6. Add the rice, italian seasoning and salt and mix thoroughly.
7. Place zucchini halves on a baking sheet with foil underneath. Roll the foil up towards the zucchini to creat a border that will keep the zucchini from falling when you bake it. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
8. Combine panko and parmesan in a seperate bowl.
9. Fill zucchinis with sausage/vegetable mixture and top with panko/parmesan. Bake 20 minutes until topping is brown and zucchini is warm throughout.