Tag Archives: zucchini

Pizza Zucchini Boats

This summer, zucchini and I have really strengthened our relationship. We started getting acquainted some time last year. Initially, I made an ignorant assumption that I wouldn’t like zucchini. Then, after some experimentation with it in different recipes, my mind slowly began to change. I gave zucchini a chance, and it worked its way into my heart. This past summer in particular has been a period of growth for us. And now, I think I’m in love.

Since I’ve discovered this new infatuation, I’ve been looking for different ways to enjoy zucchini. I love to grill it, roast it, fry it, serve it with pasta, stick it on pizza, and put it in frittatas. My latest endeavor involved stuffing zucchini with all kinds of good stuff. I pizzafied that fresh green squash, and man, was it tasty. But guess what? It’s healthy too!

These Pizza Zucchini Boats have only strengthened my bond with zucchini. They are so hearty, filling, and delicious that my tummy is 100% satisfied. Normally, to get that kind of complete fullness, I have to eat something indulgent and full of calories. But that’s not the case here. These zucchini boats are good-looking, good-tasting, and good for me. That’s a triple threat.

You get a whole tender zucchini to yourself stuffed with chunks of meaty veggie burger, zesty marinara sauce, and melty mozzarella cheese. It’s a hearty meal with all the flavors of everyone’s favorite food: cheesy pizza. I don’t know about you, but that makes me pretty happy. And the fact that I get it all for around 200 calories makes me even happier.

Zucchini, I’m so glad we found each other.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. This is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies. Kids love anything pizza-related, plus the boat shape is so fun.
  2. You could add other pizza topping favorites like mushrooms or peppers.
  3. These come together in minutes, so they’re a great weeknight meal or lunch.
  4. Easily cut this recipe to make a single serving if you’re just feeding yourself.

Pizza Zucchini Boats
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Slice the zucchinis in half lengthwise. Place on the baking sheet sliced side-up and blind bake for 5 minutes (you may have to use 2 baking sheets).
  3. Meanwhile, place frozen veggie burgers on a microwave-safe plate. Cook on high for 30 seconds. Flip then continue to cook for another 20 seconds. Remove from microwave and chop into chunks.
  4. Remove zucchinis from oven but leave oven on. Let the zucchinis cool for a few minutes then use a spoon to scoop out the innards (like you would do to a potato to make twice baked potatoes). Spoon the zucchini innards into a large mixing bowl. Add the marinara, garlic, veggie burger chunks, and salt. Stir to combine. Distribute stuffing between zucchini boats.
  5. Bake boats for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pull the cheese sticks into strings. Chop into small pieces (the size of shredded cheese). After zucchinis have baked for 15 minutes, sprinkle the cheese over the zucchinis and return to oven until cheese is melted, boats are starting to brown, and stuffing is hot and bubbly (about 10-15 minutes more).
  6. Serve immediately. Everybody gets 2 boats (1 zucchini).

Double Cheese Zucchini Pizzas

Let’s talk about cheese.

Melty, ooey-gooey cheese atop a crisp crust, paired with zesty marinara sauce, and crowned with fresh slices of zucchini.

Are you hungry yet?

These individual Double Cheese Zucchini Pizzas are going to change your life, no exaggeration. They are so good; I’m talking scarf-the-whole-thing-down-in-60-seconds good. But you know what?

They’re guilt-free. I’m talking low-calorie, low-fat, and packed with nutrients. Let me pause for a moment while we praise the pizza gods…

Since I’m so utterly obsessed with pizza, I am constantly trying new ways to get my pizza fix while still eating healthy. I’ve made everything from Light English Muffin Pizzas (AWESOME) to Pizza Burger Pitas (also delicious). It’s all been incredible, perfect for silencing the pesky voice pleading for pizza in my head. However, this zucchini pizza is the best guilt-free pizza recipe I’ve ever tried. Why? Because it tastes exactly like full-calorie, full-fat pizza!

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Mini Zucchini Frittatas

Everything is so much cuter when it’s mini. Cupcakes, cats, DQ Blizzards…you name it. Even shoes are cuter when they’re tiny. Try and tell me you’ve never walked into the children’s section at a shoe store and gone, “OMG, LOOK AT THESE. THEY’RE SO SMALL!”

These mini frittatas are the perfect example of the appeal generated when something is miniaturized. Regular frittatas are good. Mini frittatas are great. My Mini Zucchini Frittatas are bite-sized and fun to eat. You’ve probably never thought of frittatas as finger food, but these little guys will open your mind. Don’t be deceived by their small surface area; these babies are packing even more flavor than a full-sized frittata.

Each little bite of eggy goodness is perfectly sized to cradle a slice of fresh zucchini. Just look at the photos, and you’ll know these mini frittatas were just begging for it. The zucchini serves a two-fold purpose: one, it’s so cute on top of the little frittatas, and two, it adds a bite of freshness and flavor. The zucchini cooks just perfectly upon the eggs, turning tender while still retaining a bit of crispness.

I also employ a generous amount of tangy, salty parmesan cheese. Scallions and garlic lend their fragrant flavors as well. You can eat these guys plain or do as I like to and dip them into marinara sauce. It’s so fun and delicious!

Now I must divulge the secret to cooking my mini frittatas: a Babycakes Maker. For those who are unaware, Babycakes Makers are meant for cooking up mini cupcakes and muffins in a matter of minutes. I, however, have expanded its possibilities to Pancake Poppers, frittatas, and more. It steams my mini frittatas just right, cooking them through all the way until they reach fluffy perfection. It’s super quick, and just so darn fun! However, if you don’t have a Babycakes Maker, never fear. You can cook these guys in mini muffin tins in the oven instead.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Don’t like parmesan? Use a low-fat cheddar or mozzarella instead.
  2. Shallots would be lovely in place of the onions.
  3. Warning: your Babycakes Maker is going to make some scary noises while these guys are cooking, but don’t be afraid! It’s totally normally; it’s the sound of the heat rising through these hot frittata tamales. Be strong and frittata on!
  4. Make sure you spray the Babycakes Maker liberally with nonstick spray or you’ll leave half the frittata behind in the pan.
  5. These are great for party appetizers or brunch.
  6. These are super low-calorie, so they make a great healthy meal.

Mini Zucchini Frittatas
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Yield: 16 mini frittatas

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Egg Beaters
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into 16 1/4-inch slices
  • 16 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese (about 6 tablespoons)
  • marinara sauce, for dipping

Special Equipment: Babycakes Maker or mini muffin tin*

Directions:

  1. Preheat your babycakes maker. Liberally spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg beaters, garlic, scallions, grated parmesan, salt and pepper. When the babycakes maker is hot, quickly poor about a tablespoon of egg mixture into each slot; they should be 2/3 full. Place a slice of zucchini on top of each frittata and close. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown and center is cooked through all the way. Use a fork and knife to gently lift the frittatas out and onto a serving plate. They will come out big and fluffy then deflate, don’t worry. Immediately sprinkle a teaspoon of shredded parmesan onto each frittatta. Cover and let the cheese melt. Serve with sauce for dipping.

*If using a mini muffin tin, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Fill the tins until 2/3 full and top each with a slice of zucchini. Sprinkle a teaspoon of grated cheese on each and bake until golden brown and centers are set.

Sauteed Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Onions

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard for me to label food as truly delectable if it isn’t smothered in cheese, slathered with a rich and creamy sauce, or encased in breading and submersed in piping hot oil. Indulgent foods have a leg up on everything else; that’s just the way it is. Few people prefer raw broccoli to golden, crispy french fries (and if you do, God bless you).

But is the idea that food can only be good if it is made rich and fattening simply a product of our fast food-eating, cookie-stuffed cupcake-baking nation? Perhaps we’ve become so brainwashed by the influx of indulgent eats in America that we’ve forgotten how delicious a simpler dish can be. Maybe it’s not true that richer is always better; maybe that’s just something we’ve been conditioned to believe.

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Fried Food Feast!

I’m not even going to pretend this is a healthy meal. If there’s one thing we all know about fried food it’s that it’s not very good for us. However, if there’s another thing we know about fried food it’s that it’s abso-freakin-lutely DELICIOUS.

I have many times uttered the words: everything is so much better when it’s deep-fried. And it’s true! I try my best to eat healthy the majority of the time, but I will not deny the fact that I love all things indulgent. I think everybody has a little bit of that in themselves (some more so than others), whether or not they choose to admit it. We’ll, I’m not afraid to. Golden brown, crispy, deep-fried delight calls to me. And it’s singing my favorite song.

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Babci’s Zucchini Casserole

For all of you non-Polish folk, “Babci” means grandmother. My Babci is acutally my great-grandmother. But I’ve always called her Babci since that’s what my mother called her. It may not make much sense, but that’s how it’s always been.

Babci may have passed away when I was too young to remember her, but that hasn’t stopped her from being such a big part of my life. I feel like I know her so well. My family has told me many stories about her and, wow, what a woman she must’ve been.

She didn’t work outside the home, so she spent the majority of her time cooking things up in the kitchen. She was an excellent cook, living in a time where you didn’t measure or follow someone else’s recipe; you just cooked by feel. I still return to her fantastic rice pudding recipe every time a craving hits me. There’s nothing else like it.

I’m not a huge believer in the paranormal or anything like that, but sometimes I feel that there is a part of Babci alive in my own heart. I have all these attributes that make my parents say, “Where on Earth did you get that from?” I am creative and artsy. I love to cook. I’m obsessed with the holidays. Neither of my parents (or even my grandparents) possess traits like these. But you know who did? Babci.

It’s eerie how much we are alike. My mother tells me all the time how Babci would go all-out decorating her home for the holidays, especially Halloween (which is my favorite as well). I too am a holidayaholic. My home is festively decked out for every occasion thanks to me. I wish I could’ve known Babci during that time in her life. I wish our lives had overlapped more. I wish I could’ve soaked her in before she left this Earth.

If you’re wondering what this all has to do with zucchini casserole, well, I’m getting there. We have a collection of “recipes” left behind by my Babci, all of which are sublime. I say “recipes” because they’re not very formal. There are often measurements missing (sometimes whole ingredients) or vague instructions. I almost like it. It leaves it up to you to make it taste good so that they are always the best “whatever you’re making” (that rice pudding, for example). Zucchini Casserole, or, as it is originally know, Zucchini Hamburger Casserole, is a part of that recipe repertoire. Yes, you can make it with hamburger and I will show you how. That’s how it’s originally done. However, I left it out for a vegetarian version and it was so freakin delicious that you will never miss the meat.

My mom treated me to a story about how Babci would whip up gargantuan batches of Zucchini (Hamburger) Casserole so that she could share it with the family. She would call up my grandmother and her sisters, Babci’s daughters, and tell them to come pick up some casserole. It was always an exciting phone call. Everyone LOVED that stuff. They were more than willing to oblige and go pick it up.

So now, I am going to share this recipe with you. It’s very special and, as you can tell, has been in the family for a while. It’s so ridiculously easy that you will laugh when you eat it. You’ll laugh because it will be one of the best, most delicious things you have EVER put in your mouth, and it was so simple to make. It reminds you how complicated cooking has become. People didn’t complicate things in the olden days. They just made food taste good.

This is cheesy, hearty, and so wonderfully comforting. It has worked its way into my top favorite foods, which is no easy feat. Please make it. There’s bread, cheese, potatoes, zucchini, garlic, tomatoes sauce and more CHEESE. What more could you want? This casserole is perfection, period, end of story.

Thank you Babci.

A few tips before you get cooking:

  1. This is quick to put together, but requires an hour and a half of cooking time. Plan ahead!
  2. Make it with or without meat; it’s freakin delicious no matter what.
  3. Use a nice, sturdy bread.
  4. Like the others in Babci’s collection, this recipe had some holes. Never fear; I did my best to fill them for you.

Zucchini (Hamburger) Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 2 or 3 carrots (sliced thin)
  • 2 large yukon gold potatoes (sliced tin)
  • 1 onion (sliced thin)
  • 8 cups sliced zucchini (sliced thick)
  • 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
  • 5 slices of bread, cubed
  • 1/2 pound velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 3/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
  • oregano, to taste
  • parsley, to taste
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • Optional: 1 pound ground beef

Vegetarian Directions:

  1. Cook carrots, potatoes, onions, and zucchini with tomato sauce in a large pot over medium heat. Immediately add the oregano, parsley, salt, and garlic. When the mixture starts to bubble, reduce to low heat. Cover and cook for 45 min.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Turn off heat. Add velveeta to pot and stir until melted. Gently stir in bread.
  4. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese on to (depending on how cheesy you like it). Return to oven for five minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned and the casserole is hot and bubbling. You could also pop it under the broiler instead.
  5. Scoop a big hunk onto plate and serve!

    vegetarian-style!

Meat-Eater Directions:

  1. Brown the beef in a pot. Add the carrots, potatoes, onion, zucchini, tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, parsley, and salt. When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce to low heat. Cover and cook for 45 min.
  2. Follow steps 2-5 above in Vegetarian Directions!

meat-eater style! (also sans cheese)

A delicious, comforting, heavenly recipe passed down to the next generation. You’re always in our hearts (and stomachs), Babci!