Two Recipes To Help You Make The Most Of Zucchini Season
Zucchini season is upon us and I’ve got two must-try recipes to help you take full advantage of it.
Below are two unique, healthy, and delicious dishes for you to test out; my family loved them, and I’m sure yours will too!
Zucchini Crab Fakes
I hesitate to share this with you because it might get me kicked out of Maryland. But it’s fun and different, so why not?
Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a crab cake and you shouldn’t go into it expecting to be one. What this is, is a zucchini patty that has tons of Maryland flavor, thanks to Old Bay.
Ingredients:
3 cups grated zucchini, squeezed dry
1 large egg
1 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbls mayonnaise
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Make sure your zucchini is squeezed dry prior to mixing. Using a 1/3 cup ice cream scoop or measuring cup, portion out the mixture to make eight patties.
Cooking:
You can either pan-fry patties by placing them in a hot skillet and cooking a few minutes on each side. Or you can bake them (that’s how I cook them). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil, and give it a generous coating of non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and slightly brown on the outside.
See the original recipe and picture here.
Italian Zucchini Bake
This recipe is one of our family’s favorites for two reasons: it uses up quite a bit of zucchini and it just tastes good. Hope your family enjoys it as much as my family does!
Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef
Ingredients:
2 8oz cans reduced-fat refrigerated crescent rolls
2 Tbls butter
8 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups chopped onion
3/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
1 1/2 tsps chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 eggs
4 cups shredded part-skim Italian blend cheese
3/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Press crescent rolls into and up the sides of a 9×13 pan. Pinch all the seams to seal. Set to the side.
Melt butter in a large skillet and saute the zucchini through garlic until the zucchini and onions are tender. Add water to the pan if necessary. Or butter. Because butter is better. But only if you can live with the guilt. I can’t. So I use water.
In a separate, large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, and salt. Gently toss zucchini with egg mixture. Pour into crust and bake 35-40 minutes or until the center is set.
Serve with a big salad and enjoy using up those zucchini!
GLUTEN FREE VERSION – Omit the crescent rolls. Follow the rest of the directions and pour zucchini filling into a 9×13 dish (glass works best) that’s been generously sprayed with non-stick cook spray. Bake as directed.
See the original recipe and picture here.
