Orzo Salad with Zucchini, Feta & Olives

As much as I love the fall, I have to remind myself that technically, it is still summer.  It reached 80 degrees yesterday (with low humidity!) so the weather is still keeping it real.

Not that it needs to be summer to enjoy some of this deliciousness.

With the addition of kalamata olives, this salad was amazing.  Make this soon!

Orzo Salad with Zucchini, Feta & Olives
adapted from Real Simple

8 ounces orzo (1/2 box)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced, cut into half moons
salt and pepper
1 cup kalamata olives
2 cups crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and run under cold water to cool.

While orzo is cooking, combine oil, vinegar, red pepper and zucchini in a large bowl with a bit of salt and pepper.  Let marinate for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Add orzo, olives, feta and dill to to zucchini mixture.  Toss to combine.  Serve immediately, at room temp or cold.

Pitacella (Fried Zucchini, Italian Style)

My brother-in-law's mother was an amazing cook.  Born and raised in Calabria, she came here as a young adult and brought with her some of the most delicious Italian recipes and dishes I've ever had.  One day, I promise you, I will blog her lasagna...and you will thank me FOREVER.  Seriously.

But for now, I give you what they call pitacella.

Like many other Italian recipes, the simplicity of this dish is exactly what makes it amazing.  This is the perfect time of year to make it...when zucchini the size of baseball bats are growing in your garden...because you can never, NEVER have too much of this.  Make a LOT.  I promise you - whatever you make won't be enough.

Oh, and I use the word "recipe" very loosely, because as you'll see, there are no measurements.  Just go with your gut.  I highly doubt that it'll ever turn out to be awful, no matter how much you think you may have messed it up.


Pitacella (Fried Zucchini, Italian Style)
from Nina

zucchini (a LOT), sliced into thin rounds
extra virgin olive oil
flour
water
egg
salt

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Combine flour, water and egg, using whatever amounts give you a pasty consistency, but not too thick.

Coat zucchini in batter and drop in pan.  Fry on both sides until golden brown.  Make in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.  Remove and place on plate lined with paper towel.  Immediately sprinkle salt on top.  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Brown Rice with Roasted Zucchini & Grape Tomatoes

I still stick by what I said about being over the summer.

I'm ready for pumpkin flavored everything, apple pie and mashed potatoes.  Give me a cardigan and jeans and I'll be all set.

Now, ice cream is a different story.  So is an abundance of great fresh veggies.  Like zucchini, which we always eat plenty of this time of year.

This side dish was delicious!

Alright...maybe a little more summer won't kill me after all ;)

Brown Rice with Roasted Zucchini & Grape Tomatoes
1 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch thick circles
20 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 large red onion, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oregano
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put zucchini, tomatoes and onion in a small baking pan.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano, then drizzle oil on top.  Sprinkle desired amount of cheese over veggies.

Cook for about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and scoop into a serving bowl.  Add rice and stir to combine.  Serve.

Fried Zucchini Sticks with Sriracha Mayo

I'm a Trader Joe's sucker.

I go in with a list.  I really do.  And end up with about twice as much as what I intended to.  Kind of like Target, but strictly food items.


I'm sure many of you have seen this list of "must haves" from there.  But even the everyday stuff that you can get pretty much anywhere catches my eye.  They had a great deal last week on zucchini that I couldn't resist...all I had to do was decide how to prepare it.


Well, that was easy.

Fried Zucchini Sticks with Sriracha Mayo
zucchini recipe slightly adapted from Giada De Laurentis

extra virgin olive oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups grated pecorino romano
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 large zucchini, cut into strips

Heat oil in a dutch oven (2 inch depth) until it reaches 350 degrees (or throw a few breadcrumbs in...if they sizzle, it's ready!).

In a shallow bowl, mix cheese and panko with a little salt and pepper.  In a bowl, whisk eggs until beaten.  Dip zucchini, one or two at a time, in egg first, making sure to let all excess drip off before transferring to panko mixture.  Pat into panko and cover completely, then transfer to baking sheet.

Working in batches, fry zucchini until golden brown.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Sprinkle with a little bit of cheese before serving.

Sriracha Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sriracha
pinch of salt

Stir all ingredients together.  Keep in fridge until serving.

Linked to:  Swanky Stuff

Pan Fried Lime Salmon with Zucchini

Zucchini season is among us once again.  And I love it.  Anything that is so simple to prepare yet tastes so delicious is aces in my book.

Which reminds me...I need to raid my uncle's garden...

This dish was an amazing 10 minute creation that I could probably eat twice a week.  Frank loved it too.  It would also taste great with lemon, but I used lime since that's what I had.  And really, does it get any healthier than this?

Pan Fried Lime Salmon with Zucchini

1 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds

extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

2 salmon filets

1 lime

Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and garlic, followed by zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove zucchini and set aside.

In same pan, place salmon in leftover oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 4 minutes on one side and flip.  Add more salt and pepper, then squeeze lime juice over it.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve on top of zucchini.

Linked to:  Tastetastic Thursday
                   Seafood Blog Hop

More from the land of zucchini

I have to be honest - even though it's coming out of our ears, I'll never get sick of it.  No matter how you cook or bake it, it's delicious.  All varieties.  Bring it on.  My doorstep awaits you.

I made this dish for my mother-in-law and scored many points, even though it wasn't necessary since I'm already her favorite daughter-in-law.  Yeah, I'm the only one she has...so what? ;)

It doesn't get easier than this, folks.

Spaghetti with Fried Zucchini
heavily adapted from Mario Batali

1 pound spaghetti
2 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds (I used the rest of my googootz)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
crushed red pepper to taste

Boil pasta until al dente.  While it's cooking, heat oil in a large skillet.  Add zucchini in a single layer and poach like chips.  Remove, drain and repeat process until all zucchini is cooked.  Place cooked zucchini in a serving bowl.

Add garlic to pan and cook until brown.  Add vinegar and let cook until vinegar evaporates, about 2 minutes. Put garlic in bowl with zucchini.

Drain pasta and add to bowl, stir to combine and add salt and pepper.  Add cheese and crushed red pepper, toss and serve immediately.

Who you callin' googootz?

Any Sopranos fans out there?  Remember when Tony referred to AJ as "googootz"?  At the time, I had no clue what it meant and immediately ran to google, which I'm guessing some of you may have just done yourselves.  I hated being stumped by an Italian slang word or term of endearment...I thought I knew them all!

Well, this is what he was talking about.

Below is a part of a cucuzza (aka "googootz"), between a pen (to give you a point of reference for size) and part of a zucchini.  I'd already used half of each of them...they were HUGE.

Googootz is slang for zucchini in Italian, and can be used interchangeably with the more common variety.  They're big suckers that just grow, and grow, and grow....

I took part of each of these and threw them in my food processor to make these delicious muffins.  I thought it was a bit ironic that although the recipe yielded 24 muffins, I ended up with 32 :)  This stuff just won't go away!

For those into "hiding" veggies for their kids, these are worth a shot.  It wasn't my intent when I made them, but afterwards, I figured it would be a nice way to get a little green into Bella...I mean, the kid never turns down chocolate. Unfortunately, she wasn't fooled.  Smartie.

I subbed no-sugar-added applesauce for half of the oil in the original recipe for a more healthy version.  Good stuff!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
adapted from Allrecipes


3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla and zucchini and stir well.

Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, filling 2/3 of the way. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

Linked to:  Mangia Mondays

Using your bounty

WARNING - this is another of several zucchini recipes you'll be seeing.  I'm one of "those" people who has been bombarded.  And I'm not complaining :)

These little treasures are perfect as an appetizer or side dish (especially with some tzatziki, and/or hot sauce).  They're easy to make, a great way to use up your squash surplus, and best of all...delicious.

Once again, Mario Batali rocks.

Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters
from Food & Wine

2 zucchini, shredded
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 large eggs
3/4 cup AP flour
extra virgin olive oil, for frying
lemon wedges
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and form into patties.  Put some extra virgin olive oil in a hot skillet and fry away.  Place on paper towel to drain when removing from pan.  Squeeze fresh lemon over patties and serve.

Makes approximately 20 fritters.

Like it? Stuff it! (What's Baking)

My Mom makes the BEST stuffed peppers.  It's one of my favorite dishes.  They're comforting and delicious...and good for you, too!  Yum.

Since my lovely husband is not a fan of peppers, I now have to rely on other vegetables to fulfill my craving.  One of them is zucchini.  These boats are equally as delicious, and very easy to make.  Mom puts rice in her filling, but I don't always...here is a version that I like where I omit it, so it's a great low carb option.

The morning of the day I made this, I bought gouda at my local market that was on sale at a great price.   I decided to use it and it was REALLY good!   I highly recommend it.

Lindsey from Our Share of the Harvest was our What's Baking? hostess this month.  Her challenge was to bake anything you want, as long as you use a local ingredient.  Her blog is great - check it out, especially in the next few days for the rest of the participants' entries!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats
3 zucchini
1 pound ground beef
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
1 cup chopped (or shredded) Gouda cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Trim stem off zucchini and cut down the middle lengthwise.  Scoop guts out of each half, chop them and set aside.  Place zucchini halves on a foil lined baking sheet.

Season beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder and cook in a skillet over medium high heat, until brown.  Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, zucchini guts and basil.  Cook until veggies get soft.  Turn off the heat and add bread crumbs and mint, stirring to combine.

Brush zucchini with a little oil, then fill each boat with beef mixture.  Top with cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until tops turn brown.

Easy like Sunday morning

It's nice to be able to wake up in the morning and pop breakfast in the oven without all the prep work.  Especially when you're having guests over.  It frees up time to enjoy your coffee, set the table, make a nice fruit salad, mix some mimosas...

A strata is great because, like a frittata or omelette, you can use whatever you have on hand and it'll work.  That's what prompted me to make an Italian strata this past weekend.  Zucchini, sausage, peppers...the combination was delicious.

Make-ahead Italian Strata
1 pound Italian sausage
8 eggs
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 loaf french bread, cubed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
8 scallions, chopped

Spray a 9x13 pan.  Cook sausage in a skillet until brown.  Remove from skillet and chop into bite size pieces.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk and spices together.  Add bread and mix so all pieces are soaked in egg mixture.  Add sausage, 1 1/2 cups cheese, and vegetables.

Pour mixture into pan and top with remaining cheese.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  When ready to bake, uncover, and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife cleanly comes out of center of pan.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Serves 12.

Linked to: Mangia Mondays
                What's On Your Plate?
                 Fight the Flu With Breakfast

A burger that'll keep you in your jeans

This burger definitely falls under the healthy category - a must for BBQs this summer if you're counting calories.  The recipe came from one of the swaps I participate in, and I have to say, I was a little skeptical about it at first.

I knew that the zucchini would give the turkey meat an even softer texture than it already had...combine that with the fact that there was no bread, and I got nervous.  Then, I formed the burgers and really got worried.  They were super soft...so soft that I was afraid they'd break while on the grill.

Well, not only did they stay together...they were delicious!  I topped them with swiss cheese, and of course I had a nice big slice of onion on mine :)

Zucchini Turkey Burgers
from Whitney (recipe swap participant)

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 zucchini, grated
1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients and form into patties.  DO NOT overhandle meat, as it will already be delicate.  Cook on grill over high heat.
Makes 4 burgers.

WW Points+ per burger = 5

Risotto - stirring = HEAVEN.

Simply put, we LOVED this.  The taste was amazing.  Cooking it was a cinch.  Win-win for everyone.

Don't get me wrong, I love making risotto the old fashioned way, but this was just too easy to pass up.  Risotto should be something you can enjoy on a weeknight, as a last minute plan, or be able to attempt without fear or anxiety.  Try this version if any of those apply to you.

I made some changes from the original recipe which worked out really well.  Instead of using canned salmon, I used filets.  I had both on hand but thought the taste and textures from filets would be better.  I freaked out a bit because I was afraid the dish would really "miss" the dill (didn't have any), but it didn't.  Still, it would be a nice substitute for the parsley if you prefer.

I'm drooling just thinking about this dish!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Exchange sponsored by Le Creuset.


Salmon Risotto with Lemon
adapted from MediterrAsian Cooking

3 salmon filets (about 4 oz each)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet.  Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove and once it's cooled, skin and break salmon up into bite size pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, parsley and lemon zest and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the rice and cook for about a minute, stirring well so that all the rice is coated with oil.  Pour in the wine and stock, then add parsley, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Add the peas and salmon on top and cook, covered, for another few minutes.  Stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil, lemon juice and cheese.  Serve immediately.

Serves 3.

Linked to: What's On Your Plate?

Cleaning out the fridge again (Lent friendly dish)

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE!***

Every once in a while I open up the door to the fridge (and freezer) and think, okay, what can I concoct today?  I get these sudden urges to throw something together that will use up what we have (I HATE wasting food!) and of course, still taste delicious.

One of my 'must have' items from Trader Joe's is their eggplant cutlets (pictured here, in the middle of the page)...it's great to have in the freezer for shortcut nights.  I took out what was left and added it to some fresh veggies for a makeshift veggie 'lasagna' (minus the pasta).

It ain't pretty, but it tasted very good.  I served pasta on the side to satisfy the carb fiend man of the house.

This dish also gets easier if you make marinara and freeze it in small batches...I always have some in the freezer.  ALWAYS.  In this case, though, I had some leftover in the fridge that I used.

It's a great idea for meatless Fridays, for those of you observing Lent.  It's also very versatile, so you too can clean out your fridge/freezer and add whatever you have on hand.

Veggie "Lasagna"
1/2 box Trader Joe's eggplant (enough to cover bottom of pan)
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in thin slices
2 large portobello mushroom caps, broken in large pieces
marinara
fresh mozzarella, broken into pieces
ricotta
pecorino romano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray.  Cover the bottom with a thin layer of marinara, then eggplant slices.

Cover eggplant with a small layer of mozzarella and a few spoons of ricotta, then more sauce.  Add mushroom chunks, then cover with more cheese and sauce...followed by zucchini, cheese, sauce.

Top the dish off with pecorino romano, place in the oven and cook for 22-25 minutes, or until brown on top.

So what if it isn't pretty?

When I noticed I had some extra stuffing from the braciole I made the other day, I started thinking of a way to use it up.  Remember, waste not, want not!  Originally, I was going to use the portobello mushrooms I have by stuffing them, but midway through cooking I decided to save them for another time.

I cut up some zucchini, whipped up some polenta and this was the result.  Yum.

That's right, I said yum, even though it isn't the most attractive dish.  These types of creations rarely are, but they're usually the best tasting :)  LOVE rustic cooking.

Sausage and Polenta with Sauteed Zucchini
3/4 lb. Italian sausage, not in casing (I used spicy, but you can use mild if you want to be wimpy)
extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
stuffing from braciole (click here for the ingredients.  This can be omitted, or you can use bread crumbs with whatever seasonings you like)
1 zucchini, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
polenta (see link above on how to make it)
mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat oil and garlic in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and cook until no longer pink, then add stuffing.  Stir together and cook for another few minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.

Put a little more oil and the other garlic clove into the skillet.  Add zucchini, salt and pepper and saute until cooked through.  Take off heat and cover to keep warm.

Follow instructions for polenta.  When almost finished, add cheese and continue stirring.  Spoon polenta onto plate and add sausage on top, with zucchini on the side.