What to do with all the Zucchini!

Share your favorites, here is a really great cookie!

Zucchini Cookies

Soft cake-like cookie. The vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate chip combination really add to the flavor. The color is a bit pale so don't expect a golden brown cookie.


48 servings 40 min 25 min prep

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated unpealed zucchini
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips



Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and vinilla.
Combine flour, baking power, salt and cinnamon.
Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mix till blended then add zucchini and chocolate chips.
Drop (I use tablespoon size) onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Enjoy

Do you grill? We just slice it onto tin foil, add salt and pepper to taste, butter and a couple ice cubes. Make little packs of the tin foil, one pack per person and grill till tender. Yum!

worked well last night with Holly's teriyaki recipe- chicken tenders, zuke, onion slices

Here's a recipe from Cooking Light which takes 9 cups of zucchini (!) for 8 servings. I made it last night and it was delicious. I made it with 4 cups of zucc and 2 of chicken broth and adjusted the other ingredients accordingly. The soup by itself is good, and the bread and herbs add a real flavor boost.

Creamy Zucchini Soup with Mixed Herbs

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
9 cups (1-inch) sliced zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds)
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 (1/4-inch-thick) slices French bread baguette (about 4 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, halved
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons fresh tarragon or rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and minced garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini, broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until zucchini is very tender. Let stand 5 minutes.
Place half of the zucchini mixture in a blender; cover tightly, and process until smooth. Pour pureed zucchini mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining zucchini mixture. Place pureed zucchini mixture in pan. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.
Preheat oven to 400°. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Coat bread with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Rub bread with cut sides of garlic clove.
Place parsley, tarragon, and chives in a small bowl. Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour over parsley mixture; toss well.
Spoon 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls. Divide parsley mixture evenly over toasted bread slices. Top each serving with 2 bread slices. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings
CALORIES 125 (25% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.7g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 5.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 45mg; SODIUM 558mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.2g

Soup sounds good today. I once had a chocolate cake recipe with zucchini in it. Just a moist choc cake with green specks!

I've been working on a zucchini bread recipe. I am a dietetic major and studying nutrition and most zucchini bread recipes are, as you all know, high in sugar and fat. Back in the 70's when the craze began it was more important to avoid animal fats; it used oil and was a big hit.

Anyway, my first attempt was awful. A recipe from Cooking Light which usually is a good source but this was bad plus it was way too soggy. I think because alot of recipes don't mention to allow the excess water to drain. Supermarket zucchini is fairly dry compared to fresh picked from your garden. My second attempt went the other extreme too dry. We are eating the third attempt now which is much better. Used butter rather than oil and allowed the shredded zucchini to drain 20 minutes. I want to make one more change to the recipe before I post it here. I'm going to try one less egg because eggs believe it or not toughen it unless tenderized by excess fat and sugar. I'll be back :)

My sister shared some issues of Cook's Country, which is made by the Cook's Illustrated people but more home-cook oriented. I think they worked on zucchini bread in one.
Both of these have no ads and each article discusses why certain techniques and ingredients improve the recipe, so I learn more from it. Thats why I'm such a fabulous cook now


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