Category:

Stuffed Zucchini

10/8/2012

I owe this great idea of a recipe to my brother-in-law, Jared. He served this to us at a family function a while back and I logged it away as a GREAT way to use up HUGE zucchinis. You know, the kind of zucchinis you forget to pick and suddenly they are bigger than a small child! The kind you leave on your neighbor's doorstep and then run. I'm just kidding. We haven't done that...yet. ;) But now here's another way to use them up! It only takes a couple of simple ingredients, a little bit of prep, and then you let the oven do the rest of the work. (Those are the best kind of meals ever don't you think!)

Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and free of mostly all the other allergens too)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Jared Nielsen

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini
1 can gluten free stewed italian tomatoes
1 cup gluten free spaghetti sauce
8 oz hamburger meat (you can also sub in elk burger)
1/2 cup white rice, uncooked

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine the can of stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice, and hamburger. Set aside.

2. Take a large zucchini, wash it, and cut the ends off.

3. Cut the zucchini into 3-4 sections.

4. Then cut those sections in half and scoop out the seeds.

5. Arrange your zucchini in a large 9x13 pan or on a cookie sheet.

6. Scoop the tomato filling into the zucchinis until it is all used. (It's ok to overflow them or just put the extra in the pan.)

7. Tightly foil the top of the pan and throw it into the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the rice and zucchini are tender.

Serve warm, refrigerate leftovers and consume within 3 days.

Trick from jalene:

I found that my rice cooks faster when I stuff them and then flip them UPSIDE DOWN in the pan just before baking. (So the stuffing is in the pan and the zucchini is covering it like a bowl.) Then To serve, you just scoop the ingredients and zucchini right side up.

If you want to sub brown rice in this recipe I suggest precooking the rice first because brown rice needs more time and moisture to cook properly.

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Zucchini Pancakes

9/17/2012

1 Comment

Oops. Forgot to pick this one... got a little too big!

Good thing I'm getting creative on how to use my zucchinis! I even created a new recipe category to the right so you could have easy access to them!

If you know me - you know I love a good pancake - and if you know my pancakes - you know I love to create all sorts of combinations! You might think it strange to put zucchini in your pancakes but this combination works AND it tastes great! Enjoy!

Zucchini Pancakes

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Can be Sugar Free)
Created by jalene

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cup gluten free oats
3/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar (OR to make this sugar free use 1/2 Tbsp Xylitol)
1 cup grated zucchini (finely packed)
1/4 cup water
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil

Directions:

Preheat a pan over medium heat.
In a high speed blender, grind your oats into flour. Add the rest of the dry ingredients to the blender: cinnamon (if using), nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Pulse to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the blender: zucchini, water, egg, and the oil. Blend until just combined. Scrape sides if necessary.
Pour the batter onto the preheated pan. (I made my pancakes about 3-4 inches large.) Brown on each side.

Tips from jalene:

Got a lot of zucchini?! I usually thoroughly wash them, cut the ends off, cut out the seeds, and process them through my fine grater. Then I seal them up in freezer bags in portions of 1 cup and either put them in the fridge (if I'll be using them in the next couple of days) or in the freezer for long term storage. Note: When using pre-frozen zucchini in your recipes, often times it will work the same if being ground in. If not, you may need to add more gf flour accordingly.

1 Comment

Gluten Free Healthy Chocolate Cake Brownie Bites

8/16/2012

7 Comments

Wew. That title is a mouthful... I wasn't sure what else to call these though! They are such yummy little treats BUT you actually can feel good about eating them. The only flour I used was brown rice and I threw in a little secret ingredient. Want to know what it is?! I'll give you a clue... It's over running my garden... That's right! Zucchini! But just look at those pictures. You can't even see the Zucchini, even if you dissected the suckers and LOOKED HARD for it! So, when those picky eaters want a treat, make these babies, sit back, and snicker to yourself on how they are, in fact, eating their vegetables. ;)

Gluten Free Healthy Chocolate Cake-Brownie Bites

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Shanna B.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or Earth Balance butter substitue (see note)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup finely grated zucchini
1 egg
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 & 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder + more for flouring
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
gluten free chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Grease and flour with cocoa mini muffin tins. If using silicon baking ware you only need to slightly grease with oil. I used olive oil. (see tip below)
In a blender or food processor, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the zucchini and mix thoroughly. (I used my blendtec.)
Add the egg, brown rice flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, and xanthan gum and mix until just combined.
Fill mini muffins a little over 1/2 full. They will double in size. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. (You could also stir in the chocolate chips instead if you prefer.) Bake little muffins for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tips from jalene:

You can use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil instead of the butter. They will raise slightly less but still taste great!
When working with chocolate cakes or muffins, I grease and then flour the pans with cocoa powder, not a white flour. This ensures no white residue. Simple. Smart.
If you want to make a huge tray of these, triple the recipe, pour it onto a greased and cocoa-ed cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 350.

7 Comments

Fried Zucchini

8/7/2012

0 Comments

Oh yes...it's another zucchini recipe! The stuff is seriously multiplying like a weed in my garden. Tell me if you're fed up with the recipes, but they're all a great way to consume this vegetable! You could always pawn it off to a neighbor if you're having the same problem as me! Come to think of it, we are constantly getting new neighbors where we live...maybe I should start giving out in neighborhood welcome baskets! ;)

This is one of my easy go-to recipes when I want to use it as a side dish for dinner. It's quick and tastes good. You can also make this dairy free if needed.

Fried Zucchini

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)

Created by Jalene
Makes 2-3 side dish servings

Ingredients:

1 medium size zucchini
1/2 tsp onion salt (or onion powder, I've tried them both & they taste great)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Optional: plastic baggie

Directions:

Preheat a flat griddle over medium heat.
Wash and cut off, and discard the ends of the zucchini. Slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
In a plastic baggie or bowl combine all the ingredients. Shake well.

4. Place on preheated pan and cook until lightly browned on one side. Flip and cook the same way on the opposite side.

Serve warm, refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

If you're not worried about being Vegan or Dairy Free, you can add 1 Tbsp of Parmesan Cheese for a extra yummy treat!

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Zucchini Muffins with Almond Oat Streusel

8/3/2012

0 Comments

My garden is booming with ol' faithful Zucchinis! It seems like zucchini plants could be the best beginner gardener's plant because they just simply grow and grow! Then best part about growing my own veggies: I feel like I'm eating for free!

And then, as time goes on, and the plants keep producing more and more and more...there's a point where you just have to start getting creative with ways to use up all that zucchini! ;) This next recipe is AMAZING. They even worked as bribery one night for my nieces to eat all of their dinner. Little did they know they were eating zucchini, oatmeal and almonds!

Zucchini Muffins with Almond Oat Streusel
(Gluten-Free, Can be Dairy-Free)
Created by jalene

Makes 10-12 muffins
Muffin Ingredients:

1 cup (packed) finely grated zucchini
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 & 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
1/2 cup sugar or organic evaporated cane juice sugar
1 & 1/2 cup gluten free oats

Directions for the muffins:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare 12 muffin tins with liners. Set aside.
In a food processor or blender, grind the oats until they resemble a flour.
Add the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, and sugar. Combine well.
Add the zucchini, egg, oil and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Pour batter into liners, filling 2/3 full.

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten free quick oats
1/4 cup sugar or organic evaporated cane juice sugar
1/4 cup raw whole almonds or slices
2 & 1/2 Tbsp cold butter or Earth Balance Butter Substitute

Directions for the Streusel:

In a food processor combine all the ingredients except for the butter. Mix until it resembles coarse meal.
Pour the coarse meal into a small bowl and cut in the cold butter and blend until crumbly.
Use a heaping Tbsp of streusel to top the muffins.

Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes. Muffin should not squish down when you touch the top and a toothpick should come out clean.

Wanna try some other of my great Zucchini dishes?

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Teriyaki Stir Fry

8/1/2012

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Let me just start out by saying I'm no Stir-Fry expert but I love to eat it! There's actually so many different combinations you can do but we just had this one for dinner so I thought I'd share. If you don't have exactly these veggies, you can sub in other ones you need to use up.

Speaking of veggies, did you know that you're supposed to eat 2 & 1/2 cups of veggies a day?! Man, how many of us are doing that? I know sometimes it can be hard! So, here's a great naturally gluten free meal that is PACKED full of veggies and with the garlic and ginger flavored teriyaki sauce, you won't be forcing them in your mouth either! I like to add nuts for extra protein. It makes a great Vegan, meatless meal.

Garlic & Ginger Teriyaki Stir Fry

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)
Created by jalene

Cooking time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp peanut oil, safflower, or another high-smoke point oil of choice
1/2 cup of my Basic Teriyaki Sauce
4 organic Carrots, peeled, cut julienne-style
1 medium sized organic zucchini, cut julienne-style
2 organic celery stalks, sliced
1/2 cup organic cabbage, sliced
1/3 cup cashews or peanuts

Directions:

Prepare (wash, cut) all the veggies (if you haven't already.) If you need help on how to julienne visit HERE.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add your oil, garlic, ginger, and carrots. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables. One minute before desired firmness is achieved, add the Teriyaki Sauce. Serve hot over rice.

Optional: Sometimes we like to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Makes a yummy addition.

Tip from jalene:

Like I said, I'm no expert but here's a great article from someone who is. It's a great Q&A session specifically about Stir-frying. It's worth checking out: http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/a-cook-talks-about-woks-and-stir-fries/

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Chicken Verde Enchiladas

7/12/2012

2 Comments

In a lot of mexican restaurants enchiladas aren't baked in the oven. They're thrown together at the last minute! Why not try that at home for a quicker version? This next recipe is an EXCELLENT healthier and unique version of the classic enchilada. It's packed with nutrients from fresh vegetables and herbs such spinach, zucchini, and cilantro and it's covered with a great made-from-scratch green sauce.

Chicken Verde Enchiladas (Quicker Version)
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

Serves about 4-6 people
Enchilada Filling Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 small zucchini, diced small
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup organic cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked & shredded organic chicken
organic corn tortillas, warmed
if not dairy free: 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (optional, but tastes great without it)

Enchilada Filling Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, zucchini and onions and saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Add spinach, garlic, cumin chili powder, sea salt and saute for another minute.
Add to the pan the cooked chicken and cilantro. (Optional: add cheese here.)

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1 small onion, skins removed, ends cut off
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1-2 Serrano chilies, seeded
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh organic cilantro
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup gluten free chicken broth
sea salt, to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp)

Enchilada Sauce Directions:

Add all the ingredients except the oil, broth, and salt to a blender. Mix until smooth.
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the sauce and stir for about 5 minutes or until darkened and thickened. Add chicken broth and sea salt.

How to put it all together:
Add 1/2 cup enchilda filling to a warmed tortilla. Tightly roll (or in half like a taco) and pour sauce over enchilada. (Optional for dairy eaters: Sprinkle cheese on top.)

What's a tomatillo?

Tomatillos are actually a FRUIT that belongs to the same family as the tomato. It looks like a small green tomato with a papery husk. It's flavor is tart and is used in dishes such as guacamole, salsa verde, and green sauces. (I use them in a really yummy dressing! See HERE). When purchasing, look for tomatillos with a fresh and green husk. The fruit should be firm and bright green. Keeps ups to 2 weeks in your fridge.

Picture compliments of
Cookthink.com

2 Comments

Breaded Zucchini Sticks

5/29/2012

0 Comments

Sometimes it's just easier to eat your vegetables when they are hiddin'. This recipe is really easy to throw together and cooks fast. It also gives a great flavor to a kind of bland vegetable. You can use it as a quick snack or a side dish to a main meal. If you are not dairy-free you can also sprinkle some Parmesan cheese in with the breadcrumbs to give an extra tasty kick.

Breaded Zucchini Sticks
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Created by jalene

Ingredients:

2 zucchini
1/2 cup gluten-free, dairy-free breadcrumbs
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Wash and scrub the outside of the zucchinis. Cut each zucchini into sticks. I can typically get 18 sticks per zucchini but it depends on the size of your zucchini and the way you cut it.
Place the breadcrumbs in a zip-lock bag and set aside.
In a small bowl beat the egg. Dip the sticks in the egg coating well then allow excess to drip off. (See tip below).
Place up to 3-5 sticks in the bag of breadcrumbs and shake until well coated. Then place breaded sticks onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. Be sure not to let them stick. Spray or lightly drizzle olive oil over each stick.
Bake for 5-10 minutes. (Amount time will vary with different ovens and sizes of sticks.)

Makes about 36 to 54 sticks.

TIP from jalene:

To make sure your breading doesn't get clumpy you can dip your zucchini in the egg then place on a cooling rack over a drip-plate. This allows excess liquid to drip off before you shake them in your breading bag.

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Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like "rat" and "patootie."

4/27/2012

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One day my family and I were watching the Disney movie: Ratatouille when I thought, "Man! I wish I knew how to make that dish!" You know, the one at the end of the movie where the critic tastes it and flashes back to happy days of his childhood? Oh, I wanted to feel like that! So, I pulled out my Betty Crocker cookbook and found I had a recipe for Ratatouille! Yes! All happy, I made my dish but it turned out looking a lot like this:

Yuck! Not only did it taste gross but it looked gross too! This is what I would call Rat-Patootie! That didn't look anything like the movie's!! So I dug a little deeper and searched a little harder and now I have adapted a yummy Disney-Ratatouille-worthy dish. It does take a little bit of prep (more so than the original Betty Crocker recipe) but the end result is so amazing you're going to LOVE it!

It has 3 specific layers that you need to make. The bottom is like a pepper and tomato sauce, the middle is the sliced vegetables and the top is a vinaigrette that you drizzle on top after it has cooked.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Disney Ratatouille
(just like the movie's)
Adapted by jalene

#1 Bottom of pan sauce (Piperade) ingredients:

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
6 tomatoes (about 24 ounces total weight)
2 sprig thyme (You can do rosemary instead)
2 sprig flat-leaf parsley
sea salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 F. Wash and dry peppers, removing seeds and ribs. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil lined sheet. (Putting it on a silicone mat may discolor it.) Bake the peppers until the skin blisters (about 15 minutes).
While the peppers are cooking, remove the skins and seeds of the tomatoes and finely dice. Save the juices.
When the peppers are cooked, remove from heat and let rest in a tightly covered bowl until they have cooled enough to handle. Peel the skin off and chop finely.
In a skillet over low heat add the oil, garlic, and onion. Cook until very soft but not browned. (Add more oil if necessary.)
Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, and parsley. Simmer over medium-low heat until very soft and very liquid remains. (Make sure it does not brown.)
Add the peppers and simmer to soften them. Season with salt and discard large chunks of seasoning. Let it cool slightly and put in a blender to chop slightly. Pull out 2 Tbsps of the mixture and spread the rest in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.

#2 Vegetable Pattern Ingredients:

1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
1 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a 9x13 pan arrange a strip of alternating slices of vegetables over piperade sauce. (See above picture.) Repeat until pan is filled. (You may not use all the vegetables).
Mix the garlic, oil and thyme in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan with foil-making sure edges are sealed well. Bake until vegetables are tender, about 50 minutes. Turn up heat to 325 F and uncover the pan and bake 15 minutes more.

#3 Vinaigrette Drizzle Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp of the reserved piperade
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients. :)

To serve Ratatouille carefully lift sliced vegetables out of pan and round into a circular fan shape. Drizzle top and slightly the plate with the Vinaigrette. Serve hot.

You can serve this over white rice, brown rice or quinoa to make it more substantial.

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Garden Chowder

4/17/2012

0 Comments

I don't know about where you live but today it's so cold and rainy! What better way to warm up than with a yummy soup. I have mastered this one Gluten-Free but it's not quite yet Dairy-Free. There are some suggestions at the bottom of the recipe on how to alter it but it will change the taste slightly.

Garden Chowder (Gluten-Free)

adapted by jalene

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis, chopped
1 large carrot
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, minced or 2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil or 1 Tbsp fresh basil
1/3 cup butter or ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp potato starch or you can use 1/4 cup white rice flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp lemon juice
2-3 tomatoes, diced or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk or 1 cup of dry milk mixed with 1 and 1/4 cup of water
1 can (14.5 oz) corn or 1 ½ cup frozen corn
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups medium cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, zucchini, onion, parsley, and basil and saute until veggies are tender.
Add the potato starch, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, milk, and corn and bring soup back to a boil. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn and tomatoes are tender.
Take soup off heat and stir in the cheeses. Serve warm.

Alterations:

*You can use a variety of other veggies instead of the ones listed. Potatoes, celery, or broccoli would also work well in this soup.

*To make Dairy-Free you can add a can of coconut milk instead of the evaporated milk and leave out both the cheeses or sub Vegan Chedder Cheese for the Chedder and sub Nutrition Flakes for the Parmesan Cheese. This will change the taste slightly but will still be good.

Have a picky eater?

Our nieces came over and they are anti-chunks and "green things" so we actually took their soup, blended it up in our blend-tec, and told them it was "Cheese Soup." It blended to a beautiful cheezy orange color and they never knew the difference! It's a great way to sneak in vegetables!

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Stuffed Zucchini

Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini

Trick from jalene:

Zucchini Pancakes

Zucchini Pancakes

Tips from jalene:

Gluten Free Healthy Chocolate Cake Brownie Bites

Gluten Free Healthy Chocolate Cake-Brownie Bites

Tips from jalene:

Fried Zucchini

Fried Zucchini

Zucchini Muffins with Almond Oat Streusel

Wanna try some other of my great Zucchini dishes?

Teriyaki Stir Fry

Garlic & Ginger Teriyaki Stir Fry

Tip from jalene:

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

What's a tomatillo?

Breaded Zucchini Sticks

Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like "rat" and "patootie."

Garden Chowder

Have a picky eater?

jalene

Wanna know when we post new recipes?

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Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini

Trick from jalene:

Zucchini Pancakes

Tips from jalene:

Gluten Free Healthy Chocolate Cake-Brownie Bites

Tips from jalene:

Fried Zucchini

Wanna try some other of my great Zucchini dishes?

Garlic & Ginger Teriyaki Stir Fry

Tip from jalene:

What's a tomatillo?

Have a picky eater?

jalene

Wanna know when we post new recipes? ​

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Search our Website:

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