Charming chips give zucchini a new look

From the mixture for Roasted Veggie Tacos that I blogged about earlier in the week I still had some extra medium zucchini. I pulled into service a second recipe from my Kroger flyer and baked up some crispy zucchini chips.

These zucchini thin slices were tossed in a seasoned bread-crumb mixture, sprayed with cooking spray, and oven-baked, so all was healthy. After being flipped in the oven only once, they were nicely browned. They made a wonderful side for some turkey/mushroom burgers we had for dinner last night.

Hubby has decided that the mystery plant in his garden has turned out to be zucchini, so once the garden’s up, we should be growing our own of the veggie and have even more excuses for Zucchini Chips.

We liked these so much for dinner, we didn’t even need to smother them with ketchup. The seasoned breading made them plenty tangy. An easy, healthy side!

Zucchini Chips

cooking spray

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup milk (I used skim)

4 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

Prepare oven to 450 degrees; grease two baking sheets with cooking spray. In a shallow bowl combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour milk into another shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk and dredge them in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated zucchini slices on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops of the slices with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until slices are crisp and brown. Flip and bake for another 10 minutes or until chips are crisp and brown. For a pretty presentation serve pre-dished in small bowls lined with parchment paper or large cupcake liners. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 6. (Source: Kroger mymagazine)

Fresh Veggie Pizza a healthy alternative for Pizza Night

Friday night usually lends itself to being pizza night, since that’s frequently the time a little pizza-adoring munchkin visits our house on a routine basis. But how to make that pizza a healthy one is a constant challenge.

I loved running across a recipe for Fresh Veggie Pizza. Whole-wheat crust and some favorite veggies as a topping made it a wonderful choice.

Yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, and green peppers first were sautéed in olive oil before I piled them on the prepared pizza dough that had baked in the oven for several  minutes to set it. 

Mozzarella and grated Parmesan went on as the top layer before the whole thing returned to the oven for about 15 minutes. The finished product was a pizza success story!

Fresh Veggie Pizza

1 pound frozen whole wheat or white bread dough, thawed (I used refrigerated pizza crust)

2 medium zucchini or summer squash, sliced

1 medium yellow, red, or green sweet pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 plum tomatoes, sliced

1 (8-ounce) can pizza sauce 

1/2 cup pitted, coarsely chopped green or black olives

1 cup shredded mozzarella, provolone, or Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. For dough: Place thawed bread dough on lightly floured surface; let it rest 10 minutes. Roll into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Build up edges slightly. Transfer pizza circle to a greased baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick dough over entire surface. Bake about 8 minutes or until crust is set but not browned. Meanwhile, for veggies: in a large skillet cook and stir zucchini or squash and sweet pepper in hot oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir 2 minutes more or until just tender. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes. Spread pizza sauce on hot crust to within 1 inch of edge. Using a slotted spoon, spoon zucchini mixture over sauce. Top with olives. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake about 15 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is melted. Makes about 6 servings. (Source: www.recipe.com)

Slow-cooker Chicken-and-Squash Casserole helps slow down at least part of life

“Slow things down!” That cry seems to emerge again and again as the holiday steamroller begins its annual procession toward us. All we really want for Christmas is more time—and more time to savor our experiences.

I liked a recent magazine feature that rounded up some good slow-cooker recipes. While activity elsewhere is at a fever-pitch, preparing the family meal doesn’t have to be. Throw some healthy items into a slow-cooker and let that kitchen appliance put at least part of your life on a crawl.

We enjoyed Chicken-and-Squash Casserole that featured slices of yellow squash and zucchini and cooked chicken with a sauce layered around it. It can be left simmering all day. At mealtime you’ll thank yourself for getting this little jewel assembled hours beforehand. (In a pinch, the meal also can be layered into a casserole dish and baked in the oven on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.)

Chicken-and-Squash Casserole

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced

1 pound zucchini, sliced

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream (I used fat-free)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese

Place first 3 ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; fold back a small edge to allow steam to escape. Microwave at high 8 minutes or until squash is tender; drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drain tomatoes well. Press between paper towels. Stir together tomatoes, chicken, and next 4 ingredients. Layer one-third each soup mixture, squash mixture, breadcrumbs, and Cheddar cheese in a lightly greased 6-quart slow cooker. Repeat layers twice. Top with Parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or until bubbly and edges are golden. Uncover and cook on high 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before you serve. Makes 6 servings. (Source: Southern Living, November 2012)

Sautéed Squash and Tomatoes make a great “go-with”

The magazine billed it as a way to “rethink steak night”. The idea,

Southern Living’s August 2011 issue suggested,

was to consider some “today” sides that liven up steaks on the grill.

We’re not big steak grillers, but I did think the photo of Sautéed Squash and Tomatoes that accompanied the food feature was beautiful. As I mentioned earlier this week, I had some beautiful fresh squash, zucchini, and tomatoes that needed to find their ways into recipes. I wasn’t rethinking steak night, but the recipe helped me rethink veggie sides in general.

The SL recipe

called for

sautéeing

the bacon strips and then reserving the drippings to sautée other additions, but it didn’t say what to do with the reserved bacon strips. I simply crumbled them at the end and stirred them into the veggies. It added to the bacon-y flavor of the veggies.

I could envision serving this simple, colorful dish again and again alongside chicken, fish, or burgers. Or, as part of an all-veggie dinner, which was our fare for this particular evening, it was a star attraction.

Sautéed Squash and Tomatoes

3 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices (I subbed with turkey bacon)

1 cup chopped sweet onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1 bay leaf

4 cups sliced zucchini

4 cups sliced yellow squash

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I subbed with 2 cups diced beefsteak tomatoes)

2 teaspoons butter

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt (or salt substitute) and pepper

garnish: bay leaf

In a large skillet over medium-high heat s

auté bacon

for 8 minutes or until bacon is crisp; remove bacon. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. (With my turkey bacon, I added a little olive oil to drippings to make 2 tablespoons, since turkey bacon fries up with little fat.) Sauté onion and next 4 ingredients in hot drippings for 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Add zucchini and yellow squash; cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with bay leaf, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Garden Breakfast Skillet a great suggestion for any meal (dinner, too!)

That trip across the Texas-Oklahoma border for Hubby’s regularly scheduled physical exam last week netted us more than just a stellar report on his lowered cholesterol level. Roadside veggie stands that are part of the Chickasaw Nation’s provision for its “elder” citizens always rate a stopover on our trips across the Red River.

The stand proprietors were wagging their heads with regret about their low supply this year because of the drought. They apologized for a reduced amount of offerings. But I saw tomatoes the size of grapefruit and giant piles of nice zucchini, yellow squash, and onions, among other items. I had no trouble finding produce to fill up my grocery bags to bring back to Texas.

I also brought home with me a few new recipe cards from the Chickasaw Nutrition Services, which has offices just across from the clinic where Hubby gets his physical. One I couldn’t wait to try was Garden Breakfast Skillet, an omelet-like dish that just happened to use my newly acquired tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion. Even though the recipe had breakfast in the title, I stirred this up for our meal last evening. Wonderful, quick, and healthy! Who could ask for three better adjectives (especially the quick part on a busy Monday) to describe a dinner?

Garden Breakfast Skillet

2 cloves garlic, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup green Bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup green onions, sliced (I subbed with white onion)

1 tablespoon margarine

1 medium tomato, diced

4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese, shredded

dash paprika

In a large skillet over medium-high heat sauté garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, green pepper, and onions in margarine for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, water, mustard, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet; reduce to medium heat. Cover skillet and cook for 5-10 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Cut into wedges and serve. Makes 8 servings.

When the chips are down (timewise) in December, Zucchini Oven Chips answer the side-dish dilemma

Oh, those sides, those sides. All my pre-December cooking and freezing has paid off in terms of giving me a free pass for preparing entrees during Never-Enough-Time month. But what about those dishes to accompany our meals? I'm always on the hunt for easy things to drum up to give my meals a boost.

Last night was a search for a quick and healthy accompaniment to Thick and Chunky Tomato Spaghetti Sauce (from my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden). In the fall I had made and frozen several batches of this sauce; I'm now the beneficiary of all this advance work. From my files I found a help originally furnished by Cooking Light magazine; the recipe was for Zucchini Oven Chips. Now that's an unusual thought. On hand I had a couple of small zucchini that earlier I had meant to use in a salad that didn't materialize. Zucchini Oven Chips would be a terrific partner for my spaghetti sauce and would look like I slaved all day in the kitchen.

The zucchini is chopped up into slices (Hubby, who had been driven from his home office by workers finishing a remodel in that room, was happy to help slice them up for me.) After dipping them in a little milk I dredged them in a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasonings. I layered the slices in a single layer on a pan that had been coated with cooking spray.

With almost no effort at all these turned out delightful and were perfect to go along with the spaghetti. They were crisp and flavorful and gave the same impact as if I had dipped them a batter and pan-fried them (which would have made them less healthy, of course). Hubby wouldn't be able to help himself and would just have to top them with a little ketchup, but to me this finished recipe represented Mission Accomplished. December, I'm still standing!

Zucchini Oven Chips

1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs (I used crumbs from whole-wheat bread)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used salt-free seasoning)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons milk

zucchini slices (about 2 small zucchini, cut up)

In medium bowl combine first five ingredients. Place milk in separate bowl. Dip slices in milk; dredge in crumb mixture. Place slices on pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until zucchini is browned and crisp. Serves 4.

Crustless Harvest Pizza gives "pizza night" new, more healthy meaning

This was just the best of the best! With fall days winding down and cranberry Christmas days approaching, recipes with the word harvest in them soon will be relegated to next-year's fall wish list. But on this, the last day of November, I can't think of a better way to give autumn a proper sendoff than to tell you about this Crustless Harvest Pizza. When I first saw the recipe, I wasn't impressed. Hours later, after the dish it produced made a satisfying dinner, I was sorry I hadn't prepared it many, many times previously.

Healthy, colorful yellow squash and zucchini, sliced into 1-inch slices, form the "harvest" of veggies on top. The crust is formed from the solidification of ricotta cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese surrounding it as the dish bakes. The addition of chopped red and green pepper and green onion, sauteed, made one of the most colorful food items I've ever seen.

Believe it or not, when this emerged from the oven and cooled, it sliced with a pizza cutter into nice little squares that were firm and delightful. It gave the term "pizza night" new meaning, as those who are on restricted eating plans can feel as though they can still enjoy a good pizza slice without harming their health. My recipe source, the Celebrating a Healthy Harvest cookbook, has yielded another winner. In fact, even though the recipe has a fall-sounding name, I can't imagine a dinner quicker and easier to rev one up for a winter evening of decorating the Christmas tree!

Crustless Harvest Pizza

1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1-inch slices

1 yellow squash, sliced in 1-inch slices

1/2 red pepper and 1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese

1 egg, slightly beaten (I used egg substitute)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small, nonstick skillet saute red and green peppers and green onion until tender. Set aside. Combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper, Spread mixture in a greased 8-by-8-inch baking pan (I used a glass pan). Spread mozzarella over ricotta. Lay squash slices over the top. Spread peppers and green-onion mixture over squash slices. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pizza firms up and is browned. Remove from oven and let pizza sit for 5 minutes before you cut it. Makes 8 squares.

This squash melange certainly rated best in our pre-Thanksgiving "show"

The saved recipe that once appeared in the newspaper stated only that it was "Best of Show—All American Casserole Contest". Since I cut the clipping out long ago, I didn't preserve with it the headline saying "Best of Show" where or when. The State Fair of Texas? Some other kind of local bakeoff? My info was incomplete. Yet any recipe that's labeled "best" of something, I eventually have to try.

So as I planned my menu for my "drive-by" Thanksgiving I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I automatically zeroed in on this choice, because I saw it had been a winner. Only winners for my family for this special gift we were handed of our son dropping in for a pre-Thanksgiving visit.

Fresh zucchini and fresh yellow squash, called for to make the casserole, were vegetables we had on hand after our recent stop at the Oklahoma farm stand I mentioned in a previous blog. They were diced and boiled and mixed with sour cream and cheddar cheese. On top went crushed butter crackers. Hubby and I enjoy the fact that a lightly salted variety of Ritz crackers (officially called Hint of Salt) is available; this works well for snacking in Hubby's sodium-restricted eating plan. These crackers I now used crushed for the crust on top.

Ultimately this squash melange looked fabulous in the mix of Thanksgiving offerings on our buffet table. Even some avowed non-squash-eaters that dined on this recipe gave it rave reviews and wanted to know how it was made.

The "Best-of-Show" title for this casserole certainly lived up to its name. Days later when we were cleaning up leftovers, everyone was begging for the last morsel of this tasty dish that couldn’t be more Thanksgiving fare than if it had been served by the Pilgrims.

Yellow Squash-Zucchini Casserole

6 cups large diced yellow and zucchini squash

vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup grated (2-percent milk) cheddar cheese

1 cup crushed butter crackers (tried with Ritz lightly salted variety)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Line colander with clean dishtowel or cheese cloth. Place cooked squash in lined colander; squeeze out excess moisture and set squash aside. Sauté onion in butter for 5 minutes; remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour in buttered casserole; top with cracker crumbs. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

State Fair souvenir helps serve up healthy zucchini atop mac and cheese dish

My souvenir from the State Fair of Texas this year wasn't a giant stuffed teddy bear or a monkey on a stick. It was a dynamite recipe I picked up while I visited the Food and Fiber Pavillion, where you literally can make a meal out of the food samples that exhibitors prepare on the spot and dole out to boothgoers.

The Southwest Dairy Farmers, who have the museum in Sulphur Springs, TX, sponsored an exhibit bragging on the merits of dairy products. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw their freebie recipe handout for Zucchini with Cheese Macaroni. I'm a mac-and-cheese girl from the word "go", but adding zucchini to it? I had never tried it but was determined to do so.

The dairy farmers' recipe called for provolone and mozzarella, but I subbed Swiss for the provolone because Swiss was what I had on hand. The red peppers from our garden, along with the featured zucchini, gave it lots of color and added a delightful flavor. The whole-grain macaroni added health to the project. I loved serving this in the individual gratin dishes--the portions were just right.

Thank you, State Fair of Texas! Your gates are closed now for another year, but Zucchini with Cheese Macaroni was a big success and will cause us to sing the Rogers & Hammerstein tune, "Our State Fair is a Great State Fair", for a long time in the future.

(By the way, check out my new cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, to read about the mega-souvenir I brought home from the fair several years back. It's in the chapter entitled "Peach Trees and the Wedding Plywood.")

Zucchini with Cheese Macaroni

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups thinly-sliced zucchini

1/2 cup chopped sweet red peppers

1/2 teaspoon each salt and oregano

dash of pepper

8 ounces whole-grain shell macaroni, uncooked

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons skim milk

1 cup shredded Provolone cheese

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Melt butter. Saute zucchini and red pepper until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt, oregano, and pepper. Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Stir butter, cream, and Provolone cheese into macaroni. Divide macaroni mixture into six gratin dishes or individual shallow baking dishes. Divide zucchini mixture over macaroni; top with Mozzarella cheese. Broil 3 to 4 inches from source of heat until lightly browned. Makes 4 servings.

Zucchini adds the magic touch to keep this Chicken Tortilla Soup from being ho-hum boring

As everyone knows, Chicken Tortilla Soup recipes are a dime a dozen. Most people have a favorite; most recipes follow a certain predictable pattern of ingredients.

Except this one--it had sliced, fresh zucchini added! Now, how Newfangled Country Gardener-ish can you get? Zucchini, to go with all the other fresh vegetables in this mixture--fresh corn off the cob, fresh tomatoes, cilantro. It sounded as though it would an extremely healthy rendition of an old favorite.

Thank you, Fry's'. (Fry's is not the electronics store but is the Arizona version of our Kroger grocery. When we're in AZ visiting our little family there, we're devoted Fry's shoppers, so we get on the mailing list for the Fry's circular just as we do the Kroger one. (By the way, Fry's and Kroger's are owned by the same parent corporation.) The Fry's circular featured this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.)

Talk about a dish that got healthier the longer it stuck around. The first night we served it, I just scattered a dash of cheddar cheese on top. The next day for lunch (I'm telling ya, this recipe made enough for two armies) I topped it with a little dash of sour cream. That night for dinner (this soup was so good, we never tired of leftovers; Hubby tolerated it for both lunch and dinner in the same day) I chopped up some fresh avocado and touched it up with a little more fresh tomato for garnish over all the other items. A meal in one, for sure!

Five meals later (no joke!) today at lunch I think Hubby and I will be polishing off the last morsel of this flavorful, healthy soup. I think the zucchini added the magic touch and kept it from being boring and left-overy. And best of all, it gives us just one more boost in the 5-to-9 fruit-and-vegetables category that we're supposed to have every day.

Never toss out that grocery-store circular without looking over the featured recipes. You might just find a gold mine like we did--probably the best chicken-tortilla soup ever!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 zucchini, cut into cubes

1 can (29-ounces) crushed tomatoes (or 2 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, sliced in chunks)

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup fresh corn, cut off the cob

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

optional toppings: sliced avocados, tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh limes, sour cream, chopped fresh tomatoes (any or all will do)

In a stockpot heat the oil. Add zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, cumin, cayenne pepper, and shredded chicken. Heat to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro just before serving. To serve place a handful of tortilla chips in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle hot soup over the tortilla chips. Add a generous squeeze of lime and top with avocado, cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, and sour cream, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 4 to 6.