Grilled Zucchini with Feta

This recipe uses two main ingredients, not including non stick cooking spray, salt and pepper. It is one of the easiest yet flavorful and simple side dishes that I have ever made that everyone will be sure to love.

Ingredients:
Olive oil Pam (or any non stick cooking spray)
2 small zucchini, cut into strips
1/4 c. reduced fat Feta cheese

Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Right before placing the zucchini on, spray the pan with non stick cooking spray and then season the zucchini with salt and pepper. Cook the zucchini in a single layer for about 3 to 4 minutes on both sides. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in two batches like I did. Place on your serving tray and sprinkle with the feta cheese.

Zucchini Cake

This zucchini cake recipe is so soft and packed with zucchini that you can practically cut it like butter. The cream cheese frosting adds a nice tang to it, and cinnamon is my favorite spice so the additional dusting brings these over the top. Although you need the mixer twice for this recipe, it is a very easy one to make. And even if zucchini isn't in season, you can use frozen shredded zucchini and just squeeze out most of the liquid.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. applesauce
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (plus extra for top)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 c. shredded zucchini

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars and vanilla together. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the zucchini and stir until everything is well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top in an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Frosting:

1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
1/4 c. butter (I use salted), softened
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

While the cake is cooling slightly, beat together the frosting ingredients in an electric mixer. Spread over the top of the cake and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

I love adding grated vegetables to baked goods. The zucchini in this recipe makes the muffins super soft and the sweetness of the blueberries give a slight tartness, making these the perfect bite for breakfast or a snack!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. grated zucchini, drained
2 c. blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla with a spatula. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until the batter comes together evenly. Stir in the blueberries.

Fill the prepared baking cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the top slightly bounces back when gently pressed down.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 plain yogurt, reduced fat
1/4 c. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. zucchini, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 pan with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.

Stir in the remaining ingredients with a spatula. Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool before adding your favorite topping, such as Cool Whip or whipped cream.

Apple Zucchini Bread

The perfect pair for a fall bread! The shredded zucchini makes the bread soft and the chunks of apple makes the bread even more sweet!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2 c. Splenda
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. applesauce
4 c. zucchini, shredded
3 apples, peeled cored and chopped
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large loaf pan or small loaf pans with non stick cooking spray with flour. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, Splenda, oil and applesauce together. Add in the vanilla, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda and stir together. Lastly, add the apples and zucchini. Divide among the bread pans, filling about 1/2 way to 2/3 full. Bake the large loaf pan for 45 minutes, and small for 35. Insert a toothpick in the center to make sure it is fully cooked.

Baked Fontina Zucchini Chips

Oh my goodness. I almost ate the entire batch myself, if not half of it. These are incredible and just melt in your mouth! I punched up the flavor of the Fontina because at the store they had a Mediterranean version, but normal Fontina will still make these cheesy bites fantastic!

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 c. fresh grated Fontina
Garlic Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Line the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the foil. Sprinkle with seasonings and then a small amount of shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is slightly golden and melted through. Serve as soon as they come out of the oven.

Zucchini Caprese Salad

Caprese salad is one of my favorites. I love the tomato, fresh Mozzarella and basil combination. This salad mixes it up a bit and adds some Italian seasoning and fresh zucchini. It started off with having a fresh zucchini and tomato, and ended up as something delicious!

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, washed and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 large tomato, cored and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces
1/2 pkg. Mozzarella pearls, cut in half
6 basil leaves, julienned (thinly sliced)
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning mix

Place the chopped zucchini, tomato, Mozzarella and basil into a medium size bowl. In a small bowl, combing the olive oil, balsamic and Italian seasoning and stir together until the seasoning gets mixed in. The olive oil and balsamic will still look separated, which is fine. Pour the vinaigrette into the salad and mix everything together. Easy peasy!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Bars

So as you saw in a few previous recipe posts, I went to the farmers market and found a HUGE zucchini. The seeds are so large in them that it is better to use in cooking, or remove the seeds and make lasagna. I wanted to make some bread but didn't want to wait an hour for it to cook, so I made this recipe for a quick and delicious zucchini bread that is topped with mini chocolate chips!

Ingredients:

2 c. grated zucchini
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the zucchini with a spatula. Pour into a greased 11x17 pan in an even layer. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool fully and then cut into squares.

Summer Zucchini Casserole

 

My two favorite summer vegetables are summer squash and zucchini. Funny how they match so well together in recipes also! My husband and I took a trip to the farmers market and picked up a large box of random fruits and veggies, including zucchini and summer squash. Well I put them together, added some fresh herbs and melted cheese, and it turned out absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini, washed

2 medium size summer squash, washed

3 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped

2 green onions, green part chopped

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 c. reduced fat Mozzerella cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass pie dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Cut both the zucchini and summer swash in about 1/4 inch slices, trying to make them fairly even. Start layering them in the pie dish alternating every other one between zucchini and summer squash. When the line starts getting long, push them towards the edge of the dish and go in a circular pattern until they make a ring around the inside of the dish. Fill as best you can the leftover slices in another ring in the middle, and then fill in the center with a few slices. Sprinkle the top with the chopped onion and basil. Dust with the thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 25 minutes in the oven. Remove the tinfoil and add both cheeses. Continue to bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes until the zucchini is fork tender.

(Makes 6 servings, 2 WW points per serving.)

The fresh basil was picked from my moms garden. She has an amazing green thumb. I, on the other hand, do not what so ever. There is only one plant that I have successfully kept alive for four years now, and that is about it. Here are a few pictures from her garden that I took while waiting for the casserole to bake. 

 

Baked Zucchini Chips

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
Coarse salt ( I used herb sea salt)
Non stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Layer the zucchini slices in a single layer on the foil (it is okay if they slightly touch, they will shrink and separate as they bake). Spray the tops with the cooking spray and sprinkle each zucchini slice with seasoning salt. Bake for an hour in the oven, flip the chips over, and bake for another 20 minutes (give or take, whenever they are a golden brown remove them from the oven). Let cool on the baking sheet slightly before removing onto your serving tray.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick margarine, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large zucchini, grated
1 c. oats
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. chia seeds (plus extra for top)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine the margarine and sugars and mix until creamy. Add in the egg, vanilla and zucchini until everything is well combined. Slowly add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and oats. Mix or stir in the chocolate chips and 1/4 c. chia seeds. Drop by heaping tablespoon on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a few chia seeds on each mound of dough. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet, then remove and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. milk, 1%
1 tsp. vanilla
1 medium size zucchini, grated
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners (or spray with non stick cooking spray) and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, oil, milk, and vanilla together. Add in the zucchini. Stir in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix until everything is combined well. Add the chocolate chips and fold into the batter. Divide evenly among the prepared muffin tins and sprinkle with more chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the tops bounce back when touched. Let cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container.

Zucchini Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, diced
1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 c. chopped spinach
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
2 tsp. garlic salt
3 c. cooked pasta (I used spaghetti)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, cook the zucchini on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes until mostly tender. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another two minutes just to combine the flavors together. Stir in the pasta. Spray a quiche or casserole dish with non stick cooking spray. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Watermelon, 3 ways

This recipe is three ingredients used 3 different ways! I love doing these types of recipes because you get so much use out of one simple recipe, and have the ability to transform it into multiple different treats!

Ingredients:

1/4 watermelon, (about 3-4 cups) rind cut off and cubed
1/4 c. zucchini water (shredded, squeezed the water out)
2-3 Tbs. carrot juice (same as above)

  The above ingredients, put into the food processor and pulsed.

*Watermelon cold soup, or Gazpacho*

 After pulsing the above picture, put into a strainer and only use the liquid.

Transformed into a *Watermelon Juice*

After the straining point, pour the liquid in a glass dish and place in the freezer for several hours.
After frozen, shave with the edge of a spoon or fork.

*Watermelon Granita*

(This recipe is 0 points on Weight Watchers)

Savory Zucchini Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled, grated and the water squeezed out
1 zucchini, grated, and the water squeezed out
2 eggs
1/2 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 holes of a cupcake tin with non stick cooking spray (make sure every spot is covered, or these WILL stick...) and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, combine the above ingredients together until well mixed. Divide evenly among each cup and smooth the tops out with a spoon. Bake for 18-20 minutes in the oven until the egg is set and the middle bounces back slightly. Let cool fully in the pan before removing. If you are serving warm, you may need to use a knife or object to loosen the sides before removing.