8/3/16 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
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| Healthy and delicious Stuffed Zucchini |
The sun is shining and the zucchini are growing! Wow. One
minute the weather is cool and overcast and the zuchs are just blossoms. The
next week the sun is brightly shining, the thermometer hovers in the low
nineties and there are a dozen 12-inch zuchs in the garden.
What to do?
We’ve tried palming them off on friends across town; our
yard guy (he doesn’t cook) and visiting utility employees don’t accept gifts. I
suggested putting them in neighbor’s mailboxes but my husband nixed that idea.
It looks like Community Sharing is going to be on overload.
My first year as a Cook’s Corner columnist I solicited
zucchini recipes from readers. Hands down, it was the most response that I have
had from any column request that I have ever made. Recipes came in from all
over the West Coast. People were desperate to share.
Every year at this time all of us gardeners have the same
problem. This year the Kaisers have double trouble. Chuck’s pumpkin patch is
also sprouting zucchini! Evidently one of the pumpkin seed packers slipped in
some zucchini seeds and they are growing like weeds!
So last week Chuck when proudly presented me with another
basket of the beautiful green orbs, I thought I was going to cry. It was especially
depressing because I still have a couple of packages of frozen shredded
zucchini in the freezer! I had to buckle down, make a plan and get serious
about dealing with this bounty.
I began, of course, with zucchini bread. It’s everyone’s
favorite and it uses up a couple of our inventory. I moved on to stuffed
zucchini for dinner. Over the years I have changed my recipe ever so slightly.
I now precook the zucchini in the microwave (see directions) and use ground
turkey instead of ground beef. The recipe is easily divided to serve 2-4.
Today’s last recipe is from my neighbor Nancy. Everything
she makes is wonderful and you will love her Zucchini Pancakes as a side dish
at dinner. And yes, I still have more zucchini. I also have more recipes. Maybe
next month we’ll continue this saga. Enjoy!
OLD FASHIONED ZUCCHINI
BREAD
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 cups zucchini, grated
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour sifted with…
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Optional to at the end: 1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 324° F. and grease two 9” x5” x3” loaf pans.
Set aside.
Combine the oil, eggs, sugar, zucchini and vanilla in a
large bowl. Blend well. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix just until
moistened.
Fold in the walnuts if using
them. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1-1/4 hours or until
a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A crack down the middle
of bread is normal. Cool on a rack. Makes 2 loaves. Eat one loaf and freeze the
other. Good with cream cheese.
BETTY’S STUFFED ZUCCHINI
1 cup
uncooked rice
2
12-inch long zucchini
1
pound ground turkey
1
medium onion, chopped
2 8
ounce cans tomato sauce w/ basil
1/3
cup salsa
1
teaspoon basil
1
teaspoon garlic salt
1/2
teaspoon lemon pepper
1
tablespoon Taco Seasoning
Several
dashes Tabasco Sauce
1 cup
mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat
oven to 350° F.
In a
saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to boil; add rice, salt lightly and cook about
25 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Using
a table fork, pierce the length of the zucchinis on both sides. Place in the
microwave on a paper plate layered with several paper towels. Cook 2 minutes.
Turn the zucchini over and cook about another 1-1/2 minutes. If you hear them
“screaming” turn off the microwave!
Remove
the zucchini and slice them lengthwise on the paper towels. Liquid will ooze
out. Scrape out the seeds and you will have 4 nice canoes to put your filling
in. Distribute evenly. Put a piece of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet with
sides. Spray with Pam. Put the zucchini on the cookie sheet; salt the shells
and spoon in the filling.
Lay a
sheet of foil over the top, place in oven and cook about 15 min. Remove from
oven and set foil aside. Top with mozzarella cheese and cook until hot and
cheese is melted. Serves 4-8 depending on appetites.
Note: Good served with brown
sugared carrots, coleslaw and hard sour dough rolls.
ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
Nancy
Robinson
3 eggs
2
tablespoons oil
3 cups
zucchini, grated
1
small onion, chopped
1
teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt
and Pepper
1 cup
Bisquick (more if needed)
Beat
eggs and oil in large bowl until well-blended. Add zucchini, onion and
seasonings. Blend. Add Bisquick. The mixture should be the consistency of
pancake batter. If too moist add a little more Bisquick; if too dry add a
little milk.
Pour
about 1/2 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot, greased griddle. Spread to
make a circle. Cook until edges appear dry and bubbles form and just start to
pop on the surface. Turn pancakes with a wide spatula and lightly brown other side.
Turn only once. Serve immediately. Good with sour cream. Serves 4 hungry
people.
Note:
I also make a sweet version of this recipe. I substitute cinnamon for the
Italian seasoning and added a few pecans and 1/4 cup sugar. It is good!
Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s
Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes
that are delicious, family
oriented and easy to prepare.
