Antioxidants and some other stuff. OTOH, how do you eat enough of it without adding other stuff to it that counters the good stuff?
Bottom line… how can I convince my wife to quit making bread and muffins out of zucchini because she thinks its really good for her?
Bottom bottom line…if there is a healthy way to eat the damn things I’ll give it a try.
I like them grilled. Cut in half lengthwise, brush with a bit of olive oil, add some salt and pepper, and grill on low heat until soft. Yum.
Pick them young, slice into rounds, serve on a salad.
What other stuff is ‘countering’ the good stuff?
Pretty much the only way I make them. Or roasted. But grilled is better. I grill on high, and then judge the texture once I get good grill marks and browning. If it’s still too firm, I put it on the non-coal side of the grill to cook up a little more, but I like to keep them a bit on the firmer side. Zucchini pairs very well (to me, at least) with red peppers and eggplant (also grilled.)
I assume tons of sugar and starch with the bread/muffin recipes.
Slice, then cut the slices into matchsticks. Saute until just tender in olive oil. Add a bit of minced garlic, salt, pepper and your favorite herbs, right at the end. I like fresh basil.
I make zucchini fritters that are pretty healthy.
Grate a couple medium zucchinis. Set them aside in a colander to drain. Press down with a clean towel, get as much liquid out as possible. Mix together with two beaten eggs, some grated asiago or parmesan cheese, some minced garlic, and 1/8 to 1/4 cup flour. Cook like pancakes in a bit of oil.
Take the current recipe and replace half the flour with garbanzo and/or coconut flour. Replace the sugar with half the amount of dark brown sugar. Double the zucchini content.
There! Now it’s healthy, yummy, and still scratches the same itch.
You can eat them raw by slicing them into ribbons (not the seeded center) with a julienne peeler. Then toss them with your favourite salad dressing or pesto or even a thinned version of guacamole (thin with plain kefir).
I put 'em in pasta (sautéed or add them to the sauce), use them in stirfry, fajitas, etc. Slice and eat raw the same way you would any other veggies, add them to your salad, etc.
Zucchini is a pretty inoffensive vegetable - it doesn’t have a funny taste or anything like that - so it goes well with all kinds of dishes.
sauté zucchini and yellow squash with red, yellow peppers, onions, basil and right before done pour salsa on them and eat.
salsa is way healthier than most pasta sauces, has the same general tomato flavor in addition to other flavors.
this is even more tasty than using spaghetti sauce and healthier.
Really, zucchini tastes like nothing, has a mushy texture, and fairly trivial nutrition, so IMHO it’s a “why bother” food. zucchini bread is as good a use as you’re going to get; I prefer zucchini brownies.
There’s nothing wrong with zucchini bread. I mean it’s cake, obviously but it’s not unusually bad for you. It has more fiber than most cake! You can also freeze it for later.
Definitely this-- grill them if you have the means.
Zuni café zucchini pickles
Really easy and ridiculously good!
I just remembered, slice them long and thin on a mandolin and use instead of the pasta in lasagna.
Must go cook now. . .
Only problem with this one is it requires some “specialty” equipment. One of those “Grill Woks” that is a metal basket you put on the grill (I have two if you want to borrow one).
Slice Green and Yellow zucchinis into discs and toss in a bowl. Cut Red, Yellow, and Green bell peppers into roughly the same size pieces. Do the same with a half an onion. My wife also likes to add Sugar Snap Peas and sliced Plum Tomatoes. Toss them all in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A little bit of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add some finely chopped fresh Oregano, Parsley, and Basil. Toss it all together until lightly coated.
Heat the “wok” on the grill and when hot, toss in the veggies. “Stir Fry” them using a grill spatula. Remove at your desired degree of doneness.
You don’t have to constantly stir fry like a real wok, just move them around from time to time to circulate from the top to the bottom and prevent sticking. You can close the lid and go refill your “cooking wine” whenever needed.
If you don’t have a mandolin, a wire cheese slicer works…
As does a mandoline.
When the rain came I thought you’d leave
'cause I knew how much you loved the sun 