Cream Cheese Zucchini Soup

1 med. chopped onion
2 tblsp butter or margarine
3 # zucchini sliced
3 carrots sliced
6 cups chicken broth
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tblsp green pepper-hot or ordinary if desired

In large stock pot, saute onion in butter or margarine. Add zucchine, carrots and chicken broth. Cook 15-20 minutes or til vegetables are tender. Zucchini loses color if cooked to long.

Puree cooked begetables in small batches adding cream cheese and peppers to puree. Add nutmeg and return to pan to heat. Garnish with additional nutmeg.

Zucchini Beef Bake

4 small zucchini
1# ground beef
1/2 C. chopped onions
1 1/2 C. bread crumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tblsp butter
1 Tblsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. milk
1 -5 oz jar hickory flavor processed cheese(have been unable to get this and use instead about 1 cup any kind hard cheese,shredded, and add about 2 tsp-1 TBLsp smoke liquid-hickory or plain flavored smoke)

Cut zucchini into 1/2 inch slices. Seam 4 minutes(not any longer as looses color) and drain. Brown beef with onion. Drain fat.
Stir in bread crumbs, salt, thyme, pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. Make white sauce by melting butter adding salt and flour and adding milk. After it comes to boil add cheese and liquid smoke. Stir and allow cheese to melt til smooth and thick. Add meat, crumb, onions mixture. Place in casserole-alternating layers of zucchini and meat mixture. Place crumbs and butter mixture on tap if you wish. Bake without cover for 35 min. at 350.

Depending on your desired thickness, the white sauce could be thicker or more cheese added. Also depending on smoke taste, more or less liquid smoke can be added. I like this cassrole best if it is somewhat formed but creamy and notice that steaming vegetables for short time; using small zucchini; and adding cracked wheat bread crumbs help this. I have not yet cracked just wheat and softened it with 11/2 cups boiling water and letting it stand before adding to the meat mixture but I think it would be great as with just the cracked wheat bread it is crunchy and very nice texture especially for adults needing fiber. Also I'm going to try Red River Whole Wheat Cereal sometime. If you use larger zucchini remove seed core. Be sure skin is not tough.

Dilly Zuchini dip

1 cup finely shredded zuchini, sqeezed dry
1 cup shredded cheddar cheeze
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed (more if it is fresh)
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all tog. Cover & refrigerate til chilled. Serve with assorted freshed vegetables.
Really good thick and chunky dip!

Zucchini Salad

Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook

SERVINGS: 8
CATEGORY: Salads
METHOD:
TIME: Prep: 15 min. + chilling
Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, sliced (about 5 cups)
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped (I left this out as I didn't have any)
2 jars (4-1/2 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup Italian salad dressing
Leaf lettuce, optional
Directions: In a bowl, combine the zucchini, artichokes, mushrooms, olives and water chestnuts. Combine the ranch dressing mix and Italian dressing; pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Drain; serve in a lettuce-lined bowl if desired. Yield: 8 servings. (I didn't have ranch dressing mix on hand, but had Good Seasons Italin dressing mix so used that and 1 c. of ranch dressing instead) - This was taste tested by RaeAnn and Jane. Jane requested it put on this blog as they both liked it. Ruth

Zucchini Beef Soup

1/2lb. Ground Beef
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 medium zucchini, cubed
2 c. water
1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt, optional
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. sugar
Pepper to taste
Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

In large saucepan, cook the beef, celery, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in tomatoes, zucchini, water, Italian seasoning, salt if desired, bouillon, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield: 6 servings.
May freeze to enjoy later.

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 c. soft margarine
1/2 c. oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 teas. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk ( I use the powdered so I can mix it when I need it
since I use it quite often)
2 1/2 c. flour
4 Tbls. baking cocoa ( I use 5 for more flavor)
1/2 teas. baking powder
1 teas. soda
2 c. shredded zucchini ( I use 3)

Grease or spray, then flour a jelly roll pan
Bake 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes

FROSTING:

3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. creme or can use half & half
Boil in pan for 2 minutes - then add
1/4 c. margarine
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Remove pan from heat and stir till chips are well blended -
then spread on cooled brownies and add nuts if desired before
frosting hardens.

note: These are great after being frozen, so some can be frozen since
it makes a large pan. Very moist and our favorite. Enjoy!

Courtesy of Donna Mae

Zucchini - Mandarin Bread

3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
1 teas. cinnamon
1- (11 oz) can mandarin oranges (drained & chopped)
3 c. flour
1 teas. salt
1 teas. soda
1 teas. baking powder
3 teas. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini ( I use 3 c.)

Mix all in order as given.
Grease or spray pan, then flour.
Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour or till center is done - seems to take longer in my oven probably because this recipe makes one very large loaf of bread.
Very moist and good with butter or margarine on it.

note: a large ripe banana can also be used instead of oranges
let pan cool about 10 minutes, then take butter knife and cut around edges of pan to loosen bread before dumping out of pan. Enjoy!

Courtesy of Donna Mae

Creamy Zucchini Soup

2 Tbsp. chopped onion
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. milk
1 c. water
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lg. zucchini shredded
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour.
Gradually stir in milk, water, bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in zucchini, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Stir in cheese until melted.

Serves 4

Zucchini Cookies

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to zucchini mixture. Stir in nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, and coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto buttered cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes, and transfer to a rack to cool.
Makes 5 dozen.

~submitted by Christine
-she suggests this for the: 101 uses for extra zucchini

Zucchini Slaw

Use shredded zucchini instead of cabbage in your favorite slaw recipe.

Zucchini "Fettuccine"

With a vegetable peeler or very course grater cut zucchini (lengthwise) into thins strips. Saute in olive oil until tender. Season as desired or serve with sauces or spagetti sauce.

Spicy Zucchini Quesadillas

Prep: 10 min.
Cook: 5 min.

1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped sweet red pepper
1 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. butter, softened, divided
2 c. shredded zucchini
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
8 flour tortillas
8 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Salsa, Sour cream, and jalapeno pepper slices

In a skillet, saute onion and red pepper in 1 tsp. butter for 3 min. Stir in zucchini and taco seasoning; saute 3-4 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Spread remaining butter over one side of each tortilla. Place tortillas butter side down on griddle. Sprinkle about 1/4 c. cheese and 1/4 zucchini mixture over half of each tortilla; fold over.
Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted.
Serve with salsa, sour cream and jalapenos.

4 servings
~Linda Taylor-TX

Zucchini Lasagna

Cut the Carb Recipe
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 15 min Cook: 6 min
Bake: zucchini slices at 425 degrees for 25 min; lasagna at 375 degrees for 35 min.






4 medium-size zucchini (about 2 1/4 pounds) OR: 2 zucchini and 2 summer squash, trimmed
1/2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
1/8 tsp. salt plus 1/2 tsp.
1/8 tsp. black pepper plus 1/2 tsp.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 pounds of ground turkey
2 c. prepared low-calorie chunky mushroom pasta sauce
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 c. fresh basil leaves
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 Tbsp. seasoned bread crumbs
1 pkg. (2c. or 8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat oven to 425. Coat two 15 x 10 baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half; then each half lengthwise into slices about 1/4 in. thick. Spread on prepared pans in single layer; season with Italian seasoning, 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper.

2. Bake zucchini slices in 425 oven for 25 min, turning over once halfway through baking.

3. Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, cook, until no longer pink. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and pasta sauce. Cook 2 min. Remove from heat.

4. Remove zucchini slices from oven; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

5. In food processor, combine cottage cheese, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, basil, egg yolks and 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan. Blend until mixture is smooth.

6. Assemble: Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. bread crumbs in bottom of 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Top with half the zucchini slices, covering bottom of the dish. Spread zucchini with cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. bread crumbs. Top with remaining zucchini slices.
Sprinkle with remaining 3 Tbsp. bread crumbs. Top with ground turkey mixture. Spread mozzarella cheese over turkey layer. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan.

7. Bake lasagna in 375 oven until cheese is browned and sides of dish are bubbling, about 35 min. Let stand at room temp. for 10-15 min before serving.