Kale
has had its heyday. Cauliflower enjoyed its 15 minutes of fame. And
while we love them both, we think it's time another veggie got its
moment in the spotlight, and we can’t think of a better candidate than
zucchini. It recently piqued the world’s attention with the introduction
of spiralized “zoodles”, but that’s just one example of zucchini’s impressive versatility.
Given that it's also super nutritious—the summer squash boasts cancer-fighting antioxidants, manganese and potassium for nerve and brain health, immunity-boosting vitamin C, antibody-building vitamin B6, and skin-protecting lutein—you shouldn't hesitate to add it to recipes. Still, if its impressive nutritional profile doesn’t blow you away, perhaps these recipes will. Whether it’s rolled into meatballs, baked into potato tots, or blended into ice cream, there's way more to zucchini than noodles (though we included recipes for that too).
Given that it's also super nutritious—the summer squash boasts cancer-fighting antioxidants, manganese and potassium for nerve and brain health, immunity-boosting vitamin C, antibody-building vitamin B6, and skin-protecting lutein—you shouldn't hesitate to add it to recipes. Still, if its impressive nutritional profile doesn’t blow you away, perhaps these recipes will. Whether it’s rolled into meatballs, baked into potato tots, or blended into ice cream, there's way more to zucchini than noodles (though we included recipes for that too).
Breakfast
Photo: Hold the Grain
If you’re more of the savory breakfast type, this speedy
skillet is a an easy detour from your usual omelet. The beef and eggs
provide plenty of stick-to-your-ribs satiety while a generous two cups
of chopped zucchini take the edge off all the richness. The dish may be
ready in just 15 minutes, but the filling combination of protein and
fiber from the meat and veggies will prevent any mindless snacking later
in the morning.
Why make oatmeal when you can use oats to make cookies for
breakfast? With just one-third of a cup of sugar in the entire batch,
these have less sugar than most cereals or sweetened oatmeals out there.
They're so good, go ahead and have them in the morning and as dessert.
If you really want to keep the veggies in these whole-grain
pancakes hidden, remove the skins from the zucchini. We’d recommend
keeping them on, though, as that’s where most of the squash’s fiber and
eye-protecting antioxidants live. Plus there’s just something so pretty about the flecks of green peeking out from that fluffy, golden-brown stack.
Worried that gluten-free, low-fat, eggless baking yields
cardboard-like results? Thanks to the moisture from the zucchini and
ever-versatile Greek yogurt, these breakfast bakes stay fluffy even
without the wheat or butter. Muffin tins allow for easy individual
portions, but pour the batter in a cake tin to make breakfast really
look like dessert!
Do away with the pie shell (store-bought versions can hide
sneaky trans fats and who has the time to roll out a homemade one?) and
let the veggies shine in this simple brunch favorite. Mushrooms and
onions play supporting roles to the zucchini, and with feta lending a
savory bite, you won’t miss the crust.
Zucchini oats, or “zoats” as they’re known in the
blogosphere, are ever popular among health foodies. If you’ve never
tried them, start with this pudding-like recipe with a tablespoon of
cacao or cocoa powder to only mask the grated zucchini but also give you
some flavanols that are beneficial for blood pressure and heart health.
Chocolate may stand out as the major flavor here, but you can feel good
knowing that with each sweet spoonful, you’re still getting in a half
serving of veggies.
Sweetened with maple syrup plus a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, this is a truly healthy muffin recipe.
Ready in just half an hour and perfectly portable, you can make a batch
and freeze them so you can grab and go when you’re rushing out the door
or sit down for a leisurely meal with coffee.
Sip your way to better skin with this zucchini bread smoothie—the veggie’s abundance of vitamin C is crucial for fighting wrinkles
and dryness. Along with spinach and banana, this meal manages to pack
in produce and still taste like dessert thanks to all the spices. Win
win!
Zucchini Noodles
Photo: With Salt and Wit
Teamed up with corn and red onions to be tossed in a zesty
olive oil-based dressing, this gluten-free zoodle dish is practically a
pasta salad, but since it isn’t doused in mayo, feel free to make it
your contribution to your next outdoor gathering. Throw in some cotija
cheese or omit it if you’ll be serving this to dairy-free friends—it’s
just as scrumptious without.
Lasagna is up there on the list of comfort foods,
so you may be wary of venturing away from Mom’s recipe. But this one
proves that change really can be a good thing; baked to soft perfection
between the classic layers of cheese, tomato sauce, and beef , zucchini
mimics noodles so well that the swap may not even be noticeable—until
you realize later that you’re not slumping over in a food coma.
Drenched in oil, salt, and sugar, restaurant versions of peanut noodles can be fat and sodium bombs.
This one takes it easy on all three but still retains that must-have
nutty flavor, using natural peanut butter and just a touch of sesame oil
and soy sauce. Poured over thin strands of zucchini with red peppers
tossed in for even more veggie action, these are peanut noodles you’ll
want to be slurping on a daily basis.
With all the herbs and spices it requires, Thai food may
seem daunting to make at home, but this recipe keeps things basic yet
full of flavor, using ingredients that are easy to find at most
mainstream grocery stores. Zucchini noodles soak in a simmering,
iron-rich coconut milk base, while the lean protein from the chicken
breast gives the meal some satiety. Warm, nourishing, and slightly rich,
it’s practically a hug in a bowl, perfect for lazy nights in.
Widely available as preservative-filled junk food, packaged ramen
as we know it has long suffered a dubious reputation. But this recipe
may redeem that questionable rap, swapping the fried noodles out for
zucchini spirals and dunking them in a fresh and fragrant broth of
mushrooms, onions, and miso paste. It may not be the most authentic bowl
of ramen out there, but it’s certainly one of the most nutritious.
Comprised of nothing but veggies tossed in herbs and olive
oil for maximum nutrient absorption, this is really a colorful salad
disguised as spaghetti thanks to the spiralized zucchini.
The fresh corn and lightness of the “noodles” makes it an ideal dish for
the summertime, but since it can be served hot, it’s also totally
appropriate for when chillier weather sets in.
This may be one of the more time-consuming recipes here,
but it’s still less work than having to knead dough and bust out a
pasta-maker! Large peels of zucchini act as the raw version of ravioli,
wrapping around a protein-rich filling of chicken, mascarpone cheese,
and basil. Since it does take a few (worth it!) extra minutes to
assemble this Paleo-friendly meal, call your friends and get them involved in dinner, or save it for a date night at home.
Replacing pasta with zucchini noodles is a popular choice
when there’s a rich sauce involved. Even though this Alfredo is a vegan
version, it's just as creamy thanks to the heart-healthy cashews
and miso and nutritional yeast lend a cheesy, salty taste. For added
freshness, sprinkle some chopped basil on top before serving.
Other Mains
Photo: A Spicy Perspective
Since it is 95 percent water, zucchini alone won’t make a
satisfying meal. But it’s a different story when you remove the moisture
in the middle and stuff it with a plant protein like quinoa along with
veggies, Parmesan, and pine nuts, which may suppress appetite by boosting hormones that cause satiety. Plus the presentation is quite impressive yet super easy.
No food processor, no slow cooker, no immersion blender;
this simple soup requires just a pot and eight ingredients. The zucchini
is softly cooked, giving the dish a nice and chunky texture, while
tomato paste and garlic amp up its Italian-inspired flavor and
antioxidant profile. About 15 minutes are all you need before soup’s on!
Enchiladas are delicious, but they can also be meaty,
cheese-laden, digestive nightmares. These use a modest amount of
lower-lactose goat cheese,
which tends to be easier on your system, while the black bean and
zucchini filling stands in as a lighter alternative to beef. They may
become your favorite recipe to enjoy Mexican food the lighter way.
Cauliflower pizza crust
is so last week. We've moved on to using zucchini to make our low-carb
pies. Two cups of the shredded stuff is mixed with a little flour, eggs,
and cheese to bind it all together. Bake the crust on both sides to
ensure it's crispy, then top as you wish.
It’s reminiscent of gratin, but with just a quarter of a
cup of Parmesan, half a tablespoon of butter, and no cream in sight,
this casserole can be filed under “everyday eats” rather than “reserve
for special occasions.” With the lack of heavy ingredients clearing the
way for zucchini to take center stage, you may gain a newfound
appreciation for how it really doesn’t take much to elevate the veggie
from simple to succulent.
A common ingredient in raw foods
cuisine, zucchini steps in for rice in these no-cook, veggie-packed
rolls. While plenty of carrot, cucumber, and radish provide that
satisfying crunch, and a cashew filling plus slices of creamy avocado
give it some healthy, unsaturated staying power to make them filling
enough for lunch or a light dinner.
Why not add zucchini to this Middle Eastern fave? Be sure
to really squeeze out the moisture so your falafel sticks together.
Baking instead of the usual deep-frying method makes them that much more
nutritionally appealing, while plenty of spices like cumin and
coriander powder ensure that their flavor will be irresistible too.
Side Dishes
Photo: The Comfort of Cooking
Little disks of zucchini replace a bready crust to sneak a little heart-strengthening potassium
into your pizza, while classic toppings like marinara, mozzarella, and
pepperoni make sure you’re satisfying a craving. Ready in less than 10
minutes and pretty darn adorable to boot, these bites are a no-brainer
for a party appetizer.
It may take a while to bake these zucchini rounds to
chip-like crispness, but we promise it’s for good reason. Not only are
these three-ingredient veggies a lower-carb, heart-healthy alternative
to your usual taters, you can customize them with spices of your
choice—now we’d say that’s worth the wait!
Cheesy, eggy, crispy, and chewy... fritters are just so fun
to eat (and say!). This zucchini-based rendition cuts down on the
ladlefuls of oil soaked up by your run-of-the-mill recipe without
compromising any of the texture or flavor. You’ll still get all the
garlicky, Parmesan-flecked savory crunch in these mini-pancakes, with
none of the grease.
Bursting with cheesy, herby flavor, this Italian-inspired
side proves that eating your vegetables doesn’t have to mean steaming
them to limp mush or boring mixed greens. Not only does a Parmesan crust
make just about anything more appetizing, but with the tomatoes’
lycopene, garlic’s sulfur compounds, and zucchini’s antioxidants, it’s boasts a trifecta of cancer-fighting properties.
Made in mini muffin tins, these two-bite nibbles couldn’t be easier to whip up. Unlike the freezer-section packages made with disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate
(say what?), this recipe is all about real food, from the shredded
zucchini and potatoes to the cornmeal and cheddar. Serve them up as a
healthier alternative to traditional tots or hash browns along with
brunch or simply as a savory snack.
Give your zucchini an Eastern flair with easy-to-find,
Asian-inspired ingredients. A few dollops of sriracha make it spicy
enough to rev your metabolism,
while a squeeze of honey cuts through the heat for more modest palates.
If you had any lingering doubts that zucchini was boring, this dish
should extinguish them once and for all.
Breadcrumbs and Parmesan lend that all-important crunch
factor to these zucchini “fries”, while Italian seasoning and garlic
powder give them a flavor boost that you won’t find in any fast-food
chain. A trip to the oven bakes them up to be golden-brown and just as
addictive as regular fries without any worrying over ingredients like
dimethylpolysiloxane (we don't think that grows on trees) and “natural beef flavor” lurking in them.
Desserts
Photo: The Fit Housewife
Dark, moist, and unabashedly chocolatey, even we had to do a
double take to believe that there are two zucchinis in this cake. It
gets even better: a batter with half whole-wheat flour ups the fiber
content, with Greek yogurt joining the party to cut down on the oil.
There’s even an optional glaze should you decide to give it an ultimate
chocolate finish!
They resemble the classic buttery, sugar-ed up blondies so
closely that only the little flecks of zucchini here and there would
give away the healthy swaps in these bars. Using cholesterol-lowering
all-natural nut butter
and the green veggie to replace some of the fat while adding fiber, the
results are just as ooey-gooey as the originals but score way better
when it comes to nutrition.
Featuring an entire cup of zucchini but not a single hint
of dairy, this vegan and raw cheesecake will blow you mind in more ways
than one. The crust is made of pecans while the silken chocolate filling
has a cashew base so you get some iron for a healthy metabolism. How could you not go nuts for it?
If you’re looking to get a little experimental in the
kitchen, start with dessert—this dessert, to be specific! From the black
beans and zucchini replacing the flour to the use of dates and coconut
sugar as unrefined sweeteners,
there’s little that’s conventional about these wheat-free, butter-less
cookies. But one bite of the end product, and you’ll be so glad you
ventured off the beaten path!
At first glance, it’s impossible to tell that this
crumble-topped treat is made with anything other than apples. But a
closer look reveals that the “fruit” underneath is actually four cups of
zucchini! Soaking up the flavors of the cinnamon, lemon juice, and
vanilla sugar, the vegetable is baked until mouthwateringly tender,
while the oat mixture on top is fortified with flaxseed and whole-wheat
pastry flour to up the fiber.
No dessert list would be complete without a chocolate chip
cookie recipe, and this one goes above and beyond the norm, packing in
the whole grain benefits of oatmeal, cholesterol-lowering qualities of
coconut flakes, and vitamin C (which plays a role in immunity) of zucchini.
This makes a big batch, but the blogger assures us that they’re even delicious straight from the freezer!
It’s not every day that your ice cream scoop comes with cardiovascular benefits and eye-protecting potential, but thanks to the oats and the lutein-rich zucchini in this frozen concoction, that’s exactly what you get.
Plus, with just a little more than one tablespoon of sugar per serving
and no need for an ice-cream machine to make it, Ben and Jerry may just
have to take a backseat.
One glimpse of these brownies in their close-up might make
you drop everything and run to the kitchen—you can practically taste the
fudginess right off the screen! The best part is knowing that even
brownies made with whole-wheat flour, applesauce, and of course, plenty
of zucchini, can yield such rich and gooey results. This is healthy
baking at its finest.
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