Zucchini Recipes

It’s no secret that this time of year there is an abundance of zucchini. If you don’t grow it, you can get it for super-cheap in stores and markets.

Browned Butter Zucchini Bread

http://www.macheesmo.com

This version of zucchini bread is almost like a coffee cake, but somewhat lighter. It has a nice light caramel taste though due to one little trick: browned butter. It’s a pretty easy batter to toss together and so taking a few extra minutes to brown the butter is totally worth it and pays huge dividends in the flavor department.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup browned butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini - (2 small zucchini)
Helpful Equipment: Loaf pan
Browned butter is such a sexy ingredient. The only trick is that if you cook it too hot or too long then it becomes burned butter which is definitely not sexy.
Don’t let that deter you though from trying it out. The key is to add your butter (unsalted works best I think) to a small pot over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, it will start to foam. Let the butter foam and stir it slowly. The foam will eventually stop and you’ll notice that some of the butter solids are settling on the bottom of the pan.
When those little bits start to turn a light caramel color and the butter starts to smell really nutty and delicious, remove it from the heat immediately! (It took me 5-6 minutes to make.)
To start the batter, whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and then work with the sweet and liquid stuff in a smaller bowl. That includes the sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, and honey. Stir those things together!
For the browned butter, there’s no need to filter out the milk solids. You can add those to the batter without a worry.
When you whisk together the sweet mixture, make sure the butter is slightly cool or it might cook the eggs.
The mixture will essentially look like caramel and will smell amazing!
Now for the zucchini. Nothing hard about this… just grate the stuff. You need about two packed cups which, for me, was two small zucchini.
To finish the batter, stir the wet stuff into the dry stuff and then stir in the grated zucchini. (It’ll look like a lot of zucchini, but it works out.)
To bake this sucker, lightly butter a 9×5 loaf pan and then dust it lightly with flour (or sugar). This will make it easier to remove the loaf when its done baking.
Then just scoop the batter into the loaf pan!
Bake this at 350 degrees F for about 60 minutes. The batter is really moist so it takes a while to get completely baked.
The finished loaf will be a nice dark toasty color and your whole house will smell like heaven (I imagine).
Let the loaf cool for a few minutes, pop it out of the loaf pan, and slice it up!
You can serve this loaf warm or at room temperature. If you need to store it, let it cool completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap and it’ll keep just fine for a few days.
The loaf has the perfect amount of sweetness and has a nice caramel, nutty flavor thanks to the browned butter.

Candied Zucchini & Carrots
cooks.com

1 1/2 c. sliced carrots, cooked just tender
2 c. sliced zucchini, steamed until tender
1 can mandarin oranges
Drain oranges, saving juice - to juice add:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
stir in enough cornstarch to thicken
Pour over carrots, zucchini and orange sections just enough to coat - heat through.

Zucchini Candy
http://sassysusancreates.com

Cook Time: 25 min - Dry 14 hrs.
10 cups peeled diced zucchini into 1/2 inch cubes
3 cups water
2 pkgs. unsweetened Koolaid (any flavor)
2 1/2 cups sugar
Peel and dice zucchini, removing the seeds. Mix the liquid syrup together. Add zucchini. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 min; drain. Put on dehydrator trays. Dry 14 hours at 125 degrees. Turn pieces over and dry another 4 hours. This will feel dry and not sticky when done. Store in jars or other tightly sealed containers. If you dip in sugar when you turn them, they will be more like “gum drops” on the outside.
You can do the same thing with the zucchini but use:
48 oz. pineapple juice
2 T. pineapple extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Zucchini Pancakes
southernfood.com

3 medium zucchini, shredded, about 3 cups shredded
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup good quality grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried leaf basil, or about 3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
butter
Put the shredded zucchini in a colander and mix with the salt. Cover and let drain for about 1 hour. Refrigerate if draining for a longer period of time.
In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded zucchini with the beaten eggs, cheese, basil, flour, and pepper.
Heat a few teaspoons of butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spoon a few tablespoons of the zucchini batter on the skillet for each pancake and cook until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook until browned on the other side.
Serve as an appetizer with a dip or chili sauce, or serve as a side dish with grilled meat or poultry.
Makes 8 to 12, depending on size. Print this post