Showing posts with label zucchini recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zucchini recipes. Show all posts

Monday, October 28, 2024

Zucchini Feta Muffins #MuffinMonday

Finely grated zucchini and crumbled feta add flavor and moisture to these tasty zucchini feta muffins. They make an excellent breakfast or snack. 

Food Lust People Love: Finely grated zucchini and crumbled feta add flavor and moisture to these tasty zucchini feta muffins. They make an excellent breakfast or snack.

For the last several years we have enjoyed having a young couple live next door to us. Through the pandemic, the birth of their first baby girl, winter ice storms and summer hurricanes, we have supported each other. 

We were so excited for them this summer when they found a bigger house in our same neighborhood to buy but very sad for us. We miss having them next door. 

But, in better news, we have a new neighbor! She has moved into Houston to be closer to family and we are looking forward to getting to know her. Of course, I’ve already baked her some welcome cookies, but I decided perhaps she needed some muffins as well. 

Zucchini Feta Muffins 

This recipe makes 9 regular muffins. I highly recommend buying feta in brine and crumbling it yourself. I find the already crumbled feta much drier. Plus what you don't use keeps fresh in the brine for ages.

Ingredients
1 small zucchini (approximate weight after removing seeds: 120g)
1 1/2 cups or 188g flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup or 120ml milk
1 egg
4 oz or 112g crumbled feta, divided

Method
Cut the ends off of the zucchini, then cut it in half and scoop the seeds out and discard (or compost) them. 


Grate the zucchini onto a paper towel. 


Fold the paper towel over to cover the zucchini and roll it up in a cloth towel. Wring as much juice as you can out, set aside. 


Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line 9 holes of a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin cases. Or use nine silicone muffin cups on a baking tray.

Separate out a small amount of the crumbled feta for topping. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cayenne. 


And in the grated zucchini and feta. 


Use a fork to gently mix the zucchini and feta into the flour to coat. 


In another mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg and milk. 


Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry and fold until just combined.


Divide the batter among the muffin holes and top each with a little of the reserved feta crumbles. 


Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. 


Leave to cool on a wire rack.


Serve warm or at room temperature. Share some with a neighbor! 

Food Lust People Love: Finely grated zucchini and crumbled feta add flavor and moisture to these tasty zucchini feta muffins. They make an excellent breakfast or snack.

Enjoy!

It’s the last Monday of the month so that means it’s time for Muffin Monday! Check out the lovely muffins my blogger friends are sharing today. 

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.



Pin these Zucchini Feta Muffins! 

Food Lust People Love: Finely grated zucchini and crumbled feta add flavor and moisture to these tasty zucchini feta muffins. They make an excellent breakfast or snack.

 .

Monday, February 27, 2023

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins #MuffinMonday

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, not that you’ll notice it’s there flavorwise! 

Food Lust People Love: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, not that you’ll notice it’s there flavorwise!

It’s the last Monday of the month so that means we are celebrating Muffin Monday all day long. I had a zucchini in the fridge that was getting a little past its best and needed to be used, hence these chocolate zucchini muffins. 

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

This recipe is for a small batch of just six muffins but it’s easily doubled if you need 12. Or even trebled. Muffins batter is very forgiving like that. 

Ingredients
1/2 medium zucchini or courgette (approx. weight 2 2/3 oz or 75g)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup or 95g flour
1/4 cup or 20g cocoa
1/4 cup or 50g white sugar
1/4 cup, packed, or 50g brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup or 50g semi-sweet chocolate chips plus a little extra for topping, if desired.

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 6-cup muffin tin by greasing it or lining it with muffin papers.

Grate the zucchini with the small holes of your grater and spread it around in a colander to drain.  Sprinkle with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, sugars and baking powder. Mix in the chocolate chips and use your clean hands to separate any that are stuck together. 


In another smaller bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk and oil. Use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to squeeze moisture out of the grated zucchini. Add it to the wet ingredient bowl and whisk.


Pour your wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until they are just combined. There should be some dry flour still showing.


Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Add a few more chocolate chips to the top, if desired.  


Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are puffed up and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Food Lust People Love: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, not that you’ll notice it’s there flavorwise!

Remove the muffins from the pan and cool further on a wire rack.

Food Lust People Love: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, not that you’ll notice it’s there flavorwise!

Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, not that you’ll notice it’s there flavorwise!

As I mentioned above, it’s Muffin Monday! Make sure to check out all the links below to see the muffins my blogger friends are sharing. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for her behind the scenes help this month!


#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

Pin these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins!

Food Lust People Love: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are baked with cocoa and chocolate chips. Grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition, not that you’ll notice it’s there flavorwise!

.

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Marinated Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos

These marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos are a tasty, easy meal the whole family will enjoy with just the right hint of smokiness and spice. 

Food Lust People Love: These marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos are a tasty, easy meal the whole family will enjoy with just the right hint of smokiness and spice.

These soft tacos make a wonderful dish for company because everyone can assemble their own, for a convivial meal around a big table. Everything can be made ahead and kept warm in a low oven so you won’t spend time cooking once your guests arrive.

A word about tofu: If you have only tried it in its natural state and are not a fan of the texture, give it another chance when pan-fried and crunchy. That was a game changer for me. Now I love it. 

Marinated Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos

This recipe was inspired by one in the New York Times cooking section for grilled marinated tofu. Smoked paprika and cumin add the right flavors to make this the perfect vegetarian taco filling. 

For the tacos:
1 block (14 oz or 398g) extra firm tofu 
1 medium onion
2 medium zucchini
fine sea salt
12 corn tortillas
canola or other light oil for pan-frying

For the tofu marinade:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeño seeded, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
1/4 cup or 60ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Optional to serve:
Guacamole
Salsa
Sour cream
Refried beans
Sliced jalapeños
Chopped cilantro

Method
Drain and press the tofu for 1 hour.

Peel the onion and cut it into thick slices.


Cut the stems off the zucchini then cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the fluffy part with the seeds. Cut the zucchini into batons. 


Lightly salt the batons and set them in a colander to sweat and drain.

Combine the lime juice, minced garlic and jalapeño, Kitchen Bouquet, salt and set aside for a few minutes while you cut the tofu. 


Slice the tofu into pieces about 1/4 inch or 1/2cm. Place tofu pieces snugly in a deep dish. Spoon 3/4 of the marinade over the tofu, reserving 1/4 for the zucchini after it’s cooked. 


Refrigerate the tofu at least one hour or longer, turning it occasionally so it marinates evenly.

Heat a large non-stick frying skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with a little oil. 

Scrape the garlic and jalapeño off of the tofu and back into the marinating pan and reserve. 

Add the tofu to the hot skillet and cook, turning frequently, until it is evenly browned and crisp on all sides. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. 


Transfer the tofu to an oven-proof pan.

In the same skillet, add 2 teaspoons each of paprika and cumin and the scraped off jalapeño and garlic. Drizzle a little oil in the pan to moisten the mixture and cook it for just a few minutes, until the jalapeño has softened. 


Spoon this over the tofu and put it in a very low oven to keep warm. 


Add the final 1/2 teaspoons each cumin and smoked paprika to the marinade you saved for the zucchini. 

Dry the zucchini batons on a paper towel then add them to the skillet and fry over a high heat until slightly charred. 


Turn the fire off and add the reserved marinade. Toss to combine, remove to a plate or bowl. 

Add the onion slices to the pan, cook until just soft and a little toasted, about 8 minutes. 


If desired, toast the tortillas on a griddle. 

Serve the marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, refried beans, sliced jalapeños and/or chopped cilantro or your favorite taco toppings.

Let everyone assemble their own soft tacos. We really loved the flavor and smokiness of the tofu, as well as the crunch. 

Food Lust People Love: These marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos are a tasty, easy meal the whole family will enjoy with just the right hint of smokiness and spice.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and our host Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures reminded us that August is all about a glut of fresh zucchini and everyone can use some creative recipes to use it up. Check out all the zucchini dishes we are sharing below. 

  • Couscous with Spiced Zucchini from Cook with Renu
  • Garlic Butter Sautéed Zucchini from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
  • Keto Zucchini Balls In Creamy Tomato Gravy from Sneha’s Recipe
  • Marinated Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos from Food Lust People Love
  • Minestrone Casserole from Palatable Pastime
  • Moong and Zucchini Pancakes from Mayuri’s Jikoni
  • Zucchini Agrodolce from Pandemonium Noshery
  • Zucchini Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm

  • We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.


    Pin these Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos!

    Food Lust People Love: These marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos are a tasty, easy meal the whole family will enjoy with just the right hint of smokiness and spice.

     .

    Wednesday, August 3, 2022

    Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin

    Packed with fresh vegetables and feta with more Parmesan and cheddar on top, this flavorful Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin is a delicious dish to put in rotation when zucchini are in season.

    Food Lust People Love: Packed with fresh vegetables and feta with more Parmesan and cheddar on top, this flavorful Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin is a delicious dish to put in rotation when zucchini are in season.

    This is an easy dish for a dinner party and if you have individual baking dishes to cook the gratin in, it makes a pretty presentation. If you don’t, just bake the mixture in a casserole dish. 

    Mushroom  Leek Zucchini Gratin

    For this dish, I used a combination of zucchini and yellow squash because 1. That’s what I had on hand and 2. I love the contrast in colors.  All of either would be just as delicious.  This recipe is adapted from one on Delicious.com.au.

    Ingredients
    2 lbs or 900g zucchini and/or yellow squash
    2 leeks (about 11 2/3 oz or 330g whole, 5  1/3 oz or 150g after trimming)
    8 oz or 227g button mushrooms, sliced
    1 small red chili, finely chopped
    2 tablespoons butter
    Salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1 garlic clove, finely chopped
    7 oz or 200g feta, crumbled
    Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon canola or other light oil
    1 3/4 oz or 50g grated extra sharp cheddar
    1 3/4 oz or 50g grated Parmesan

    Method
    Grate all but two of the zucchini and put them in a clean teacloth and squeeze out excess liquid over the sink. Finely slice the other two. 


    Remove and discard the hard green part of your leeks and wash the white parts thoroughly. Slice them thinly. Clean and slice the mushrooms. 


    Heat the butter in a skillet over low heat and add leek, garlic and minced chili pepper and a good sprinkle of salt. 


    Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the leeks start to soften. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture. 


    Continue cooking till that liquid has evaporated. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl and leave to cool. 


    Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

    Once the mushroom/leek mixture has cooled, add in the grated zucchini with the lemon zest. Lightly season with salt and black pepper. Mix well until combined. 


    Add in the egg and crumbled feta and stir again until well combined. 


    Spoon the mixture into individual baking dishes or one large one. Toss the sliced zucchini with 1 tablespoon of oil and layer on top. 


    Add a layer sprinkled cheese, then more sliced zucchini and finish with more cheese. 


    Bake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven or until golden and bubbling.

    Food Lust People Love: Packed with fresh vegetables and feta with more Parmesan and cheddar on top, this flavorful Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin is a delicious dish to put in rotation when zucchini are in season.

    Enjoy!

    Food Lust People Love: Packed with fresh vegetables and feta with more Parmesan and cheddar on top, this flavorful Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin is a delicious dish to put in rotation when zucchini are in season.

    National Zucchini Day is next Monday, August 8th. How will you celebrate? May I suggest you make one of the lovely dishes my Foodie Extravaganza friends are sharing today? Check out the list below. Many thanks to our host, Juli of Pandemonium Noshery


    Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.



    Pin this Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin!

    Food Lust People Love: Packed with fresh vegetables and feta with more Parmesan and cheddar on top, this flavorful Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin is a delicious dish to put in rotation when zucchini are in season.

     .

    Monday, September 13, 2021

    Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs

    These Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs are delicious just as they are, baked till golden, as an appetizer or add them to a sauce to serve with pasta. It's kind of magical how the zucchini seems to disappear as they bake so objectors likely won't even notice it. 

    Food Lust People Love: These Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs are delicious just as they are, baked till golden, as an appetizer or add them to a sauce to serve with pasta. It's kind of magical how the zucchini seems to disappear as they bake so objectors likely won't even notice it.

    I know that summer is the time when zucchini is meant to grow in abundance and people complain when neighbors leave baskets of it on their porches. Or supposedly that happens. It has never actually happened to me! 

    But I got a bit of a giggle out of the sign at my nearby Sprouts Farmers Market that declared the produce I know as zucchini was Italian squash. Is this like rebranding prunes to dried plums? I have to admit, Italian squash sounds just a bit nicer and certainly more sophisticated than zucchini. (Or we could go all British and call them courgettes.) 

    The results of multiple web searches seem to agree they are the same vegetable. Let’s take a poll in the comments. Do you call them zucchini or Italian squash? Or courgettes?

    Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs 

    This recipe is adapted from one in the New York Times Cooking section.  If you don’t have ground turkey, substitute chicken or pork. 

    Ingredients
    2 medium Italian squash or zucchini (approx. weight 11 oz or 312g)
    1/2 large shallot
    1/2 cup or 40g panko bread crumbs
    1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
    1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    2 oz or 57g feta, crumbled
    1 lb or 450g ground turkey
    1 large egg
    Olive oil

    Method
    Preheat your oven to 425°F or 218°C and line a baking pan with baking parchment or a silicone liner. 

    Cut the stem ends off of the zucchini and discard. Line a plate or cutting board with two paper towels and grate the zucchini onto the paper towels with the large holes of your grater. 


    Push the zucchini around till it covers the paper towels completely to allow as much moisture as possible to be absorbed. Roll the zucchini up in the paper towels and set aside. 


    Add the panko, cumin, red-pepper flakes, salt and feta to a large mixing bowl. Peel then grate the shallot and add it in as well.


    Gently use the tines of a fork to toss until combined. Tip in the grated zucchini and mix again. 


    Add the turkey and stir gently until combined. 


    Pop the egg in the middle and break it up with the tines of your fork. Now mix it in with the fork until thoroughly combined. 


    Use a spoon or small cookie dough scoop to divide the mixture into about 32 pieces, around 2 tablespoons each. Use wet hands to form them into round meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. I use a two-tablespoon scoop which makes short work of this part of the job.

    Rolled smooth at the top and right, merely scooped for the rest of them

    Drizzle the meatballs with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. 


    For more browned meatballs, broil (grill) for a few minutes at the end, if desired. It's not necessary for cookedness (I wasn't sure that was a word but spellcheck is on board!) but they do look nicer, especially as we are using turkey, a lighter colored meat. 

    Food Lust People Love: These Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs are delicious just as they are, baked till golden, as an appetizer or add them to a sauce to serve with pasta. It's kind of magical how the zucchini seems to disappear as they bake so objectors likely won't even notice it.

    Enjoy! 

    Food Lust People Love: These Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs are delicious just as they are, baked till golden, as an appetizer or add them to a sauce to serve with pasta. It's kind of magical how the zucchini seems to disappear as they bake so objectors likely won't even notice it.

    It’s time for my Baking Bloggers to share recipes again! This month’s theme is ground meats aka mince to the Brits among us. Many thanks to our host and organizer, Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out all the recipe links below. 


    Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

    Pin these Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs!

    Food Lust People Love: These Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs are delicious just as they are, baked till golden, as an appetizer or add them to a sauce to serve with pasta. It's kind of magical how the zucchini seems to disappear as they bake so objectors likely won't even notice it.

    .

    Monday, May 25, 2020

    Pineapple Zucchini Muffins #MuffinMonday

    Pineapple and zucchini muffins are a good blend of fruit and vegetables in delicious muffins! Lovely sweet pineapple and summer zucchini are a perfect combination.

    Food Lust People Lust: Pineapple and zucchini muffins are a good blend of fruit and vegetables in delicious muffins! Lovely sweet pineapple and summer zucchini are a perfect combination. Use pineapple in unsweetened juice for this recipe. If you can only find pineapple in syrup, drain the syrup and adjust the sugar in the recipe to compensate.
    This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found online a few years ago for a zucchini pineapple loaf. I thought it might well work, with modifications, for muffins.

    Pineapple Zucchini Muffins

    Use pineapple in unsweetened juice for this recipe. If you can only find pineapple in syrup, drain the syrup and adjust the sugar in the recipe to compensate.

    Ingredients
    2 cups, shredded, or 300g zucchini
    10 oz or 280g crushed pineapple in juice, drained
    1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
    2 eggs
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    2 cups or 250g flour
    1 1/2 cups or 300g sugar
    2 teaspoons cinnamon
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Method Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it or lining it with paper muffin cups.

    Whisk together the zucchini, pineapple, canola, eggs and vanilla into a large mixing bowl.


    In another smaller bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder

    Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.


    Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

    Food Lust People Lust: Pineapple and zucchini muffins are a good blend of fruit and vegetables in delicious muffins! Lovely sweet pineapple and summer zucchini are a perfect combination. Use pineapple in unsweetened juice for this recipe. If you can only find pineapple in syrup, drain the syrup and adjust the sugar in the recipe to compensate.


    Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

    Food Lust People Lust: Pineapple and zucchini muffins are a good blend of fruit and vegetables in delicious muffins! Lovely sweet pineapple and summer zucchini are a perfect combination. Use pineapple in unsweetened juice for this recipe. If you can only find pineapple in syrup, drain the syrup and adjust the sugar in the recipe to compensate.


    Enjoy!

    Food Lust People Lust: Pineapple and zucchini muffins are a good blend of fruit and vegetables in delicious muffins! Lovely sweet pineapple and summer zucchini are a perfect combination. Use pineapple in unsweetened juice for this recipe. If you can only find pineapple in syrup, drain the syrup and adjust the sugar in the recipe to compensate.

    Check out all the other Muffin Monday recipes we are sharing today. Many thanks to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for stepping in and saving me from my lack of awareness of what day it even is! I was so sure that Muffin Monday was next week!

    Muffin Monday

    #MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.



    Pin these Pineapple Zucchini Muffins!


    Food Lust People Lust: Pineapple and zucchini muffins are a good blend of fruit and vegetables in delicious muffins! Lovely sweet pineapple and summer zucchini are a perfect combination. Use pineapple in unsweetened juice for this recipe. If you can only find pineapple in syrup, drain the syrup and adjust the sugar in the recipe to compensate.
    .