Marinated Summer Veggies

This is definitely my favorite time of year. I love how for our family; our schedules slow down a bit now that school is out and our evenings don't feel quite so rushed. I also love all of the fresh produce available during these months. Every Saturday morning my family knows to expect making a trip to our local farmers' markets, whether they decide to join me or I happen to get a few moments to myself. It's a favorite part of my weekly routine.

I haven't always loved vegetables as much as I do though. It was about seven years ago when I really started to become interested in sourcing local foods, learning more about farmers' markets and gardening. Sure, I've always liked a good veggie tray and corn on the cob is a must here in Iowa. But vegetables like asparagus, eggplant, kohlrabi and zucchini. I just had never tried them before.

Growing up, mom made plenty of meat and potato type meals. Lots of pot roasts, mashed potatoes and maybe even some steamed green beans on the side. I don't ever recall trying some of the grilled veggies we now like to make. It honestly took me a long time before I came to like cooked vegetables. You could give me any of them to eat raw, but the mushy texture of anything cooked made me turn my nose away.

It wasn't until the last several years that I've started to change my mind. Now we eat so many different varieties of vegetables each week, plenty of them grilled, roasted and even raw. I think it just takes time, trying new methods and new recipes. The kids aren't always the greatest at eating them cooked. I tend to have them try a bite and if they don't want anymore then that's fine. They'll come around some day, just like I have. The hubby has come full circle too. In the past few years he's gotten so much better at eating healthier foods, as long as I let him drizzle hot sauce over those veggies. Hey, anything to sneak in extra nutrients.

Most of the time during the summer we'll just slice up the veggies, toss them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and then throw them into a grill pan. They don't need much else as far as seasoning. But I did try a new little marinade this past week. It was a nice change up from our typical side dish yet still let the natural flavors from the vegetables shine through. It was also nice to assemble ahead of time, I always appreciate having dinner ready to go. Gives us more time to spend with each other in the evenings.

You'll want to pop on out to your local market and gather some of your favorite veggies for this marinade. It's very versatile, use what's in season and those that your family enjoys most.


Marinated Summer Veggies

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium zucchini,sliced
1 medium summer squash, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 pound asparagus, cut into small pieces

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic. Set aside.

Add all chopped veggies into a large gallon ziploc bag or into a medium sized pan with a lid. Pour marinade over veggies and toss all together. Cover and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes before preparing.

When ready, add veggies to a prepared grill pan lined with foil, season with salt and pepper, and cook over heat for about 15 minutes or until veggies start to soften. You can also cook them over the stove top in a large skillet.

Zucchini "Pasta" Salad

We eat a lot of zucchini in our house, especially during the summer. Most of the time it's sliced up, seasoned and grilled with an assortment of other vegetables. And of course, shredded and added into the occasional dessert. It's not a vegetable I've always been fond of, until I was well into my twenties, I had always assumed that squash was something I didn't like even though I'd never tried it.

My new favorite way to enjoy this seasonal veggie, is by making noodles out of it. We don't own any sort of spiralizer like gadget, but my serrated peeler works just fine. It makes the most perfect noodle shape out of many vegetables. Spaghetti squash is always welcomed on my plate, but I've been loving the ease of shredding one zucchini and tossing it with a bit of warm pasta sauce for an effortless and healthy meal. Let that heat up for a few minutes on the stove top and you've got yourself one heck of a meal. I promise you won't miss the real pasta and it's just as delicious! Seriously, just give it a try yet this season.

Taking that same enthusiasm, I decided to give these noodles a try with a salad. Pasta salads are always gracing the menu during summer barbecues, but if you're aiming to eat a bit healthier, lighter and watching those carbs like I am; then they can quickly pile up on the plate. 

In this I used some of our favorite veggies we had on hand, but I love the versatility. You can add just about anything. And I didn't even feel like I was eating a plate full of healthy veggies, it was just as good as any of my other picnic favorites. Even family members I fully expected to pass right along grabbed a small scoop and genuinely said it was good. 

We've still got a good month and a half of summer left, and a ton of fresh, seasonal produce to take advantage of.  Add this simple salad to your menu! You've still got plenty of time.

Zucchini "Pasta" Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

few basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

Using a spiralizer or a serrated peeler, shred both zucchini into noodle like shapes. Once you get to the middle of the zucchini, it gets soft so you can just toss them at this point. Toss the noodles into a medium sized bowl, along with the other veggies. 

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss with the vegetables. Add in chopped basil leaves. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Let chill in fridge before serving. Serves 5-6

Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

I haven't been giving you too many desserts lately, not really on purpose, I just haven't been baking as much. Mostly because those treats pack on the pounds way too quickly and well, I certainly don't need any extra. But over the weekend, I felt we deserved a treat. And I incorporated zucchini, so that makes it better, right?

For you zucchini haters, it simply added a bit of green specks into the cake and maybe a tiny bit of extra nutrients. As far as taste, the lemon shines through for sure! I want to enjoy any last bit of summer we might have and this cake sure feels like summer.

As a baker, I don't mind spending a significant amount of time on a recipe when I'm able to. It's relaxing to me and a good way to relieve stress. But I have to admit, I love the simplicity of bundt cakes. While easy to mix up, they're still elegant enough for parties and celebrations. I topped mine with a simple lemon glaze. Whipped cream and berries are another great option or a simple powdered sugar dusting will do the trick.

Those zucchinis still sitting on the counter....add one into this cake batter. Then serve it up to the family, just because, they deserve a special treat every once in awhile!


Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup grated zucchini
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sour cream

For lemon glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
juice from one lemon


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or butter a bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in zest, lemon juice, vanilla and grated zucchini. Add in eggs, one at a time. Slowly start to add in dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and sour cream. I like to mix in salt, baking powder and then one cup of flour, then add in a little bit of the milk and sour cream. Then finish with the remaining dry and wet ingredients.

Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan, use a spatula to smooth out batter. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan. Once cooled, you may run a knife along edges and flip over to remove from pan.

To make glaze: Mix together powdered sugar and juice from a lemon until smooth.

Pour glaze over cake. Cut into slices to serve.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Are you still swimming in zucchini? Or perhaps finding bags of the green stuff dropped off at your door step? Then you might appreciate today's recipe.

I personally love finding new ways to add this nutritious veggie to our meals. Grilling up slices of the yellow and green squash is probably our favorite summer side dish.. And I will try to chop it up finely and sneak a little in other dishes.

Last summer I tried these zucchini pizza slices for the first time and they've since become a favorite. Thinking along those lines, I made some stuffed zucchini for a healthier spin on pizza one evening. We got our fix but without the extra calories and still with great flavor. It was also nice not to be left with that stuffed feeling but still satisfied.

I liked using sausage in our mixture but ground beef could easily be substituted or even try dicing up little pepperonis for something extra. We even made some extras for lunch the next day, they reheat nicely!



Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:
3 medium sized zucchini
1/2 lb. mild sausage
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 medium tomato, diced
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
grated mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice zucchini in half the long way, using a spoon scoop out the pulp to create a boat like shape. Place on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bake in oven for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet with garlic until no longer pink. Drain and return to pan. Mix in seasoning, breadcrumbs,  egg, tomato and Parmesan cheese.

Stuff each zucchini with filling and sprinkle cheese over top. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with pizza sauce. Makes 6 zucchini boats.

Zucchini Cornbread

Today has been a perfect fall day, except it's the middle of August. I did love turning off the air and opening up the windows though. And baking all morning long. I haven't done too much lately so it was nice and relaxing to get the mixer going.

I've been meaning to mix up some of this cornbread for a little while now, it's a nice way to use up some of that garden fresh zucchini. It's just enough to give a little green color to your bread and add some extra nutrients.

I served this tender loaf with our meal tonight; oven roasted beer can chicken. It was the ultimate comfort rainy day meal. We drizzled a little raw honey over our slices.  Just enough to sweeten our bread a bit. If you like a good cornbread I know you'll love this version. Tuck a few loaves away in the freezer for the upcoming fall soup season. You'll want to soak up all those flavorful juices with this yummy bread!


Zucchini Cornbread

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup finely grated zucchini
4 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs and milk. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in zucchini. Make sure to squeeze excess water from zucchini before measuring. Then stir in melted butter.

Pour batter into a buttered 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool for a bit before cutting. Serve warm with honey or jam, if desired.

Summer Corn Chowder

We are most definitely known for our sweet corn here in Iowa. I always like to take advantage of the short lived season by finding a good source and stashing some bags away in our freezer. It's a comforting treat to enjoy in the dead of winter, a little taste of summer.

I created this soup a couple weeks ago for dinner one night. Even though it's summer and generally hot, soup is still a great way for us to incorporate those garden fresh veggies. Everyone in the family ate this right up, which I declare a major success.

My non-squash loving children didn't even notice the zucchini in there because it was pureed. So of course they'll gladly eat up the corn and potatoes.  I did tell them about the zucchini being in there, while I think it's fine to sneak extra veggies into meals, I always want them to be aware of what they're eating. I don't think they minded though, especially since the small bit of leftovers were quickly gone the next day!


Summer Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini, diced
1 bell pepper, any color, diced
1 pound baby potatoes, quartered
2 ears corn, kernels removed from cob
salt and black pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in zucchini and pepper. Let cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are tender.

Remove from heat and combine cooked veggies with broth in a blender and puree. Return back to pot. Add in potatoes, bring to a boil and let potatoes cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Then add in corn kernels and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook just until corn is heated, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Serve with fresh bread or sandwiches.  Serves 4-5

Roasted Ratatouille

I was just commenting the other day how I wish we could eat like this every day. Fresh from the garden or straight from the farmers market. The grocery store just can't compete during these summer months. But that's what makes us appreciate these seasonal fruits and veggies all the more!

I made this for lunch yesterday, the girls help chop veggies, munching on them as we went. They asked questions about eggplant and zucchini, declaring that they loved zucchini raw but not so much cooked. It was great to have their help, and conversation.

In the end it was only the oldest and I eating most of the dish for lunch. Which I fully expected. At least they tried, it's all I ever ask. They don't like the soft texture, and I was honest with them. It wasn't so very long ago that I preferred all of my veggies raw and with crunch. I've since grown to love so many more veggies than I ever thought possible. Keep trying, it's all we can do.

As for the ratatouille,  I love it! It's a simple goodness to be enjoyed during these months. I plan to continue taking advantage of the plentiful produce right now and even packing this in my lunch when I head back to work soon.  You can easily roast the veggies on Sunday and divide into containers for the coming week. Roasting the veggies brings out their natural sweetness and it's delicious!


Roasted Ratatouille

Ingredients:
1 small summer squash
1 small zucchini
1 onion
1 eggplant
1 bell pepper
handful of cherry or grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
salt and pepper
7-8 basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a cutting board, chop all veggies into large chunks.  For the garlic, smash using the flat side of a knife and then peel. Place all veggies into a large bowl. Drizzle about 2 tbsp of olive oil over top and season with salt and pepper. Toss all together.

Spread veggies out onto a large baking sheet. Roast in oven for 40-45 minutes, turning every ten minutes, just until veggies are tender.

Remove from oven. Chop basil and mix into veggies. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm as a side dish or a light meal with crusty bread.

Shrimp and Veggie Skillet

I happen to love seafood, obviously living in the Midwest we don't have access to the freshest varieties but that's where our freezer aisles at the store come in handy. Shrimp is one that I will purchase the most often and probably my favorite. I've finally gotten the hubby and oldest liking it, but still working on the youngest two.

Now papa's breaded fish, that's a different story. They'll eat that right up. But who doesn't love a good fish fry?

For a simple meal, I combined some thawed shrimp with a few of our favorite summer vegetables.  It was light and the perfect combination. You can add some linguine or even rice for something a little more filling. Or just round out your meal with a salad and some fruit for good measure.

As for the seasoning, I like using the Spike brand of an all-purpose blend. If you don't have anything like that on hand, feel free to combine your own favorite herbs. Black pepper, basil, dill, thyme, paprika or oregano are all great options.


Shrimp and Veggie Skillet

Ingredients:
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium summer squash, chopped
1 small bunch asparagus, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, such as Spike
cooked pasta or rice to serve with, if desired

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in garlic and let cook for one minute. Toss in chopped veggies along with seasoning. Let cook for five minutes, until veggies start to soften.

Add in shrimp and let cook for another 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately as is, or with pasta for a more hearty meal.

Zucchini Pizza Bites

We've still been receiving a good amount of zucchini each week in our CSA box. Not a lot to where I'm overwhelmed, but still at the point where I'm trying to get creative so we're not wasting any. These are not anything new, I've seen them around the Internet before, but had yet to try them.

Even if you told me you're not a fan of zucchini, I think you'd be surprised. Zucchini has such a mild flavor anyways and by adding pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese; that's really all you're tasting. I love pizza and this is a much healthier way for me to get my fix without adding a bunch of extra calories.

It's also a great way to get the kiddos to eat more veggies. My girls are not always great about eating zucchini or summer squash, no matter how I prepare it. I was really happy to see them try a few pieces and actually enjoy them!

I even took some leftover in my lunch today and they held up great. Reheated in the microwave or even cold, they still taste great. Fresh zucchini won't be around for much longer, so I think we'll take advantage of this time and enjoy these pizza bites a little while longer!


Zucchini Pizza Bites

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pizza sauce
grated mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini to pan and let cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and place onto a cookie sheet.

Spoon a tiny amount of pizza sauce over each zucchini slice. Top with cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place into the oven at 400 degrees and let bake for a few minutes, just until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Freezer Fridays: Pumpkin Zucchini Scones

Last weekend it was certainly very hot and humid here in Iowa. Typical summer weather for us, except it always waits to do this sort of thing after the kids are in school and the pools have all closed for the season. Go figure! But hey, we're just used to it. I really had no plan to do any sort of baking, but we had some big zucchinis on our table that needed used up. Oh and one lone can of pumpkin in my pantry.

These were a total experiment and I'm so glad I decided to take a chance on them. Made with whole wheat flour, pumpkin, zucchini and sweetened only with a bit of honey; I'd say they make for a pretty healthy breakfast option. Since they aren't very sweet I did spruce them up with a little icing drizzle, but you can leave that off if you wish.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what the kids would think of these. Sometimes they don't like my new creations. They surprised me though and kept coming back for more. I froze half of the batch and left the other half on the counter, the container was gone within a day. That tells me they're a keeper!


Pumpkin Zucchini Scones

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup buttermilk

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
splash of milk, for thinning

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine egg yolk, honey, vanilla, zucchini, pumpkin and buttermilk. Mix together well.

In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Then add wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined.

Turn dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead a few times. Add a little bit of flour in if needed. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a large circle or make into two circles if needed. Cut into wedges. I made some of mine smaller for the kids. You should get about 18.

Place scones onto a baking sheet that's been lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until turning golden brown. Remove from oven to let cool.

To make icing: combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Drizzle icing immediately over the scones.

These also freeze well, flash freeze on a baking sheet before placing in a freezer bag. Thaw and reheat when ready to enjoy.