Suteed garlic Zucchini

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano, chopped
• Kosher salt and pepper

Preparation

• Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the zucchini and cook, stirring only occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cooked zucchini to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and zucchini.
  
  Return the first batch to the skillet. Stir in the garlic, marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Baked Zucchini

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-4 T chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
2 T thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used Pizza Cheese, which is a low-fat blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

Grilled Zucchini

zucchini 12-14 inches long, sliced in slices 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick.
1/2 cup your favorite Italian salad dressing
(for South Beach choose dressing with less than 2 carbs per serving; I like Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing)1 tsp. garlic powder or garlic puree (optional)
1 -2 tsp. dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, or a combination (optional)

Cut zucchini into slices, making sure the slices are the same thickness. Combine salad dressing with garlic powder and dried herbs of your choice, if using. (I like this both with and without the extra flavorings. This is one place where fresh herbs are not better.) Put zucchini slices into ziploc bag, pour in marinade and let zucchini marinate 4 hours or longer, even as long as all day if desired.

To cook zucchini, preheat grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for 3-4 seconds.) You can spray the grill with non-stick spray if desired, but you don't really need it.

Place zucchini on grill, having a spray bottle handy for taming any flames that shoot up from the oil in the marinade. After about 4 minute, check for grill marks, and rotate zucchini a quarter turn. Cook 3-4 more minutes on first side.

Turn zucchini to second side and cook about 4 minutes more, or until zucchini is starting to soften quite a bit, with the outside slightly charred and browned. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.

Zucchini Salad With Olives, Artichokes, Red Pepper, and Red Onion

4-5 small zucchini, cut into half moon slices about 1/2 inch thick (or bite sized pieces)
1 can large pitted black olives, drained very well
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained very well
1 red or green pepper chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion chopped into bite-sized pieces

Dressing:
1 cup Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing
(or your favorite Italian dressing with no sugar)
juice of half lemon (2 T)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese
1 T dried basil (or use 2 T basil pesto or 3 T. chopped fresh basil)
1 tsp. dried oregano
Optional: additional 1/4 cup grated parmesan to sprinkle over salad just before serving

Cut zucchini into quarter slices or bite sized pieces. (If you're using large zucchini, cut away the seeds and most of the white part.) Steam zucchini until barely tender/crisp, about 3 minutes, then drain very well. (You can plunge the steamed zucchini into water with ice cubes to stop the cooking if you're in a hurry, but I don't always do that.)

While zucchini is cooking, open olives and artichoke hearts and dump into a colander to drain well. (Draining the zucchini and olives well is essential or the finished salad will be watery.) Chop the red bell pepper and red onion into bite-sized pieces.

Combine zucchini, olives, artichoke hearts, red pepper and red onion in plastic or glass container with a lid (or use a Ziploc bag.) Pour dressing over, just enough to cover veggies, and stir gently. (I usually only use part of the dressing to marinate the veggies and then stir in a little more dressing when I serve it.)

Marinate in refrigerator 4-8 hours. If you can turn it over once in a while to keep the vegetables covered with dressing that would be great, but it's not essential. Just before serving stir in a little of the reserved dressing. Sprinkle the salad with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese when serving if desired.

At the risk of sounding like a cheese snob, let me say that this is best with freshly grated cheese. I like to grate it on the large side of the grater for the final 1/4 cup and serve the salad with the grated cheese not mixed in. However if all you have is pre-grated Parmesan, not to worry. It will still be yummy.

Grilled Zucchini Salad

1 zucchini about 10 inches long
2 medium summer tomatoes (or 5-6 cherry tomatoes), chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, about 8 olives (Use pitted olives, I cut the olives in half but you don't have to.)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (or less)
olive oil, to brush on zucchini
1 tsp. Greek seasoning
1 T + 2 T vinaigrette dressing (Use a dressing with less than 3 grams sugar per serving for South Beach Diet.)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat grill to high. (You can only hold your hand there for a second at that heat.) Cut ends off zucchini and cut into quarters lengthwise. (If you have large zucchini with seeds, cut away the white inside from each zucchini piece so you have the green skin with about 3/8 inch of white on it.) Brush all sides of zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle white side with Greek Seasoning. 

Place white side down on hot grill and cook about 3 minutes, or until starting to get grill marks and barely starting to soften, then turn and cook other side of white about 3 minutes. Turn zucchini over so green side is down, brush with 1 T of vinaigrette dressing, and cook about 2-3 minutes more. Zucchini should still be slightly firm when you remove it from the grill. 

Let zucchini cool while you chop tomatoes, cut olives in half, and crumble the feta. Cut zucchini strips into pieces about 1 inch wide.

Put zucchini and tomatoes in salad bowl. Pour 2 T salad dressing over (or less, you don't need much because the zucchini is already very flavorful). Add sliced Kalamata olives and crumbled feta and gently combine. Season with fresh ground black pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Zucchini Bake

(Makes about 6 side-dish servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

4 medium-sized yellow or green summer squash, or a mixture of colors, sliced lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch slices (about 8 cups sliced squash)
1 T olive oil (or less, depending on the pan)
1 T minced garlic
2 T fresh thyme leaves or 1 T dried thyme (or less if you're not that fond of thyme)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup crumbled feta (not tightly packed)
2 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T lemon juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Wash and dry squash, then cut off stem and blossom end and discard. Cut squash lengthwise in half, then slice into half-moon slices about 1/4 inch thick. (I used a mandoline with the 7mm blade, but you can use a knife.)

Heat olive oil in large non-stick frying pan, add garlic and thyme leaves and saute about 45 seconds (just long enough to season the oil, don't let the garlic brown.) Add squash slices and saute about 4 minutes, turning a few times. Squash should be barely starting to soften.

While squash cooks, break eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup and beat until egg yolks and whites are combined. Stir in sour cream, feta, parmesan, and lemon juice.

Spray a 2 quart gratin dish or glass casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. Layer half the squash in the dish, then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (Remember the feta is salty, so it won't need a lot of salt.) Pour over half the egg-feta mixture and use the back of a spoon or a rubber scraper to spread it over the squash. Repeat with another layer of squash and the rest of the feta-egg mixture.

Bake at 375F/190C for 40-45 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling, slightly set, and top if lightly browned. Serve hot.

This will keep in the fridge for a day or two. For best results, I recommend reheating in a toaster oven. Do not freeze.

Sauteed Zucchini

Ingredients: 

• 1 package (about 20) baby zucchinis
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• oregano
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and fresh pepper

Directions:

Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan,heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add zucchini to pan, add oregano and sauté about 2 minutes on each side. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Servings: 2 • Time: 5 minutes • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 87.3 • Fat: 7.3 g • Carb: 4.4 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Protein: 3.2 g • Sugar: 0

Zucchini Sausages and Tomatoes Stir Fry

Ingredients

6 links Whole Ranch® Sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried oregano) 
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
3/4 pound mixed red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 
Salt and pepper

Method

Prepare sausages according to package directions, either in a sauté pan or on the grill. While they are cooking, heat olive oil in a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and oregano, stir for a few seconds, then add zucchini and cook 3 to 5 minutes. 

When sausages are cooked, cut into large bite-sized pieces and add to pan along with tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until tomatoes are just softened, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a large platter and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 8oz/230g-wt.): 310 calories (220 from fat), 24g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 55mg cholesterol, 640mg sodium, 8g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 16g protein