Zucchini Goat Cheese Omelet

My mum and dad have by far, the BEST vegetable gardens around. I'm not going to even mention the flower beds because this is a food blog, but lets just say that they could easily be featured in Better Homes & Gardens! This year the zucchini harvest was plentiful!  Just tonnes and tonnes of fresh, beautiful zucchini. Needless to say, I was richly blessed to receive a zucchini-filled care package in the mail earlier this week and decided to make the most out of those delicious little guys. This is a nice, light summer omelet which I hope you will enjoy! Bon appetit!

ps - The picture is a little dark, my apologies, but I had to use this one because I didn't want to display my flopped, failed to be properly formed omelet for all the world to see.  Taste over presentation, taste over presentation ...

Ingredients:
red onion, thinly chopped
goat cheese
3 eggs
splurt of milk
salt/ground pepper
thinly sliced zucchini
fresh baby spinach

Directions:
1. Mix your eggs, milk and salt/pepper in a large bowl and set aside. Pan fry the red onion until fragrant and tender and add your zucchini. Grill until lightly browned. Add everything to the egg mixture.

2. Over medium heat and a lightly oiled pan, fry your egg mixture until the top starts to look kind of cooked. Add the fresh spinach and goat cheese and then flip. Serve hot and enjoy!

Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips

The temperature in our house is currently 16C. Brrr. Our furnace seems to be slowly dying so it feels so good to be working in the kitchen and opening a 425F oven for these little guys. This is definitely a different, fun-for-the-little-guys way to make zucchini. Usually I just pan fry my zucchini with a little bit of olive oil so this was quite the experience! Very yummy. Bon appétit folks :)

Ingredients
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

sprinkle of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl.

2. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Salted Tilapia with Crispy Zucchini Ribbons

I can imagine that you're probably thinking that this dish is too indulgent looking to be good for you. Well, let me tell you. It's too indulgent tasting, too. A perfect combination of tender-crunchy textures and salty goodness. Definitely recommend splurging and getting your fish fresh from the fish market rather than buying frozen. Trust me. I should note that I had a little trouble frying up the zucchini, but it was all really tasty in the end. You just have to move quickly (or better yet, cook with a buddy) or else you may end up with burnt zukes. Yummy dish all around. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 pound tilapia
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat up a grill pan over medium high heat, with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan. Use a potato peeler to shave the zucchini and yellow squash into long ribbons. Salt and pepper the zucchini ribbons, then lay them flat into your hot oil. Don't crowd them in your pan! Too many inside your pan will keep them from getting crispy, and they simply aren't as delightsome when they are mushy. Grill until golden brown on one side, flip and grill on the second side until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the zucchini ribbons, melt the second tablespoon of coconut oil, and place the tilapia in your pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss a bit of dried thyme on top, as well. Grill on both sides until the fish is white and flaky. Serve on top of Crispy Zucchini Ribbons. Enjoy!

Recipe cred to Cheeky Kitchen

Chicken Zucchini Pistou with Penné Pasta

\

First and foremost: What is Pistou you ask? I didn’t know either. Turns out that it is French pesto. You`ll definitely need a food processor for making this dish - something we invested in a couple of years back and couldn`t do without. That poor thing has been so over used that it now requires firmly inserting a pen (or BBQ skewer as is often handy) to engage the machine at all times while you`re using it.  

This dish was really yummy. Especially eating it with such wonderful ladies. The flavours are really rich yet subtle. Any cooking with cream is truly special. Truly truly. Pour yourself a big glass of wine and if you are really inspired make a salad and call it dinner. Bon appétit!

Ingredients (for 4):
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 cup chopped chicken
2 cups chopped Vidalia (or other sweet onion)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
8 ounces penne pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the zucchini and cook until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool.

2. Put 1/4 cup of the cooked zucchini, basil, 1/4 cup cheese, pine nuts and garlic in the food processor.

3. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes until the onions are brown. 1/2 way through, add the chicken and cook through. Cook the pasta in 6 quart of salted water. Reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid to add to the processed zucchini mixture. Add the cooking liquid to the food processor and pulse until smooth.

4. Add the zucchini back to the pan with the pasta and the processed zucchini mixture. Add the heavy cream and salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until everything is heated through, maybe 22 minutes. Taste for seasonings (you may need more salt and more garlic... I did).

5. Pour the pasta into a big bowl and garnish with some basil leaves, pine nuts, and cheese.

- recipe & photo cred to Baked Bree

Sautéed Zucchini, Peppers & Tomatoes

Such a fresh, vibrant little side dish. Yum yum yum. One eggplant short of a ratatouille but delicious none the less. I found that the ingredient amounts below were enough for Jerms and I to have a large serving each, so just double, triple, or more for a larger crowd. I definitely wouldn't recommend making this in advance, because it will most likely get soggy while waiting in the refrigerator. In fact, you'll want to serve it fresh and piping hot from the pan - just like a stir fry so that it doesn't go all gooby on you.  I served this dish as a side to some delicious pork chops and a baby spinach salad. The first dish I've cooked on the stove in 6 weeks... that's not bad! Bon appétit :)   

Ingredients
1 medium zucchini
1 yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 small red pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

handful of toasted cashews
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
1. Quarter zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Remove ribs and seeds from peppers; cut into 3/4-inch squares. Lightly toast cashews until fragrant in toaster oven or in a small frying pan.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Next add zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

- recipe cred: adapted from Everyday Food