Zucchini

How about a Chocolate Zucchini Cake?

1/2 C butter
1/2 C oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 sour milk
1/4 C cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 C grated zucchini
1/2 C milk chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)
2 tbs butter
2 tbs white corn syrup
2 1/2 squares semisweet chocolate

Cream together butter, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Blend in the sour milk and add dry ingredients. Add zucchini and mix well. Pour into a lightly greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Heat together 2 tbs butter and the white corn syrup. Remove from heat and add semisweet chocolate. When well blended, drizzle on the top of slightly cooled cake.

How about a Zucchini Pie?

7 C zucchini---sliced
2/3 C lemon juice
1 C sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3 C flour
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1`/2 tsp salt
2 sticks margarine, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C brown sugar

Cut zucchini in half lengthwi9se. Remove seeds. Slice thinly to resemble apple slices. Put lemon juice over slices and cook until tender. Add 1 C sugar and 3/4 tsp of cinnamon. Stir and set aside. Combine flour, 1 1/2 C sugar, salt and margarine to make crust. Work until crumbly. Press 2/3 of mixture into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pour zucchini mixture into the crust. Add to remaining crust mixture, 1 tsp of cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix and sprinkle over zucchini.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Fried Zucchini

Slice zucchini in about 1/4 inch slices.&nbsP; Put into water.
Heat your skillet to a medium high temperature, 300 to 350 on an electric skillet, with a very small amount of cooking oil in the bottom.&nbsP; (Just enough to cover the bottom.)
Remove zucchini slices from water
Dip in flour
Cook in skillet until tender and golden brown.
Salt lightly and serve.

A bit more cooking than I like to do in this weather, but the taste is worth the heat.

Zucchini Spread

3 cups zucchini shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
8 oz. cream cheese softened
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers, bread rounds or fresh vegetables. This time of year zucchini are in abundance and it is nice to have lots of recipes that use this versatile veggie. This dip is very tasty and can also be spread on thin slices of French bread and served on individual plates.

This is my own zucchini bread recipe that I call 1-2-3 Bread. It is very simple and I use it as the basic recipe for all my fruit breads. The only thing that changes is the fruit and the spices you might use.
1C vegetable oil
2C sugar
3C flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
I just dump everything together into a bowl and mix it all together.
To the batter I then add 1 C shredded zucchini or 3 or 4 mashed bananas (or whatever happens to be over ripe sitting on the counter), or chopped cranberries, or peeled and chopped apples and cinnamon to taste or 1C of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to taste, or whatever I feel like adding to it. There are no hard and fast rules and its fun to experiment.
Instead of using loaf pans, I recycle vegetable cans. I use vegetable cans, because they are so easy to use, but cans of any sort will do. I always use the baking spray for the cans, but you can also use just oil and flour if you prefer. Just fill the cans about 2/3 full with the batter. Bake in a 375 degree oven, about 45 min. to an hour. Test for doneness using a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out clean, its done. Just tip the cans out on a cooling rack and then throw away the cans. NO CLEAN UP! Just save those easy to clean vegetable cans as you use the vegetables and then throw them away after you have used them for baking.

This next recipe is from Joyce.
One that was always a favorite with my sons is baked zucchini, very easy to make. Here's the recipe:
Get enough zucchini to feed the number of people, allowing 1 small zucchini or 1/2 a large zucchini per person. (This is a side dish, not a main dish.)
Scrub the squash, cut off the stem end, and then split the squash lengthwise. If you are using large zucchinis, cut them in half across the middle.
Arrange them face up in a flat baking pan (I use my lasagna pan). Place a bit of butter on the surface of each piece (amount depends on how much you like butter). Sprinkle with grated or shredded Italian hard cheese. I usually use shredded Romano but you can use Parmesan or even those mixed cheeses. If you like you can decorate them with sliced pitted black olives. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and just a little red pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour. Test by sticking them with fork.

And this one from Bonnie.
I have a low cal recipe -
1 medium size zucchini
1 egg & 1-2 Tbs. Water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
baking stone
Cut the zucchini crosswise, discard ends dip the zucchini pieces into egg wash, then into breadcrumbs, followed by parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees until cheese has browned. If you like food crispy, turn the zucchini pieces over after top has browned.

And this one from Vickie.
This is my favorite recipe for using zucchini. Hope you like it. (canning recipe)
ZUCCHINI RELISH
10 cups zucchini 4 large onions
4 large green peppers 4 large red peppers
1/2 cup salt 4 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar 2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon nutmeg
2 tablespoon celery salt 1/4 tablespoon black pepper
Grind zucchini using medium blade. Sprinkle salt on zucchini. Leave on overnight (store in refrigerator). Next day drain well, rinse in cold water, drain again. In large kettle bring remaining ingredients to boil. Add vegetable. Simmer for 30 minutes. Put into hot canning jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Take out and let cool. Check seals. This makes great relish for hot-dogs and hamburgers.

And this one from Dale.
Zucchini Spread
3 cups zucchini shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
4 Tbs. fresh cilantro chopped
8 oz. cream cheese softened
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers, bread rounds or fresh vegetables. This time of year zucchini are in abundance and it is nice to have lots of recipes that use this versatile veggie. This dip is very tasty and can also be spread on thin slices of French bread and served on individual plates.
The Skinny: Use light cream cheese. Everything else is fairly good for you.

Had enough? How about just one more?
Fried Zucchini
Now don't go ewwwwwww, until you have tried it. And anyone who likes fried green tomatoes will like this too.
Cut zucchini into 1/4 inch thick slices. Dredge in flour. Head oil in a skillet until fairly hot/ then add floured zucchini. Cook until fork tender and brown. Salt lightly and serve.