Sauteed Mushroom and Avocado Hummusadillas

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute onions)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced (I used peppers and zucchini instead of mushrooms)
4 Tbsp hummus
2 large tortillas
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Fresh arugula

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the mushrooms and cook until most of the juice is reduced and the mushrooms turn golden brown.
2. Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus over one side of a tortilla.  Add half of the sauteed mushrooms over hummus and fold the tortilla in half.
3. Cook both sides in a skillet until each side gets a nice crust with slightly charred spots.  Repeat for the second quesadilla.  After they are cooked, open the fold briefly to add the avocado slices and fresh arugula.

Source: Easy Vegan Breakfasts & Lunches, by Maya Sozer

Try #1 - February 20, 2022
The idea of a hummus "quesadilla" intrigued me, so I decided to give this recipe a try despite not loving sauteed mushrooms.  Instead of mushrooms, I sauteed onions, peppers, and zucchini.  The result was delicious!  So delicious I made it again for lunch two days later.  Seems like a versatile recipe - could sauté various vegetables and probably add some black beans.  I loved the hummus in place of cheese - my new favorite way to eat hummus.  Yum!

Update: I had this three times in one week, it was that good.  Abby liked it too and made it a couple of times for herself!  I added kale instead of arugula, which was great!

Zucchini Pancakes

3 medium zucchini, peeled and shredded
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp tsp pepper
Oil for frying

1. Place zucchini in a colander and sprinkler with 1/2 tsp salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from zucchini with your hands; set aside.
3. Saute onion in butter in a medium size skillet until softened, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer zucchini and onion into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, flour, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.
5. Pour oil into clean skillet to a depth of 1/8-inch and heat. Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of zucchini batter into oil. Flatten batter to 3-inch diameter with back of spoon. Cook 1 minute on each side or until golden. Remove pancakes with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep hot until all pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately.

Source: VFW "Summertime Cooking"

Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds
Olive oil
1 lb zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 tsp salt
3 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400.
2. Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small bowl, and brush onto the eggplant. Flip the slices and brush the second sides as well, taking care that each has a thin coating of oil. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through, until soft and lightly browned on each side. Remove from the oven and cool. Cut into rough 1-inch pieces. Set aside. (You can do this a day or two ahead, refrigerating the eggplant until you're ready to use it.)
3. Warm 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven, or a large, deep skillet. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove it from the pan, taking care to leave behind any excess oil, and set it aside.
4. If there is no oil left in the pan, add about 1 Tbsp. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini, stir to incorporate, and cook until everything is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Discard the bay leaf, and stir in the basil.
5. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with additional salt for sprinkling.

Source: A Homemade Life

Try #1 - August 2012

Zucchini Lasagna

This is inspired by a former co-worker in New York (thanks, Susan!). This can be vegetarian or made with meat, and can be served alone or with a side of pasta.

1 large zucchini
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (optional)
1/2 pound ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 medium onion (optional)
1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
1/2 pound pasta of any kind (optional)

1. Peel zucchini, if desired (I don't). Cut into long, thin strips resembling lasagna noodles.
2. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan, basil, oregano, and parsley.
3. If you want to add meat to this dish, brown meat in a skillet with onions and garlic. Mix with spaghetti sauce.
4. Pour enough spaghetti sauce into a 9x13 inch pan to cover the bottom. Add one layer of zucchini strips on top. Add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, then some more spaghetti sauce, then 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat zucchini, ricotta, sauce, and mozzarella layers two more times. Add the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top. Fresh basil can also be added to any of the layers.
5. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Try #1 - August 2010
This was as delicious as I remembered. However, our little family of 4 easily ate almost the whole thing. To make the dish stretch a little longer (we love leftovers!) next time I will serve it over spiral pasta. It would also stretch longer if we added meat, but we're trying for more vegetarian dishes these days. :)

Zucchini Provencal

From allrecipes.com

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium zucchini, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, quartered and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Pasta (optional)

1.In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
2. Serve with pasta, if desired.

Try #1 - August 18, 2010
Ok, so this really isn't any different than something I would make on my own... basically stir-fried vegetables with tomato sauce and pasta. I added a splash of red wine and some basil, and cooked the pasta right in the skillet. Good way to use up some zucchini.

Zucchini Casserole with Parmesan

From Angela's blog

4-6 medium zucchini, grated
4 eggs
1/3 cup light cream (15%) (can use whole milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2-3 Tbsp Parmesan

Spread the zucchini in a large baking dish. In a bowl, beat the eggs then add cream, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix well and pour over zucchini. Stir gently to coat.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° for about 25-30 or until the egg mixture sets. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve warm. (Reheats well.)

Try #1 - August 21, 2010
Easy... healthy... delicious... we ate the whole thing! This was a real crowd pleaser - Abby and William (not to mention Nathan) gobbled it up! I added a smidgen of frozen spinach. I think you could also add shredded carrots.

Zucchini Soup

From "Extending the Table"
Germany
Recommended as an appetizer or luncheon soup, served hot or cold.

1/4 cup butter (I used 2 Tbsp butter)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/4 cup zucchini, shredded
2 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
dash of pepper
1/2 cup wine (optional) (I used 1/4 cup white cooking wine)
1/2 cup yogurt

Melt butter in saucepan. Add and saute onions and garlic. Add zucchini and stock/broth. Simmer 12 minutes. Add salt, basil, pepper, and wine. Place soup in blender and puree until creamy. Add yogurt.

Try #1 - August 9, 2010
This was a surprisingly rich and flavorful soup, yet also light and fluffy (if you can describe soup that way...). My husband said "I never would've guessed it was zucchini!" A great way to use the abundance of summer zucchini.