zucchini 4.jpg — Zucchini Recipe Roundup

It’s that time of year again…when our zucchini plant goes crazy. We love eating it and are constantly looking for new fun recipes to try. I have gathered some of my favorites so you can enjoying this amazing vegetable (fruit actually) all summer long.

Chicken Zucchini Poppers

These “meatballs” are the perfect super clean and flavorful snack. Kids love them because they can dip them in their favorite sauce and parents love them because there are hidden vegetables.

Ingredients

Italian

1 pound ground turkey or chicken breast (raw)
2 cups grated zucchini (leave peel on and squeeze out the liquid with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel)
2–4 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (basil, rosemary and parsley)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Serve with your favorite marinara sauce or pesto

Tex-Mex

1 pound ground turkey or chicken breast (raw)
2 cups grated zucchini (leave peel on and squeeze out the liquid with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel)
2–4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon cumin
Serve with salsa and/or guacamole

Directions

Grate and dry the zucchini- Zucchini has a lot of moisture, if you don’t squeeze it out beforehand, your meatballs may stick to the pan and have trouble holding together during baking. Leave peel on when grating and squeeze out the liquid with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.

In a large bowl, mix together ground meat of choice, zucchini, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Mixture will be quite wet. Scoop meatballs with a small scoop or tablespoon and gently smooth with your hands. Depending on the size of your scoop you can get between 15-25 poppers. I can usually get around 20-24 poppers.

Stove-Top
Heat a hefty drizzle of oil (olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee) in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Cook 4-5 at a time for about 5-6 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and the centers are cooked through.

Oven
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle a bit of olive or avocado oil onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. If desired, place under the broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes or until browned on top.

Recipe modified from https://www.onelovelylife.com/chicken-zucchini-poppers-gf-df/

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These muffins are the perfect way to sneak those veggies into your kids diet. They are also completely nut free which makes them perfect for school lunches.

Ingredients

3/4 cup zucchini, shredded
4 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cacao powder
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Brand are my favorite)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups or grease with coconut oil.
Place the shredded zucchini on a tray lined with a paper towel to drain some of the moisture while you prepare the batter.
Place the eggs, maple syrup, and applesauce in the stand-mixer and mix on medium speed until combined.
Add the coconut flour, cacao powder, arrowroot powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt and mix again on medium speed until combined.
Wrap the paper towel around the zucchini and give it a light squeeze to remove excess moisture and fold it into the batter along with 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each 2/3 of the way full. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then on a wire rack until completely cool.

Recipe from Danielle Walker- https://againstallgrain.com/2015/11/03/nut-free-chocolate-zucchini-muffins/