Clean Keen Things to Do with Zucchini

If you grow zucchini, you know how prolific those little plants can be. Halfway through the summer, you start to wonder what in the world you can do with your zucchini. Here are some ideas you may not have thought of, which can help with your bounty.

1. Make zucchini boats - Take a fairly large size zucchini and cut in half. Scoop out the inside seed area, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch of pulp next to the rind. Sprinkle the inside of the boat with a ½ tsp of olive oil, ¼ tsp of garlic powder (or a dash of minced garlic) and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper. Fill the zucchini boat with ground beef and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese. Bake these at 350o for ½ hour or until the ground beef is cooked. Some variations on this: use ground pork and chopped apples instead of the ground beef; heat up some tomato sauce and pour a little over each boat before serving.

2. Use for meat loaf - Peel the zucchini and shred like you would carrots. Use instead of bread crumbs when you make meatloaf or meatballs. This makes the meat very tender and adds vitamins too.

3. Healthy dog food - Slice 1 medium zucchini thin and simmer in a small amount of water until tender and then cool. Drain and mix with your dog's food. My dogs love this.

4. Donations - Find a food bank in your area and donate your extra vegetables. There are several national food banks which will be happy to use your extra vegetables. Second Harvest is a national food bank service with locations all over the country, and you can also query in your internet search engine on "Food Banks" and the name of your location. Particularly with today's gas prices and economic issues, food banks are hurting for donations.

5. Be a nice neighbor - Make a gift basket for neighbors who don't grow their own vegetables. People are trying to save money on their groceries now.

6. Make a quick microwave stir fry - Take 1 potato and chop into bite size pieces. Place in a microwave dish and add 2 tbl olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 small clove, minced), and 1 tbl chopped basil. Microwave, covered, on high for 3 minutes. Take 1 large broccoli stalk and chop the florets off, setting them aside. Slice the broccoli stalk in thin slices and add to the potatoes, along with 1 pat of butter. Microwave these, covered, together for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, 1 thinly sliced red pepper and the zucchini sliced thin to the microwave container. Stir well to coat all pieces with the oil, butter, garlic and herbs. Microwave, covered, for another three minutes. This will give you al dente vegetables and the vegetables will maintain all their color. If you wish to add meat to this dish, sauté your meat on the side while your vegetables are being microwaved. Add the cooked meat to the cooked vegetable mixture and stir well.

7. Freeze for the winter - Though frozen vegetables are nothing like fresh, this does allow you to have some of your own vegetables during the months when your garden is not producing. Slice your zucchini into thin slices and place in a colander. Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil. Dip the colander into the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and drain thoroughly. Put blanched zucchini into small freezer bags, mark with the date and freeze.

8. Experiment with recipes - try substituting shredded zucchini for carrots in your favorite carrot cake, scone or muffin recipes. Query on the internet for "zucchini recipes". There are many scrumptious ones out there, including my "Low Cal Zucchini Mini-Muffins".