Zucchini Part IV--Enchiladas too?

One of the things I've been trying to learn for this blog has been the art of food photography. Since I only have my simple kitchen and a pretty basic camera, the results I'm sure have been mixed.

The photo in this entry shows I still need to work at the process. I have had a recipe for Lasagna Enchiladas (actually, more like a midwestern enchilada casserole, since I don't take time to roll up the tortillas) ready to go for awhile. However, when I downloaded the photo, I realized that these enchiladas looks remarkably like the zucchini lasagna from a couple of weeks ago. Individual servings, had I taken photos of them, would have shown the difference of course, but I didn't take that extra step. Since I have not had the opportunity to make either dish again, you'll just have to imagine that this is enchiladas ready for the oven, while the earlier post demonstrates all the steps of the lasagna. Honest.

We had a close call with frost one night last week, but most local gardens (and produce farmers?) managed to miss it, so the abundance of zucchini and yellow summer squash continues, perhaps at a little slower rate as the air cools. If you are still looking for new ways to use up these prolific producers, here is the enchilada recipe to try. Sorry I missed posting this for Mexican Independence Day on September 16, but it's always time for Mexican at my house.

A side note: This recipe is a little lighter than many enchilada recipes, because I have added yogurt and egg, cutting the cheese needed by half. You might want to try this step with your usual, no-zucchini enchiladas as well.

Zucchini Cheese Enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce
2 t canola oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1 c grated zucchini or yellow summer squash
1/2 c red or green bell pepper, diced
1 T chili powder--or more to taste
1 t cumin
1 t garlic powder
26 oz can or jar chunky vegetable or other variety spaghetti sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 c minced cilantro--optional

Cheese Sauce
1 c yogurt
1 egg
4 oz grated cheddar, mozzarella or Mexican blend cheese
1 t cumin
1 to 2 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder

7 to 10 corn tortillas
2 to 4 oz grated cheese of your choice

1. Saute the onions in the oil until just starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and continue to cook until the zucchini is quite soft, about 5 to 10 minutes more. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and return the mixture to a slow boil. Taste and adjust for seasoning as desired.

2. While the sauce is cooking, combine the yogurt, egg, cheese, and seasonings. Set aside.

3. Spread a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 7 X 11 pan or casserole dish. Arrange a single layer of tortillas over the sauce, tearing as needed to completely cover the bottom.

4. Spread half the cheese sauce over the tortillas, and then pour over about a third of the remaining enchilada sauce.

5. Add another layer of tortillas and the rest of the cheese sauce. Pour over another third of the enchilada sauce and top with one more layer of tortillas.

6. Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, making sure all areas are covered. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

7. Cover lightly and bake at 350 degrees about 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Uncover about 15 minutes into the baking time for the best crust.

Variations:

One to two cups of diced, cooked chicken, refried beans, or crumbled, cooked ground beef or turkey can be added after each of the two cheese sauce layers.

Zucchini Part III - This Time with Black-Eyed Peas

Here's a dish that could work as a dip (similar to refried beans) with chips or as a vegetarian main dish (even vegan if you skip any dairy trims) with rice. Gluten free too--a dish for many different dietary needs/wants--and it tastes good too!

While you could make this without zucchini, why not grate in this bountiful vegetable while it's so readily available. And if they are free (from your own garden or those of family and friends) or at a seasonally low cost at the local farmers' market or in the stores, all the better.

While we can joke about all this zucchini cooking, these fruits masquerading as vegetables are really great contributors to a healthy diet, with lots of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C and key minerals and only a few calories--somewhere between 20 and 35 per cup, depending on how much you pack it in. (There are about 30 calories for a quarter pound according to most of the nutrition sites I checked.)

And if you are wondering about the wisdom of "hiding" veggies in food, you might want to look at this article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725123557.htm

So go ahead and get out that grater and grate some zucchini into anything you're making with a tomato or spaghetti sauce base!

South of the Border Hoppin' John

I happen to like the flavor of black-eyed peas and decided to try using them instead of the typical pinto beans in a summer spread for crisped tortillas. However, as I stirred it and the aroma filled the house, I realized that I had the start of a great main dish to be served over rice.

Note that this will be on the spicy side with most brands of tomatoes and chilies. If that is not to your liking, you could substitute an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes and chop a tablespoon or two of green bell peppers to saute with the onion.

canola oil for sauteeing--1 to 2 tablespoons at most
1 c coarsely chopped onion
2 c grated zucchini
5 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounce can tomatoes and green chilies
1 T cumin
3 c cooked black-eyed peas, including liquid (if using canned peas, use two 15 oz cans and omit salt)
salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the onions. Saute lightly, for about 3 to 4 minutes, and then add the zucchini. Continue cooking on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and starting to brown and the zucchini has softened and is also starting to take on a browned, golden appearance.

2. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and chilies and cumin and stir well. When the mixture has returned to a simmer, turn heat to medium low and add the black-eyed peas. Continue heating until the mixture has thickened to your preference--as a dip, you will probably want it thicker than if you are serving it as a main dish over rice. After the mixture has cooked for a few minutes, taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed.

3. If desired, mash some of the peas with the back of a spoon to give a more "refried beans" consistency.

4. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired. Other topping suggestions: grated cheese, sliced black olives, or yogurt. This amount serves 4 as a main dish and makes about 2 to 3 cups of dip.

Pinto beans, kidney beans, or any other favorite bean can be substituted for the black-eyed peas. 

One More Zucchini Note

If you are not ready for even one more zucchini recipe, shred those extras, pack in freezer bags with a cup or two (depending on how much you usually use at a time) and freeze. No extra prep is required, and you'll be ready to make any of these recipes easily. . A one cup packet dropped into your usual winter vegetable soups will give added body too.

Zucchini Part I--As a Main Dish

We have all heard the jokes about the orphaned bags of zucchini left on the doorstep overnight, but I had a very nice experience a week or so ago. There at the door were my master gardener neighbors, offering up a beautifully arranged basket of zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers they were offering to share with the rest of us on the street.

Selecting a lavishly striped zucchini for my share, I added it to the yellow squash that are actually doing quite nicely in my own garden this year. Then, only a few days later, my daughter arrived from eastern Wisconsin with a large bag of more zucchini and cucumbers from her master gardener uncle. What a bounty!

A couple of years ago, I found the cookbook pictured above at a garage sale, a real bargain for only 50 cents. The cookbook is self-published--looking like a church cookbook with that same kind of plastic binding--with almost 300 pages of recipes for...zucchini. Yup, every single one of them includes zucchini. Sliced zucchini, grated zucchini, pureed zucchini, even zucchini juice. Main dishes, breads, salads, preserves, desserts, they're all there. Will I ever use all of them? Of course not. The zucchini juice section seems a little more work than I'm ready for, and the cake section seems to go over the top at times. Still, the book has been a great idea starter and a good supplement to some of the things I already do with these squashes.

And I have been "doing." Here and in the next couple of posts, I'll be sharing some old and new ways that I have found to use up these free foods--and you can't get much more frugal than free, can you!

For starters, let's go with lasagna. While this includes browning the zucchini in olive oil, the recipe itself is still a little lighter than most because of the "missing" pasta, use of fat free yogurt instead of ricotta, and the absence of meat. I've been making my adaptation of a recipe from Jane Brody's Good Food Book for over 25 years, and it still makes people happy when it is served. It's especially good when we have these giant zucchinis from the garden, though smaller ones available other times of the year can also be used.

Zucchini Lasagna

Enough for a 9 X 13 or 11 or 12 inch square pan

2 large or 3 to 4 medium zucchini--the zucchini will shrink a little while sauteeing so be sure you have enough!
2 to 3 T flour
3 T corn meal
salt or seasoning salt--about 1/4 to 1/3 t
olive or canola oil
2 c nonfat plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 t garlic powder
Italian seasoning and/or oregano to taste
1 can or jar, 26 to 28 ounces, spaghetti sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
additional herbs (I like a little basil and additional oregano) or garlic powder as desired
8 ounces grated mozzarella or "Italian blend" cheese
approximately 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into quarter inch thick slices. If desired, sprinkle lightly with salt and place in a colander for about 20 to 30 minutes. Before dipping in the flour mixture in step 2, squeeze them lightly to extract more liquid. (This is not a required step, but it does help make them brown more quickly and evenly.)

2. In a large frying pan, heat just enough oil to thinly cover the bottom. Meanwhile, combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a flat dish. Dip the zucchini slices in the flour mixture, coating each side well. When the oil is just shimmering, put the zucchini slices in and cook over medium high heat, turning to brown both sides. You will need to work in batches, so take the first slices out and put them on a platter lined with a paper towel. Add a bit of oil to the pan as needed and continue sauteeing the slices until they are all just golden. Do not overcook or they will be too soft to handle easily.

3. Combine the yogurt, eggs, garlic powder, oregano, and Italian seasoning and mix well. In a separate container, combine the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and any additional herbs or seasonings as desired.

4. Now the layering begins! Spread a small amount of the tomato mixture over the bottom of the pan, covering it thoroughly. Then cover this with a third of the zucchini slices, pressing them close together so the bottom of the pan is well covered. Spread with half the yogurt mixture and then about a third of the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers--another third of the zucchini, the rest of the yogurt, another third of the tomato sauce, and a third of the mozzarella. Complete the layering with one more layer of zucchini covered with the rest of the tomato sauce and then the remaining mozzarella. The final topping is the Parmesan, spread evenly over the entire dish.

5. Bake the lasagna in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the top is golden. If it seems to be getting too brown too quickly, you can cover it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes or so.

6. As with all lasagnas, allow this to sit for 15 to 20 minutes after taking it out of the oven so that it will cut and serve more easily. This easily serves 8 people. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or can be frozen.