Summer Squash and Zucchini Recipes
It’s the time of the summer when all the squash, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes are coming in! If you are like me, I’ve got so many of these veggies that I’m trying to find ways to use them.
I didn’t want to make zucchini bread with all the sugar, so I’ve been looking for savory ways to use these veggies instead. I’ve found a couple good ones and wanted to share them with you!
Zucchini and summer squash are great vegetables to eat when you are trying to keep you insulin levels from spiking. They are considered a low-carb vegetable and have some fiber in them as well. Both squashes have great nutritional benefits including potassium, folate, vitamin A and anti-oxidants.
Both zucchini and summer squash have a high water content and when cooked are easily digested, which can be helpful if you have digestion issues.
Summer Squash Casserole
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cube real butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 large squash, diced
1 cup grated raw cheddar cheese (white)
Chop up all the veggies. Place butter in a pan heated to medium high heat. When melted, add in the onion and garlic to saute until translucent. Add in the diced squash and cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add both cheeses and gently mix in. Transfer contents to a baking pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and let it set for about 10 minutes. Serve. Serves between 6-8. You can use either zucchini or squash or a mixture of both for this recipe.
Zucchini Boats
1 pound Italian sausage, nitrate-free
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1 cup fresh mozzarella
4 cups or more of home-made marinara sauce (or you can use jarred marinara)
Fresh parsley, diced
3-4 small to medium sized zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise and scooped out.
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Take your zucchinis and slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh in the middle to make room for the sausage stuffing. Dice up the scooped out flesh and save it. Heat a frying pan up to medium heat, add olive oil. Add diced onion, garlic and saute until starting to get translucent. Add italian sausages and cook until completely done (you may have to break up with a spoon as you cook it to be sure there are no large chunks). Add diced zucchini that you scooped out of the boats. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add grated parmesan. Place the zucchini boats in a large baking pan, fill the middles with the sausage mixture. Top with grated fresh mozzarella and spoon the marinara sauce on the top. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, covered, at 350 degrees. Top with fresh parsley and serve.