So my plan to create a summer series focusing on vegetables fell short, to say the least. This has been a VERY busy summer with lots changes in the past couple of months. So for all you who thought I was a hermit crab; I’m finally back! With that being said, I have some good and bad news. The bad news is that the child and family cooking classes have come to an end (tear!). I created most of my recipes during these classes, so since I am no longer teaching those I have not been as creative with my meals; hence the lack of blog posts. The good news is that although I haven’t been creating elaborate dishes, I have mastered a couple of quick, healthy dishes that require minimal prep. So this is a shout out to all the busy folks who want to eat healthy!
So, without further ado, let me introduce to you my key player in my summer dishes: Weighing in at 7 ounces (on average) and packing quite the punch, it’s zucchini! Botanically speaking, zucchini is a fruit (because the seed develops out of the flower), but in the culinary world it is treated as a vegetable. So just for the sake of this blog post, I’m going to treat it as such 🙂
Zucchini is probably one of the most underrated “vegetables” in my opinion. Zucchini contains only 21 calories per cup, which makes it an excellent low calorie alternative to substitute in a variety of dishes. Most of its nutritional benefits are due in part to its rich phytonutrient content, which includes the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Carotenoids are the same nutrient family that include beta-carotene, which is a source of Vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision and one cup alone of chopped zucchini provides 2.6 milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin, which is 43% of the daily recommended intake.
Zucchini is also a great source of Vitamin C and manganese. Both of these nutrients help protect your tissues from harmful free radicals and each have their own unique nutritional properties as well. One cup of zucchini provides 10-12% of the daily recommended intake of manganese and 24-29% of the recommended Vitamin C intake.
Even more appealing, eating zucchini can help promote weight loss! As previously mentioned, it is low calorie and can be substituted in place of pasta and other carb heavy ingredients in a variety of dishes. They can be prepared by simply roasting, grilling, or steaming and do not require added fats or sugar to bring out its flavor profile. It also “hides” in foods quite nicely, such as zucchini muffins and pasta dishes, which can be great for the families that have picky eaters!
One of my all time favorite recipes this summer includes zucchini squash and is SUPER easy to whip up–for real. Try it out and let me know what you think!
Zucchini Bake
*Recipe adapted from Kaylyn’s Kitchen
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium whole zucchinis
- 2 medium yellow squash
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup shredded low-fat Italian Blend cheese (halved)
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*Note: you can add more shredded and grated cheese if you prefer a cheesier dish, but that will alter the nutrition facts listed below
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cube zucchini and squash (I cut mine in half lengthwise and then into half-moon sizes)
- Place cubed zucchini and squash in a medium mixing bowl
- Toss together the zucchini, squash, thyme, fresh chopped basil, garlic powder, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese in mixing bowl. Season with fresh ground pepper
- Transfer ingredients into an 8×8 casserole dish that has been sprayed with olive oil
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese and place back in oven
- Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and zucchini is cooked through
- Serve hot and enjoy!
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 101 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 5 g | 8 % |
| Saturated Fat 3 g | 15 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 15 mg | 5 % |
| Sodium 227 mg | 9 % |
| Potassium 429 mg | 12 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 7 g | 2 % |
| Dietary Fiber 2 g | 8 % |
| Sugars 3 g | |
| Protein 8 g | 15 % |
| Vitamin A | 11 % |
| Vitamin C | 47 % |
| Calcium | 19 % |
| Iron | 5 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Eating with Erin 