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Tag Archives: zucchini

Chilled Zoodle Salad with Herby Buttermilk Ranch

26 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Healthy, Main Dish, Meatless Monday, Salad, Vegetarian

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

basil, buttermilk, carrots, feta, garlic, olives, ranch, red onion, tomatoes, zoodles, zucchini, zucchini noddles

When I wasn’t making loaf after loaf of my new go-to zucchini bread, we were eating this salad. On a hot summer day, the last thing I wanted to do was make zucchini lasagna or stir frys…and this zoodle salad is so adaptable it solved all of our problems. Here we have the basic version with a homemade, herby buttermilk ranch, but we ate this salad many times with store bought dressing (don’t tell anyone) and it was still amazing. Add different toppings, throw on some grilled chicken, just about anything works!

I found the secret to this salad was chilling the zoodles for at least an hour. It made them extra crunchy and took out some of the moisture so you didn’t have a soggy zoodle salad. Move over, lettuce…zoodles make summer salads more fun.

Recipe
Chilled Zoodle Salad with Herby Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
By Baked Northwest
Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 medium zucchini, spiralized into “zoodles”
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper

For the Herby Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup of buttermilk, shaken
  • 3/4 cup mayo
  • 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsbp siracha (if you want to add some spice)!

Directions

Make your zoodles:
Using a spiralizer (I have the Paderno Spiralizer), make your zucchini noodles: I use the small spaghetti-sized blade for this salad, but the thicker noodle blade works great too! Lightly blot dry your zoodles with paper towels and place them in an airtight container, and refrigerate for at least an hour. I find refrigerating the zoodles takes some of the moisture out and ends up giving your salad a nice crisp crunch. You do not want a soggy salad! You can make your zoodles the night before and store in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

Make the herby buttermilk ranch:
Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the dressing to a container, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors develop.

Assemble your zoodle bowl:
   Place the red onion in a small bowl and add the tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Add a little bit of salt and pepper and let stand while you assemble the rest of the salad.
Divide the zoodles in half and place on 2 bowls or plates. Add half of your toppings to each bowl; the carrots, olives, tomatoes, feta, and onions. Serve with the herby buttermilk ranch and enjoy!

 

Go-To Zucchini Bread

11 Sunday Sep 2016

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Easy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bread, zucchini, zucchinis

This year I was determined to find *THE* zucchini bread recipe. One that used loads of zucchini (4 whole cups to be exact), could make 2 loaves but also translate into muffins (or in this case, mini loaf pans), and one that would be great either on its own or with fun extras like chocolate chips or nuts. The great news is I found my recipe…and I think I like it best plain and boring, all on its own.



After making this recipe several times I finally got around to taking pictures with a batch where I added chocolate chips. The great thing about this recipe is you can easily adapt it based on your current mood. It’s perfect on its own, but some great add-ins I tried were nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, and sesame seeds (all on different occasions, not in one batch). I found whole wheat flour gave it a little more substance but while flour was fine too.

Recipe
Go-To Zucchini Bread
By Baked Northwest
Makes 2 large loaves

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (can sub white flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 cups grated zucchini, dried out slightly (from about 2 medium zucchinis)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit of your choice or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

A note on the shredded zucchini – I shred mine, and put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight. This gets some of the moisture out but not too much. You can definitely use your shredded zucchini right away, I would just make sure to blot out the excess moisture with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray 2 9×5 inch loaf pans or tins with cooking spray and set aside. Beat the butter and sugars in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the oil and vanilla and stir to combine.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and stir together. Add the zucchini, nuts, and any additional fillings you may be using and stir. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. They will only be a little over half full. Bake until the bread springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing and serving. This bread freezes well and tastes better the next day!

 

Zucchini Pound Cake

17 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Baking, Bloggerific, Breads, Desserts

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bundt cake, bundt pan, cream cheese, Joy the Baker, pound cake, zucchini

Zucchini Cake

In terms of recipes, we have a lot of options these days. I think it’s safe to say we probably have too many recipes available to us…it can be very daunting. Regardless of reviews, you really never know how something is going to turn out until you make it and taste it for yourself.

Zucchini Cake

Continue reading →

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

10 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Baking, Breads, Breakfast

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Tags

bread, chocolate, chocolate chips, loaf, muffins, zucchini

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

As if Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread wasn’t enough…I had to go ahead and make some extra chocolately zucchini muffins. These muffins can also be made as chocolate zucchini bread, but I have a special place in my heart for chocolate muffins. We all know a certain wholesale store sells some of the biggest and best chocolate muffins ever…but it’s hard not to feel guilty when indulging in a giant 1 pound muffin that’s 90% butter. Continue reading →

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

29 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Baking, Breads

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

chocolate chips, zucchini, zucchini bread

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Last summer, we planted zucchini with high hopes of tackling a ton of great zucchini recipes. Anyone who plants zucchini always gets way more than they hope for, right? Nobody can screw up a zucchini plant! Well, apparently I can…our plant did nothing. Yet another blow to my gardening ego. We moved this year and planted more, seeing if history would repeat itself…and thank goodness we had some success! Continue reading →

Zucchini and Squash Gratin

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Easy, Entertaining, Side Dish, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bread crumbs, cast iron skillet, gratin, gruyere, nutmeg, panko, spiralize, spiralizer, squash, yellow squash, zucchini

Zucchini and Squash Gratin

I didn’t grow up eating very many “gratins.” There were certain things that just weren’t in our usual repertoire, and there is nothing wrong with that – my mother knew what worked for her very particular children, and we stuck with it.

Spiralized Zucchini and Squash

Oh how times change. Now, I eat just about everything, and I now live close enough to my mom where we can try things that never really existed in our recipe box before. I still had the last of the zucchini and squash from our garden, and was ready to make a comforting, fall side dish. Continue reading →

Pasta Primavera.

26 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by BakedNorthwest in Healthy, LuLu's Classics, Main Dish, Pasta

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

asparagus, blanch, broccoli, butter, cream, dinner, memories, mushrooms, new york times, parmesan, parsley, pasta primavera, peas, pine nuts, red pepper flakes, salt, spaghetti, spring, summer, tomatoes, vegetables, zucchini

My mom (the famous LuLu) had been planning on visiting for a girl’s weekend for about a month. At the very inception of these plans, my aunt said, “Let’s make pasta primavera.” I had heard of it, but couldn’t remember ever having it. The “retro” recipe is long and laborious, but so worth it. Now that I know our personal family history of it, I can’t wait to make it again.

Classic Pasta Primavera

As the days drew closer to my mom’s visit, I started asking more about the dish. She said, “Grammy started making it around the time we were in college. It was something we would eat in the spring or summer.” She then told me I could find the recipe in a New York Times article if I googled it. I didn’t realize Pasta Primavera was such a huge deal back in the day.  No surprise though, that Grammy was on the cutting edge of what to cook, long before Food Network, Pinterest, or blogs. It made me smile.

almost ready to eat...

Don't forget the parmesan cheese!

So, mid-afternoon on a Saturday after pedicures, the three of us girls started making the dish. We found parts of the New York Times Recipe to be a bit unclear, but hey, Ina can’t write every recipe out there.

Blanching the cooked broccoli

We blanched a lot of vegetables, all separately.

More blanched veggies. After the initial rinse, we started adding them all to bowls with ice cubes to keep them cold.

Fresh Cubed Tomatoes

cooked mushrooms with parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper.

After blanching, the veggies go back on the stove.

Though delicious and worth every step, this is not a recipe you want to make if you don’t have many pots or pans, or don’t feel like doing a ton of dishes later. Wait, scratch that. Go out and buy more pots and pans, and make someone who loves you do the dishes. Problem solved!

See, tons of pots and pans. But how good does this all look?

We made a double recipe, so we had a little trouble fitting all the veggies into one pan.

The final touch before serving - toasted pine nuts. drooling.

When we finally sat down to eat, I was so happy. Surrounded by some of the people I love the most, with a plate of pasta you can feel good about eating. Pasta Primavera was more than a trendy dish made decades ago, but clearly brought back fond memories of Grammy for my mom and aunt. They said it tasted just like they remembered it. They wondered how she did it all by herself, never complaining or asking for help. It may have took the three of us to make it, but Grammy would have been proud.

The last few bites...

Recipe

Pasta Primavera

  • 1 bunch broccoli
  • 2 small zucchini, unpeeled
  • 4 asparagus spears
  • 1 1/2 cups green beans
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen pea pods
  • 1 tablespoon peanut, vegetable or corn oil
  • 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced hot red or green chili, or 1/2 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 cups 1-inch tomato cubes
  • 6 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, approximately
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts.

1. Trim broccoli and break into florets. Trim off ends of the zucchini. Cut into quarters, then cut into 1-inch or slightly longer lengths (about 1 1/2 cups). Cut each asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Trim beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.

2. Cook each of the green vegetables separately in boiling salted water to cover until crisp but tender. Drain well, then run under cold water to chill, and drain again thoroughly. Combine the cooked vegetables in a bowl.

3. Cook the peas and pods; about 1 minute if fresh; 30 seconds if frozen. Drain, chill with cold water and drain again. Combine with the vegetables.

4. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 2 minutes, shaking the skillet and stirring. Add the chili and parsley. Stir, add the mixture to the vegetables.

5. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook about 4 minutes. Add the basil.

6. In a separate pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and add the remaining garlic and the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until heated through.

7. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until almost (but not quite) tender, retaining a slight resilience in the center. Drain well.

8. In a pot large enough to hold the spaghetti and vegetables, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Then add the chicken broth and half a cup each of cream and cheese, stirring constantly. Cook gently until smooth. Add the spaghetti and toss quickly to blend. Add half the vegetables and pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, tossing over very low heat.

9. Add the remaining vegetables. If the sauce seems dry, add 3 to 4 tablespoons more cream. Add the pine nuts and give the mixture a final tossing.

10. Serve equal portions of the spaghetti mixture in hot soup or spaghetti bowls. Spoon equal amounts of the tomatoes over each serving. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course; 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

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