Saturday, June 23, 2012

Zucchini, zucchini, what to do with the zucchini??

Our friend Donna gifted us with SEVERAL lovely zucchini squash. Who doesn't love fresh veggies from the garden?? But the question was what to do with it?

We love to grill it outside. So yummy - smokey and good. We slice it into long wedges (quarter it length way into "fingers.") toss in olive or veggie oil, season with your favorite blend and throw on the grill. Perfect next to all grilled meat and I use the left overs the next day chopped up in a quick crustless quiche!

I have also done the wedges in the toaster oven tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Wedging is the perfect way to use the squash that is bigger and has the tough seeds inside. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out then cut it into wedges and sprinkle with cheese.

My favorite way however is SO simple - only three ingredients and SO very good! Gracie ate a LOT of these - "Squash Chips!" I came across similar recipes however they tend to put bread crumbs on top - I didn't want bread crumbs - gluten free or otherwise - so I decided to just try it and it worked like a charm.

Slice the squash thinly into rounds either with a "slicer" (I have a couple from Pampered Chef that I love) or you can use a knife - just be careful to slice them evenly otherwise they will cook unevenly. Toss with olive or veggie oil. Spray or oil a cookie sheet. Since I use my sheets for both gluten and gluten free cooking I always use foil for my GF recipes.

I then place grated parmesan cheese onto a small dish and dip one side of the squash in the cheese, pressing down. You want to make sure the top is completely covered but not clumpy. If there is too much cheese (is there really such a thing??) tap some off and place on the cookie sheet with out them touching (they can be near each other but not touching.) I found a medium size squash makes about two cookie sheets full - honestly not NEAR enough!

Bake at 350 and check after 20 minutes. The time will depend on how thick the squash is and how crispy you want it. Since I started slicing with my knife and finished with my slicer I had some that were pretty dark and others that were softer - all were good! I liked them right in the middle - toasted on tip but with a little moisture still inside.

Serve them next to your entree either alone or with a little Ranch Dressing for dipping - both ways are REALLY good!

0 comments: