Recipes

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 zucchinis, sliced long and thin using a mandolin
1 portabella mushroom, sliced thin
1 grilled Japanese eggplant, sliced round and thin
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 2 teaspoon
Grilled flatbread (recipe follows)

Directions

Follow instructions for the grilled flatbread and keep warm. Place all the ingredients on a flat baking sheet and season with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons lemon zest, making sure to get both sides. Drizzle olive oil over it, not too much and flip and do the same. Let stand while the lemon ricotta is made. In a medium bowl mix together the lemon juice, ricotta, and zest and season to taste with salt. Heat a grill and grill all vegetables until grilled and soft, or about 3-4 minutes. Place a dollop of the herbed ricotta on the flat bread and spread around, place the grilled vegetables of choice over the top and serve!

Grilled Herbed Flatbread

Makes 6 hand sized breads

Ingredients

1½ cups warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
Olive oil
Coarse salt
¼ cup fresh herbs of choice (rosemary being the classic version), chopped fine

Directions

In a small bowl combine warm water and yeast, whisk a bit to mix and let stand for about 10 minutes or until the yeast if frothy and dissolved. In a large bowl mix the flour and salt, add the yeast mixture and about 2 tablespoons of olive. Mix well with hands or a wooden spoon until sticky dough is made, adding more flour or water if needed. Turn the dough out onto a floured flat surface and knead until smooth and elastic or about 5-10 minutes. Grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough (smooth and elastic) in a round ball in the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm area and let rise until more than doubled in size or approximately 1½ hours. Punch down dough and divide into 6 balls. Roll out each ball into hand size flat bread until golden brown with grill marks, or about 3-4 minutes per side. Take off the grill and immediately brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Serves 2

2 zucchinis, cut into ribbons (using a mandolin)
½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspon lemon juice
1 glove garlic, chopped superfine
1 teaspoon fresh red chili, deseeded and chopped superfine
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Salt

In a mixing bowl mix together the zucchini, garlic, lemon juice and mint. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over it and sprinkle with chilies, pine nuts and salt and mix well.

Serves 6-9

Ingredients

1¼ unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water
6 eggs
2 small zucchinis, sliced thin
½ cup red onions, sliced thin
½ cup fresh marjoram leaves
Salt/pepper
1 cup half and half
¼ cup gruyere cheese, grated
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

For the crust

In a bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter. Using a wooden spoon and your hands, mix until coarse meal forms. Add 4 tablespoons ice water. Mix until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more ice water if dough becomes too dry and won’t form into a ball. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill at least one hour. Roll out and form crust and bake in a 350° preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

For the quiche

Mix eggs, cream, salt and pepper and fresh herbs. Blend well. Add cheese. Add the majority of the zucchini and onions saving a few pieces of each for the top. Pour batter into pie crust and place a few leftover zucchini and onions on top for aesthetics. Bake for 45 minutes at 350° or until golden brown on top and/or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 medium zucchini, shredded on box grater
3 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup fresh basil, chopped fine

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING

½ cup fine bread crumbs
½ cup Asiago cheese, grated fine
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon olive oil

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400Ëš.
Place shredded zucchini into a colander and with sprinkle.
Let moisture drain from zucchini for 30 minutes and then squeeze out any excess liquid.
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine zucchini, olive oil and chopped basil.
Pack zucchini mixture into a shallow ceramic baking dish.
Meanwhile, in a separate small mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, grated Asiago cheese, chopped basil and olive oil.
Sprinkle bread crumb topping over the zucchini mixture and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until brown.
Serve immediately.

Makes 40 small cakes

INGREDIENTS

4 zucchini, grated
¾ cup bread crumbs
½ small onion, grated
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ bunch scallions, roughly chopped
1 cup canola oil
1½ tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Yogurt Sauce, recipe below

PREPARATION

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and make into small patties. In a large sauté pan, heat canola oil and add zucchini cakes (be careful not to crowd pan) and cook till golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the cakes over and cook on the other side until done, about 2-3 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain of excess grease. Serve immediately with yogurt sauce.

For Yogurt Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 cups plain low fat yogurt
¼ cup celery, grated
1 teaspoon mashed garlic
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups chopped English cucumber, seeds removed
Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and serve.

© Recipe courtesy of Rafael Hasid, Miriam Restaurant

Makes 2 dozen mini cakes

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 small zucchini, shredded
1 small carrot, shredded
2 tablespoons pumpkin-seed oil or sunflower oil
¼ cup milk, skim
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, zucchini, carrots and pumpkin seeds and milk until smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin seeds and mix and set aside. In a smaller mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt and mix well. Slowly add the dry goods to the wet a little at a time until combined and batter like constancy. Place by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment paper) bake little mini cakes in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick interested in each cake comes out clean. Allow to cool, store in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 20 medium latkes

INGREDIENTS

Minty, healthy and light, these latkes make a delightful snack or appetizer.
4 cups zucchini, washed and grated
2 medium potatoes, washed, peeled and grated
1 medium white onion, grated
3 eggs beaten
½ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped fine
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
Vegetable oil

PREPARATION

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and mix well. Heat a large heavy bottom skillet to high heat making sure there is enough oil to cover the bottom generously. Form 2-3 inch pancakes, drop into pan and brown on both sides until deep golden brown, usually about 2-3 minutes on each side. Take off heat and place on paper towels so excess oil can be drained.

Minted Yogurt

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped fine
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix well until smooth and thoroughly mixed. Serve cold on top of hot latkes.

Makes 4-6 Paninis

Ingredients

Directions

In a mixing bowl mix together the zucchini, garlic, lemon juice and mint. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over it and sprinkle with chilies, pine nuts and salt and mix well. Let the zucchini sit for about 10 minutes. After the zucchini has marinated place some parmesan on each side of the bread slices, layer the zucchini ribbons on the cheese and drizzle a little dressing on. Fold the bread over and cook in a panini press making sure that the outside of the bread is greased or oiled for optimal crispness.

(makes about 15)

Ingredients

Directions

Combine all ingredients aside from the dumpling wrappers. Follow directions for folding and pan-frying dumplings. Serve with some good Balsamic vinegar.

How to Fold the Dumplings

How to Pan-Fry Dumplings

This technique is really a combination of steaming/boiling and frying the dumplings, to give its bottom a crispy, golden texture and to cook the noodle and filling through with the help of boiling water and steam. Nonstick pans work best in this situation.

Heat the oil in a large skillet that comes with a lid. Once the oil is hot, line the dumplings in a circle around the edge of the pan. Fill the center with as many dumplings as will fit – do not squash them against one another too much. Let cook on high for about 2 minutes. Add enough water to the pan to cover about one quarter of the height of the dumplings, reduce heat to medium, and cover. Let cook covered for about 4 minutes. Lift cover, and cook until all the water has evaporated. Remove the potstickers from the pan with a spatula (they will stick).

Recipe Property of Cathy Erway, author & food blogger
www.noteatingoutinny.com www.theartofeatingin.com www.lunchatsixpoint.com

INGREDIENTS

>

5 medium zucchini, sliced paper thin in ribbons
½ cup mint
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
salt

PREPARATION

Place all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Season with salt.  Arrange ribbons and a nice platter and serve.