Zucchini Archives - Vegetable Recipes

Garden Pasta Salad

Mary Younkin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:23:59 +0000

If there is a dish I could eat all year long, it’s a vegetable-packed pasta salad. I used to think of pasta salads as summer side dishes, and yes, they certainly are popular for that reason.

When vegetables are at their peak in a season, they tend to find their way into many dishes in my kitchen. I’m looking at you, zucchini pasta salad. Pasta salads are the ultimate in make-ahead meals that can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Garden Pasta Salad

While I love the sound of a “garden pasta salad” and that’s the name I came up with for this one, we are not gardeners over here. I have the blackest of thumbs and have just about given up on even getting mint to flourish. (Not kidding – HOW did I manage to kill mint, the everlasting weed in most gardens?)

So, I’m grateful for the farmers’ market in our little village and for the fresh local and not-so-local produce available in our stores year-round. Right now, my vegetable pasta salads are filled with tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, and bell peppers.

I’ve mentioned before, and it holds true with this salad, that I like a LOT of vegetables in my pasta dishes. If I can manage a 50/50 ratio of vegetables to pasta, that’s perfect for me!

Pasta Salad with Vegetables

However you choose to make your garden pasta salad, the beauty is in the fact that the vegetables for pasta salad are about as versatile as you can imagine. Craving broccoli? Make a broccoli lover’s pasta salad.

This creamy macaroni salad is made with ditalini pasta, broccoli, bell pepper, cucumber, olives, and red onions. It’s the salad I make more than any other in the wintertime. It keeps well for several days in the fridge, and it’s a favorite make-ahead lunch for all of us.

Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing

As much as I enjoy a creamy pasta salad, they simply don’t hold well for potlucks or other large gatherings where food will be left out a bit longer. That’s where pasta salads with vinaigrette-style dressings really shine.

Pasta salad and Italian dressing are a match made in food heaven. The real magic though, is in the homemade dressing. This one is zesty and flavor-filled, with the perfect amount of tang. If you haven’t made a homemade salad dressing before, this is the place to start.

And because there’s no dairy or mayo in the dressing, this will hold up beautifully at room temperature for any occasion. Whether you’re making this for a party or meal prepping for the week, this vegetable-filled garden pasta salad is a winner.

Garden Pasta Salad

Bite-size pasta and an abundance of fresh vegetables are tossed in a zesty Italian vinaigrette to make this flavorful pasta salad.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 299kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

8 ounces bite-size pasta
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved
1 English cucumber diced into ½-inch pieces, about 2 cups
1 small zucchini diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
1 medium red bell pepper diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
1 medium yellow bell pepper diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
4 green onions sliced thin
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley chopped small
12 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced OPTIONAL

Zesty Italian Dressing:

⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Salad Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but do not rinse the pasta. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, parsley, and basil. Add the cooled pasta and stir to combine.
Prepare the dressing and pour about half of it over the pasta and vegetables. Toss well to mix throughout. Add more dressing as desired. Stir again. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dressing Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a pint-size or larger glass jar or bottle. Seal with lid and shake to combine. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition

Southwest Chicken Skillet with Corn and Zucchini

Mary Younkin — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 08:30:00 +0000

Tender, spicy bites of chicken are tossed with fresh sauteed vegetables and plenty of Mexican spices to create this easy skillet meal.

Southwest Chicken Skillet

While it isn’t a time-intensive recipe, I like to cook this at night, or on the weekend, and reheat through the week for easy lunches. We typically serve this southwest chicken skillet over rice or tucked into warm tortillas.

A squeeze of lime keeps the flavors here fresh, along with a sprinkling of cilantro. My kids like a dollop or sour cream or maybe some extra cheese in their tacos and sometimes a bit of hot sauce for heat.

The key to stress-free stir-fry recipes is prepping every ingredient before you begin cooking. Make sure that all of the ingredients are lined up next to the stove before you turn on the heat. The bulk of the prep time for this recipe is spent slicing and dicing the meat and vegetables, so give yourself about 20 minutes for prep time.

Once everything is assembled and ready to cook, the actual cooking time is just a few minutes. And if you plan to serve this with rice, start the rice cooking before you prep the ingredients for this recipe.

Easy Skillet Meals

My favorite stir-fries are salty, savory, sweet, and just a little bit spicy. And this ground beef and broccoli stir fry nails all of those things.

Juicy, salty kielbasa sausage and tender-crisp cabbage is a match made in food heaven. With the addition of some chopped onions and garlic, this sausage stir fry becomes a simple one-pan dinner the whole family loves.

This stir fry chicken with zucchini is an easy Asian-inspired dinner that delivers a whole lot of great flavor. Served on its own or over rice or noodles, this is a meal that always satisfies.

Thinly sliced flank steak in a garlicky ginger sauce makes for a delicious weeknight steak and pepper stir fry. While tender chunks of savory chicken dance with crisp green beans in a sauce that’s the perfect blend of savory and spice in this chicken and green beans stir fry.

Every bite of this shrimp and zucchini stir fry is pure shrimp-loving heaven – and you can make it start to finish in under 15 minutes. Garlic butter shrimp is one of my top 5 favorite foods. So naturally, when I had the idea to pair some shrimp with perfectly tender-crisp zucchini and toss it in a mouthwatering lemon garlic butter sauce, that had to happen immediately.

Tender broccoli florets and chunks of spicy sausage are scattered through every bite of this hearty, satisfying broccoli sausage pasta. When you’re craving pasta comfort food, but still want to enjoy a generous serving of vegetables (without messing around with a salad), this is the answer.

Southwest Chicken with Corn and Zucchini

Tender, spicy bites of chicken are tossed with fresh sauteed vegetables and plenty of Mexican spices to create this easy skillet meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 332kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

Chicken Ingredients

1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into ½-inch wide strips
2 teaspoons light olive oil divided
1½ tablespoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons cumin
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon oregano leaves
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
¼ teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Vegetable Ingredients

1½ pounds Italian zucchini sliced very thin, approximately ⅛-inch, about 4 cups
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 large red pepper sliced into thin matchsticks, about 1 cup
2 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large lime about 2 tbsps fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
2-3 tablespoons cotija cheese crumbled (optional)

Instructions

Place the chicken in a medium-size bowl. Drizzle with 1 tsp of oil. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic, onion, and red pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp oil to the skillet. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, constantly stirring, until the chicken has browned and is cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add the zucchini, peppers, corn, and garlic to the empty skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the zucchini and the peppers wilt just slightly and everything is warm, about 4 minutes.
Add the chicken back to the skillet. Add the lime juice and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet, stirring and mixing the juices over the chicken and vegetables. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle cilantro and cotija over the skillet, if desired.

Notes

The spices for the chicken may be substituted with 2 tablespoons of this taco seasoning. The spices for the vegetables may be substituted with 1½ teaspoons of the taco seasoning.

Store-bought taco seasoning may also be used. However, I recommend starting with a slightly lower amount, and tasting the dish before adding more, as the sodium content is often higher in commercial taco seasoning mixes.

Nutrition

Sauteed Zucchini and Mushrooms

Mary Younkin — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 08:30:00 +0000

When vegetables are so tasty you eat them right out of the pan, you know you have a winning dish! My youngest son and I stood at the counter eating at least half of the vegetables right out of the pan the last time I sauteed zucchini and mushrooms.

Zucchini and Mushrooms

Garlicky bites of zucchini and mushrooms come together in less than ten minutes to create this side dish. We served it with spaghetti and meatballs this week, but it would also work nicely with roasted chicken or meatloaf.

The key to this recipe is to undercook the squash. Unless you’re a fan of zucchini that is cooked until it is completely wilted, (and if you are, just do your own thing with the cooking times here) you want to pull it from the heat after just a few minutes in the pan.

Similar to the method used when cooking steak on the stove, the heat will carry over and the squash will continue to cook and soften while it rests. So, remove it from the pan when it has barely softened and still retains plenty of crispness.

Sauteed Zucchini and Mushrooms

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Italian zucchini
baby bella, crimini, or white mushrooms
olive oil
garlic
salt and pepper
butter
fresh Italian parsley

PLEASE NOTE that the cooking time for this recipe will vary depending on the size of the vegetable pieces and how crisp you like them to be when cooked.

We like our zucchini to retain a good bit of crispness, so I always err on the side of undercooking it. If you prefer yours a bit more tender, feel free to cook to your own desired doneness.

Mushrooms and Zucchini

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil and then add the zucchini. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.

Cook while stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. When the zucchini is tender-crisp, with plenty of bite remaining, remove from the pan.

Take care not to overcook, as the heat will carry over and the squash will continue to cook and soften while it rests.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and then add the mushrooms. Toss to coat and then cook, while stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and continue cooking, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes more.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and stir to melt. Return the zucchini to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.

For more zucchini and mushroom recipes, check out these recipes:

Zucchini, mushrooms, and sausage are tossed with penne in a spicy sauce for an easy dinner win in this simple skillet meal.

Tender zucchini wedges are coated in a crunchy, crispy, crave-worthy Parmesan breadcrumb coating to create these utterly snackable zucchini fries.

This simple mushroom spaghetti sauce trumps anything you can buy in jars or cans at the grocery store. After a few minutes of hands-on effort, you’ll be free to walk away while this sauce simmers on its own, making your house smell fantastic.

Sauteed Zucchini and Mushrooms

Garlicky bites of zucchini and mushrooms come together in less than ten minutes to create this side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 92kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

3 medium Italian zucchini quartered lengthwise and cut into ½ inch pieces, about 6 cups
8 ounces baby bella, crimini, or white mushrooms cut into approximately ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, adjust to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided, adjust to taste
2 tablespoons butter divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil and then add the zucchini. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.
Cook while stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. When the zucchini is tender-crisp, with plenty of bite remaining, remove from the pan. Take care not to overcook, as the heat will carry over and the squash will continue to cook and soften while it rests.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and then add the mushrooms. Toss to coat and then cook, while stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes more.
Add the remaining butter to the pan and stir to melt. Return the zucchini to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.

Notes

The cooking time for this recipe with vary depending on the size of the vegetables. We like our zucchini to retain a good bit of crispness, so I always err on the side of undercooking it. If you prefer yours a bit more tender, feel free to cook to your own desired doneness.

Nutrition

Zucchini Fries

Mary Younkin — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 09:00:52 +0000

While zucchini isn’t usually a vegetable most folks crave, these zucchini fries are about to change that! Tender zucchini wedges are coated in a crunchy, crispy, utterly crave-worthy Parmesan breadcrumb coating to create these zucchini fries.

Zucchini Fries

Poor zucchini. It has such a reputation as a boring vegetable. That is so wrong, though! Banish all thoughts of boring zucchini with baked zucchini fries.

Just imagine a plate of crispy, Parmesan and panko crusted, tender zucchini fries in front of you. Grab one of those and dunk it into some warm marinara sauce. These are so very good.

Be forewarned, though. Once you start making baked parmesan zucchini, you’ll be eating it all summer long!

Baked Zucchini Sticks

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

zucchini
egg
Panko breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
marinara sauce for serving, if desired

PLEASE NOTE: Slice the zucchini in as uniform pieces as possible to ensure even cooking and that all the fries will be done at the same time.

Also, take care not to overcook (erring on the side of undercooking) to guarantee that the fries will retain a bit of crispness when finished in the oven.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice the zucchini and pat it dry.

Combine the Panko, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl.

Sprinkle the zucchini fries with salt and pepper and then dip in the egg mixture.

Press the egg-dipped zucchini into the dry crumbs on all sides, until the zucchini is completely covered in crumbs.

Set the breaded zucchini sticks on the baking sheet, skin side down. Spray lightly with an olive oil cooking spray.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the sticks turn golden brown and are still tender crisp. Serve with warm marinara or pasta sauce for dipping.

Baked Zucchini

When zucchini is in season, it’s hard to have enough recipes to go through it all. Zucchini fries are delightful, but sometimes you need to change it up. Make sure you keep these excellent options in your back pocket!

Tender vegetables are breaded and broiled to perfection with plenty of buttery garlic and lemon in this Crispy Buttered Zucchini and Summer Squash.

Zucchini doesn’t need much done to it to be delicious when it’s in season. Learn how to bake zucchini with these simple instructions that make the summer classic shine.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Tender zucchini wedges are coated in a crunchy, crispy, utterly crave-worthy Parmesan breadcrumb coating to create these zucchini fries.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 16

Total Time 28

Servings

Calories 135kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini quartered into thin sticks and then patted dry
1 egg beaten
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice the zucchini and pat it dry. Combine the Panko, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and pepper and then dip in the egg mixture. Press the egg-dipped zucchini into the dry crumbs on all sides, until the zucchini is completely covered in crumbs.
Set the breaded zucchini sticks on the baking sheet, skin side down. Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the sticks turn golden brown and are still tender crisp. Serve with warm marinara or pasta sauce for dipping.

Notes

Slice the zucchini in as uniform pieces as possible to ensure even cooking and that all the fries will be done at the same time. Take care not to overcook (erring on the side of undercooking) to guarantee that the fries will retain a bit of crispness when finished in the oven.

Nutrition

Zucchini Corn Fritters

Mary Younkin — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 08:30:00 +0000

With little more than a few small zucchini and a couple of ears of fresh corn, you can be on your way to piping hot, crispy, craveable Zucchini Corn Fritters.

You’ll eat these crisp-edged corn zucchini fritters all year long, but they’re especially spectacular made with corn cut straight off of the cob in sweet corn season.

Read through the whole post and note the tips provided to ensure you will achieve the perfect fritter results!

Corn and Zucchini Fritters

These fritters are a mouthwatering fusion of flavors and textures. Fresh zucchini and sweet corn kernels are transformed into golden fritters with crisp edges through a quick pan-frying process. Corn zucchini fritters offer a medley of earthy zucchini, juicy sweet corn, and rich flavors in every bite.

Whether enjoyed as a side dish, appetizer, or light meal, zucchini corn fritters showcase the essence of summer produce in a delectable and satisfying way.

My mom and brother were visiting when I made these and it was all I could do to keep their hands off of them long enough to snap a few photos. The fritters were an enormous hit with my mom.

Corn and zucchini are a couple of our favorite summer vegetables and they’re a perfect match in this fritter recipe. Even better, it’s a delightfully snackable way to use up abundant zucchini all summer long.

Zucchini Corn Fritters

The most important step and the KEY to making fritters that will actually crisp up when cooked this way is to squeeze every single possible drop of liquid from the zucchini.

You may be surprised just how much liquid can be removed. The recipe as written below includes directions for using paper towels to squeeze the zucchini. This is likely the most approachable method for most people and it does work – you just might need quite a few paper towels.

Corn Zucchini Fritters

However, I’ve found that a clean tea towel is simpler and so much easier to use. You can squeeze it tightly without tearing any paper towels or making a big mess.

While I wouldn’t recommend using your favorite towels for this, I have this set of very inexpensive kitchen towels. I use the darker ones for tasks like this. They don’t typically stain and I can shake out any lingering bits of zucchini before tossing them in the wash.

Zucchini Corn Fritters Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

grated zucchini
corn
all-purpose flour
granulated garlic or garlic powder
salt and pepper
eggs
green onions
olive oil

Zucchini and Corn Fritters

Line a bowl with a triple layer of paper towels or a single, clean tea towel. Grate the zucchini and place it in the towel lined bowl.

Use the towel or paper towels to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the shredded zucchini. (If the paper towels soak through and begin to tear, repeat with fresh paper towels, as needed.)

Discard the liquid and place a clean, dry paper towel or tea towel in the bowl. Transfer the squeezed zucchini towel lined bowl and let it rest for a few minutes.

Combine the flour, garlic, salt, and pepper in another large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs and whisk again. Add the drained zucchini, corn, and green onions. Stir to combine.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, ease golf-ball sized scoops of the zucchini fritter mixture into the oil. (Approximately 3 tablespoons worth for each fritter.)

Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook for 2 minutes more.

Transfer the fritters to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining oil and batter.

Serve warm with sour cream, bang bang sauce, ranch dip, or marinara sauce.

Zucchini and Corn

Fresh corn with zucchini and herbs is a straight-from-the-farmer’s-market side dish worth sharing at your next cookout.

This smoked sausage vegetable stir fry with fresh corn, zucchini, and bell peppers is a complete meal, in one pan, on the table in less than 20 minutes. The best part is the amazing flavors that are created with just a few ingredients!

Looking for a quick and easy meal that is both delicious and nutritious? This recipe for mixed vegetable rice creates a hearty and flavorful meal that you can easily pair with your protein of choice. Just add your favorite vegetables!

Sweet onions, fresh zucchini, and grilled corn along with a bit of chicken and plenty of melting cheese made these some of the best vegetable quesadillas that I have made recently.

Looking for more snack recipes? While zucchini isn’t usually a vegetable most folks crave, these zucchini fries are about to change that! Tender zucchini wedges are coated in a crunchy, crispy, utterly crave-worthy Parmesan breadcrumb coating to create these zucchini fries.

Zucchini Corn Fritters

With little more than a few zucchini and a couple of ears of corn, you can be on your way to piping hot, crispy Zucchini Corn Fritters.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings fritters

Calories 93kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

3 cups freshly grated zucchini about 3 medium zucchini
½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups corn kernels cut off the cob, about 2 large ears
⅓ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Line a bowl with a triple layer of paper towels. Grate the zucchini and place it in the bowl with the paper towels. Use the paper towels to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the shredded zucchini. (If the paper towels soak through and begin to tear, repeat with fresh paper towels, as needed.)
Discard the liquid and place a clean paper towel in the bowl. Transfer the squeezed zucchini to the bowl with the dry paper towel and let it rest for a few minutes.
Combine the flour, garlic, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs and whisk again. Add the drained zucchini, corn, and green onions. Stir to combine.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, scoop golfball sized scoops of the zucchini fritter mixture into the oil. (Approximately 3 tablespoons worth for each fritter.) Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook for 2 minutes more.
Transfer the fritters to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining oil and batter. Serve warm with sour cream, bang bang sauce, ranch dip, or marinara sauce.

Nutrition

Fresh Corn with Zucchini and Herbs

Mary Younkin — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 19:00:32 +0000

Is it really summer if you don’t have crazy amounts of zucchini and corn? Whether you’re hitting the farmer’s market for a deal or growing zucchini like it’s your job, this simple yet delicious side dish pairs these two classic warm weather vegetables!

Zucchini with Corn

Corn and zucchini are like peas and carrots. They just plain go together.

Whether from your own garden or the farmer’s market, these two summer vegetables positively sing when combined with fresh herbs. Every bite has a little bit of the best of summer produce.

How to Milk a Corn Cob

“How to milk a corn cob” is such a funny phrase and the visuals that pop in my head are even funnier. But it really is super simple process that yields a flavorful, natural thickener for your corn dishes.

If you’ve ever cut corn from the cob, you’ve seen corn milk. It’s the creamy, starchy, sweet liquid that comes from the cob once you’ve cut kernels away from it. It is used to add flavor as well as thicken things like soups and creamed corn.

To milk a corn cob, start with a fresh, uncooked ear of corn. Using a bundt pan or angel food cake pan, prop your shucked ear of corn in the center of the pan.

Use a sharp knife cut the kernels off of the cob. Next, use the back of your knife and scrape it down the empty cob.

The pan can neatly collect both the corn and the corn milk. It really is that easy.

For this recipe, empty the corn from the pan before you milk the corn cob. You need to keep the corn and the corn milk separate.

You will use the corn first and then add the milk towards the end. This adds creaminess and a burst of fresh, summery corn flavor to the finished dish.

Zucchini and Corn Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

corn on the cob
vegetable oil
zucchini
garlic cloves
fresh basil
fresh chives or green onions
fresh parsley
lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Zucchini with Corn

Remove the corn kernels from each cob and set the corn aside. Working over a bowl, scrape the spine of a knife down each corn cob to scrape away the corn milk. Reserve the milk.

Do not peel the zucchini for this dish. Simply dice it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Keep your cuts even for quick, easy cooking. A multi-use vegetable chopper like this one makes quick work of the dicing.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add zucchini and cook until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add corn and cook until deep yellow and softened, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in the corn milk, basil, chives, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Summer Vegetables

For more great zucchini and corn combinations, try this vegetable-filled rice pilaf. Have you ever tried Zucchini Cobbler? Trust me, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. A surprisingly apple-like flavor will make this dessert a summertime staple in your kitchen.

Fresh Corn with Zucchini and Herbs

Is it even summer if you' don't have loads of zucchini and corn? Whether you're hitting the farmer's market for a deal or growing zucchini like it's your job, this simple yet delicious side dish pairs these two classic warm weather vegetables!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 155kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

5 ears corn about 5 cups worth of kernels
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 zucchini, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chives or green onions, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1½ teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste

Instructions

Remove the corn kernels from each cob and set the corn aside. Working over a bowl, scrape the back of a knife down each corn cob to scrape away the corn milk, reserving the milk.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add zucchini and cook until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add corn and cook until deep yellow and softened, about 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in corn milk, basil, chives, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Nutrition

I found this recipe in Cook’s Vegetables Illustrated and I’ve lightly adapted this from the original. The bright fresh flavors in this dish can not be beaten.

Zucchini Taco Boats

Mary Younkin — Thu, 02 May 2024 08:30:00 +0000

Zucchini Taco Boats are full of flavor and cheesy goodness. Let’s face it tacos make everything better, especially zucchini.

Taco Boats

Tacos make a regular appearance on the menu around our house but every once in a while we need to mix things up a bit. Usually mixing it up means hard or soft shells but zucchini makes a good option my kids actually really like.

For filling these taco boats my preference is ground beef. I do like to go a bit leaner on the ground beef for these. A 90/10 works really well with little to no grease to discard.

To season the meat I keep homemade taco seasoning on hand. Here is my favorite recipe for taco seasoning, it is so simple and packed with flavor. You can also use prepackaged.

What I love about most taco recipes is that you can use whichever meat you like best or have on hand. Ground turkey, beef, or chicken, shredded leftover pulled pork or chicken, I can’t think of any meats that we won’t happily toss with taco seasoning.

When making taco boats, you’ll want to use medium-sized zucchini that are even in thickness and of similar length. This makes baking them simpler as they will cook evenly and all be ready at the same time, resulting in everyone having a perfect zucchini boat.

To make the boats start by scooping out the seeds and a little bit of flesh. Leave about a 1/4 inch of zucchini along the skin. This will give you a hollowed out spot for the filling as well as remove the center portion that can get a bit mushy when cooked.

Don’t forget to roast the zucchini before adding the taco filling. However, be careful not to overcook the zucchini. Keeping the zucchini a little firm gives a nice texture and a slight crunch to the taco boat.

Taco-stuffed zucchini boats are perfect served on their own. But, sometimes I serve them on a bed of rice or top it with avocado, sour cream, or fresh crema. Maybe some black olives and jalapenos, have some fun with what you have on hand.

Zucchini Taco Boats

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

zucchini
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
ground beef
taco seasoning
onion
black beans
tomato sauce
Mexican blend cheese
fresh cilantro

Taco Boat Recipe

To make your taco boats, you’ll start by slicing the zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about ¼-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.

Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the zucchini is baking, start the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef. Season with taco seasoning while it cooks. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften.

Add the black beans and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and add 1½ cups of shredded cheese. Generously fill each zucchini half with the filling, pile it on top to use all the filling. Top each zucchini with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.

Zucchini Recipes

BBQ Chicken Zucchini Boats are a saucy, cheesy, deliciously hearty meal that is a refreshing change from the typical sandwiches we usually make with leftover chicken.

Zucchini Pizza Boats are proof that anything can be a carrier for the amazingness that is cheesy pizza toppings.

These Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats are baked to cheesy perfection and served warm for a winning dinner all summer long.

Fresh zucchini is shaved thin and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice before being sprinkled with salt, pepper, basil, and Parmesan to make this easy, fresh from the garden Zucchini Ribbon Salad.

Parmesan zucchini can best be described as crispy, and delicious, the best way possible to eat zucchini. Seriously so good my kids devoured seconds.

And if you have an abundance of summer squash on hand, there are a lot of great ways to cook it! From roasting to sauteeing, steaming to grilling, you really can’t go wrong using up your zucchini harvest. You can even air fry it.

Zucchini Taco Boats

Zucchini Taco Boats are full of flavor and cheesy goodness. Let's face it tacos make everything better, especially zucchini.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 442kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

4 large or 6 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, adjust to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided adjust to taste
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 small onion diced very small, into ¼-inch pieces, ¾ cup worth
1 can black beans drained and rinsed OPTIONAL
½ cup tomato sauce
3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about ¼-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.
Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the zucchini is baking, start the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef. Season with taco seasoning while it cooks. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften.
Add the black beans and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and add 1½ cups of shredded cheese. Generously fill each zucchini half with the filling, pile it on top to use all the filling. Top each zucchini with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.

Nutrition

Chicken Zucchini Stir Fry

Mary Younkin — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 08:30:00 +0000

This Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is an easy dinner that delivers a whole lot of great flavor. Served on its own or over rice or noodles, this is a meal that always satisfies!

Zucchini Stir Fry

Many years ago, there was a time we tried our hand at gardening and that led to a LOT of zucchini. If you have ever gardened, you likely understand this quite well. Anyways, all of that zucchini led to a great many zucchini-inspired recipes, first over here and now many more zucchini recipes here as well.

Luckily, zucchini remains one of my favorite vegetables to add to a stir-fry skillet. The key when cooking zucchini is to get it off the heat before it softens too much.

Learning how to saute zucchini is a bit of a game-changer when it comes to cooking this popular summer squash. Perfectly tender and still crisp zucchini is positively irresistible. And once you’ve mastered sauteeing zucchini, you should try roasting, air-frying, and grilling it too!

Chicken with Zucchini Stir Fry

I enjoy zucchini stir fries very much, (this shrimp and zucchini stir fry is another tasty option!) but only when the squash retains a bit of its crispness. Summer squash is the perfect example for “tender-crisp” vegetables when cooked well.

This entire meal comes together easily in one large pan. But you’ll want to take the extra minute or two to cook it in batches to avoid overcrowding in the skillet or wok.

This stir fry begins with the chicken. Depending on the size of your skillet this might need to be done in one or two batches. (If you are on the hunt for a new skillet check out this one, it’s a favorite.)

Give the chicken enough room to not be touching in the pan or it will steam instead of getting the brown edges we are looking for. Then cook the zucchini in the same way.

Chicken Zucchini Stir Fry

You’ll need the following ingredients for this recipe:

Stir Fry Ingredients

chicken thighs
olive oil
zucchini
garlic
green onions
sesame seeds

Sauce Ingredients

oyster sauce
rice vinegar
soy sauce
sesame oil
cornstarch

Zucchini Stir Fry Recipe

Start by making the sauce. Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring or tossing frequently, until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set it aside.

Add the zucchini to the empty skillet. Cook, stirring or tossing frequently until the zucchini begins to soften about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, while tossing constantly, for an additional minute until fragrant.

Add water to the pan and use a wooden spoon or metal spatula to scrape up all the browned bits. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and return the chicken to the pan.

Cook, while stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice if desired.

There are so many great ways to cook zucchini! This sweet and spicy chicken stir fry is a favorite for my ever-hungry crew. This stir fry uses seasonal fresh vegetables for a quick to prepare meal.

BBQ Chicken Zucchini Boats are a saucy, cheesy, deliciously hearty meal that is a refreshing change from the typical sandwiches we usually make with leftover chicken.

With little more than a few zucchini and a couple of ears of corn, you can be on your way to piping hot, crispy Zucchini Corn Fritters.

And last but not least, Zucchini Cobbler. Zucchini??? Cobbler? YES. You read that right and you should definitely keep reading. It turns out that zucchini cobbler tastes a whole lot like apple cobbler, my friends. I didn’t believe it either – until I tasted it.

Looking for more dinner recipes? Tender, spicy bites of chicken are tossed with fresh sauteed vegetables and plenty of Mexican spices to create this easy Southwestern Chicken Skillet meal.

Chicken Zucchini Stir Fry

This Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is an easy dinner that delivers a whole lot of great flavor. Served on its own or over rice or noodles, this is a meal that always satisfies!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 157kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs about 1½ lbs cut into 1/2″ strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 small or 2 large zucchini sliced into rounds, about 1/3-inch thick, about 4 cups worth
3 large cloves garlic minced
¼ cup water
3 green onions thinly sliced for topping
1 teaspoon sesame seeds for topping

Sauce Ingredients

2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large skillet, warm the oil over med-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring or tossing frequently, until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the zucchini to the empty skillet. Cook, stirring or tossing frequently until the zucchini begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, while tossing constantly, for an additional minute until fragrant.
Add water to the pan and use a wooden spoon or metal spatula to scrape up all the browned bits. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and return the chicken to the pan.
Cook, while stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

Mary Younkin — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:30:00 +0000

Dive into this timeless combination of flavors with savory chicken, gooey mozzarella, and marinara sauce, nestled in tender-crisp squash, and topped with toasted bread crumbs. Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats are a big hit!

Parmesan Chicken with Zucchini

The addition of zucchini gives this recipe a fresh take on the time-honored Italian dish we know and love. I’m thrilled to tell you that this dish really nails those classic flavors.

Now that it is finally ready to share, this parmesan chicken with zucchini recipe is one of my favorites. (And, I have a lot of meat-filled vegetable recipes to choose from here to choose from!)

Crispy breadcrumbs and the slight crunch of tender-crisp zucchini add wonderful depth to the texture of these chicken parm zucchini boats. Each bite is a joy to experience.

You can eat these zucchini boats on their own, or pair them with your favorite rice or pasta. I like to slice them up and serve them over garlicky spaghetti noodles with plenty of melted butter.

Zucchini Boats with Chicken

You will need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

zucchini
olive oil and butter
salt and pepper
Italian breadcrumbs
cooked chicken
pasta sauce
red pepper flakes optional
Italian seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder
shredded mozzarella

Chicken Parm Zucchini Boats

Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make these chicken parmesan zucchini boats, start by slicing each zucchini in half lengthwise. Hollow it out, removing the seeds and a bit of the squash. (This handy tool works great for scraping out those seeds. I use mine all the time.)

Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the bread crumbs and stir them together to coat. Cook while stirring frequently until they are toasted. Remove from the heat, transfer to a plate, and let them cool down.

While the zucchini is baking, combine the rest of your spices with the pasta sauce and stir to combine.

Chicken Parm Zucchini

Place the chicken in a medium bowl and add just over half of the seasoned pasta sauce, reserving the last bit for topping. Stir to coat the chicken and then stir in half of the mozzarella.

Remove the zucchini from the oven and generously fill each zucchini boat with the saucy chicken mixture, using all of the filling. Top each chicken-filled boat with the remaining sauce and cheese.

Sprinkle generously with the toasted bread crumbs and bake for about 5 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Chicken Stuffed Zucchini

One of my favorite discoveries as a vegetable-lover has been that if something can be served on a crust or in a shell, (pizza, flatbread, tacos, etc.) there is a good chance it can be stuffed in a zucchini. These BBQ Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats are an excellent example.

I also recommend trying this recipe for Zucchini Taco Boats. And, these Zucchini Pizza Boats are a great way to get your pizza loving child to eat more veggies!

But, if you don’t want to hollow out zucchini for boats, this Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is excellent. And, you really can’t go wrong with my Parmesan Zucchini.

As for me, I’ve been thinking about this Chocolate Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread since I first laid eyes on it. That’s still a vegetable, right?

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats are a timeless combination of flavors with savory chicken, gooey mozzarella, and marinara sauce, topped with toasted bread crumbs.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 256kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

4 zucchini medium sized
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 cups cooked chicken chopped into ½-inch pieces
1¼ cup pasta sauce store-bought or homemade, divided
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
½ teaspoon Italian seasonings
½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella about 8 ounces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and part of the zucchini flesh. Leave about ¼-inch of zucchini along the skin of each halved squash.
Place the zucchini halves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with oil and rub with your hands to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
In a large skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir quickly to coat. Saute while stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, until toasted. Remove from the heat, transfer to a plate, and let cool.
While the zucchini is baking, combine the pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings, garlic and onion powders in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Place the chicken in a medium-size bowl and add ¾ cup of the seasoned pasta sauce, reserving ½ cup for topping. Stir to coat the chicken and then stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Remove the zucchini from the oven and generously fill each zucchini half with the saucy chicken mixture, using all of the filling. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of sauce over each chicken-filled zucchini boat. And top each zucchini with the remaining cheese.
Sprinkle generously with the toasted bread crumbs and bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Nutrition

Zucchini Cobbler

Mary Younkin — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 08:30:00 +0000

Zucchini Cobbler. Zucchini??? Cobbler? YES. You read that right and you should definitely keep reading. It turns out that zucchini cobbler tastes a whole lot like apple cobbler, my friends. I didn’t believe it either – until I tasted it.

Zucchini Desserts

The apple-like flavor of a zucchini cobbler is achieved through the magic of sugar and spices, combined with the uniquely firm yet tender texture of the zucchini after it softens through simmering and then baking.

The lemon juice in the recipe works to enhance the flavors and provide a touch of tartness and brightness to the cobbler. It helps balance the sweetness of the cobbler and adds a refreshing citrus note.

I’m no stranger to zucchini desserts, see this Zucchini Snack Cake and Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes for evidence of that, but Zucchini cobbler just might go down in the archives as one of the most unusual recipes I’ve ever made that actually turned out well.

For what it’s worth (nothing), we don’t usually talk about the recipes that don’t work out the way I think they will when they first pop into my head. I’m looking at you Bacon Apple Crisp. Yeah, don’t try that one. Ever.

As a matter of fact, this cobbler turned out so well, that I now have a zucchini crisp recipe on my radar to make soon.

Amish Cookbooks

I found this zucchini dessert in the cookbook, from Alma’s Kitchen, that I picked up a few weeks ago while in Sugarcreek, OH. This has been one of my favorite Amish cookbooks yet, as there are interesting family stories shared throughout the book.

While my friend Christi was in town last month, we headed up to The Farm at Walnut Creek where we met Alma and purchased both her cookbook and a jar of pickled beets that my middle son immediately claimed for his own. (If you live anywhere near Central Ohio, put the farm on your must-do list. It’s so much fun.)

Zucchini Cobbler

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Filling Ingredients

zucchini
lemon juice
sugar
cinnamon and nutmeg

Topping Ingredients

all-purpose flour
sugar
baking powder
kosher salt
ground cinnamon
butter
boiling water

Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a 10-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside. Peel the zucchini and slice it in half lengthwise.

Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Cut the seeded zucchini into small pieces and place in a medium-sized saucepan.

Add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and pour the zucchini mixture into the prepared baking dish.

While the zucchini filling is on the stove, combine the flour, sugar baking powder, salt, and cinnamon for the topping in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Grate the butter into the flour mixture and stir with a fork to mix throughout. Stir in the boiling water, just until combined, leaving plenty of little lumps of butter.

Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the zucchini in the baking dish. Bake until the crust is golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean, about 24-28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Savory Zucchini Recipes

With little more than a few zucchini and a couple of ears of corn, you can be on your way to piping hot, crispy Zucchini Corn Fritters.

Savor a delightful medley of fresh, ripe vegetables with a tangy homemade vinaigrette in this Zucchini Pasta Salad. This is a recipe you will make more than once.

This Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is an easy dinner that delivers a whole lot of great flavor. Served on its own or over rice or noodles, we all really enjoy this meal.

This tender and moist Zucchini Meatloaf with an irresistible balsamic glaze has been on our dinner table three times in the past couple of months. It also makes a terrific meatloaf sandwich if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers.

Parmesan zucchini can best be described as crispy, and delicious, and one of the best ways possible to eat zucchini. Seriously so good my kids devoured seconds.

Zucchini Cobbler

Zucchini cobbler tastes a whole lot like apple cobbler, my friends. I didn't believe it either – until I tasted it.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 431kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

4 medium-size zucchini about 4 cups chopped
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup cold butter grated
½ cup boiling water

Instructions

Filling Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a 10-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside. Peel the zucchini and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
Cut the seeded zucchini into small pieces and place in a medium-sized saucepan. Add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and pour the zucchini mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Topping Instructions

While the zucchini filling is on the stove, combine the flour, sugar baking powder, salt, and cinnamon for the topping in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Grate the butter into the flour mixture and stir with a fork to mix throughout. Stir in the boiling water, just until combined, leaving plenty of little lumps of butter.
Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the zucchini in the baking dish. Bake until the crust is golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean, about 24-28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition