Barbecued Zucchini Rollups With Miyoko's Vegan Cheese

Zucchini rollups for your next tapas party!

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Great Appetizer or Tapas
In our quest to use all of our garden zucchini, Doug and I created this delicious rollup. This combination uses Miyoko's Winter Truffle vegan "cheese" but you can use any of your favorites or, if you eat dairy, it would work well with a goat feta.

Since Doug loves roasted red pepper, we included that in the rollup but I can envision a schmear of pesto or hummus or olive tapenade. Use your imagination and your favorite ingredients - the combinations are endless. But they all begin with this BBQ'd zucchini. Here's how to do it.

First, make some basting sauce by mixing together the following:

Basting sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Use medium size zucchini (not giant ones) and slice vertically into 1/2-inch slices. If they are extremely long, first cut them in half vertically. 

Sliced zucchini and basting sauce

Heat the grill on medium and scrape off any residue from previous use. Reduce the heat to low. Place the zucchini on the grill.

Generously baste with the sauce.

Cook very slowly, turning and basting occasionally until nice and brown.

Cook until nice a brown

Even though they are brown and a little crispy, they will be pliable. Remove from the grill.

Get your fillings ready. For our "cheese", we selected Miyoko's Winter Truffle.

Lay the zucchini on a plate, put a dollop of "cheese" on the bottom and place a strip of roasted red pepper along the zucchini, or whatever other filling suits your fancy.

Roll it up and up a toothpick to hold it together. I placed a halved cherry tomato on top but you can also use an olive or a marinated artichoke heart.

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Coconut Curry Zucchini SoupVegan And Gluten Free

A good way to use your garden zucchini!

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It's Zucchini Time
There have been years when I've planted so many zucchini that I was ready to set the garden on fire.  This year I promised myself I would scale back and only planted a single zucchini. However, it's so prolific that I'm still having a hard time keeping up with it. So you may be seeing more zucchini recipes this summer.

My one and only zucchini plant.

Today's recipe also uses potatoes since we just harvested over 50 pounds of new potatoes a few days ago. They are so easy to grow and what's better than a freshly harvested new potato?

Our potato harvest.

Although I cook this in my Instant Pot, you can easily make this on the stovetop. I include notes on stovetop directions below.

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Coconut Curry Zucchini Soup

Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free

[Makes 9 Cups]

Requirements

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Hand Immersion Blender

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (~1 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sweet curry

1/2 teaspoon hot curry, or to taste

2 pounds zucchini, sliced

1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and diced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can lite coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

Heat the oil in the Instant Pot using the SAUTE function. Add the onions and ginger and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the sweet and hot curry. (To make on the stovetop, do this step in a large saucepan.)

Stir the curry into the onions.

Add the zucchini, potatoes, broth, coconut milk and salt.

Sliced zucchini and diced potatoes.

Lite coconut milk has plenty of flavor and
creaminess but far fewer fat and calories.

Secure the lid, press the MANUAL button, and set for 5 minutes under high pressure. When done, press the OFF button and quickly release the pressure. (To make this on the stovetop, simmer in the large sauce, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Continue with recipe.)

When complete, open the cover and tilt so that the steam comes out the back and away from your face. 

Using a hand immersion blender, blend the soup until fairly smooth but leaving some small chunks of zucchini and potatoes.

You still want to see the specs of zucchini.

Stir in the lime juice and adjust salt if necessary and serve.

Nutrition

(Per cup): 112 calories, 5 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, and 276 mg sodium.

Curried Kabocha Squash, Potato, and Zucchini Soup

Curry-flavored, blended soup featuring kabocha squash.

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Harvest Time
I harvested my mini-kabocha squash and potatoes and still have a few zucchini left on the vine so I thought I'd combine them in this tasty soup. Kabocha adds a lovely sweetness to the soup and the potatoes make it creamy and thick. The soup is lightly flavored with curry.

Mini kabocha squash

Purple and gold potatoes

Ingredients for Curried Kabocha Squash,
Potato, and Zucchini Soup.

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Curried Kabocha Squash, Potato and Zucchini Soup
Vegetarian or Vegan, Gluten Free
[Makes 4 servings]

Requirements
Soup pot
Blender or Immersion blender

Ingredients
1 small kabocha (~1 1/2 pound)
1 pound yukon gold potatoes
1 small purple potato*
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Earth Balance (vegan) or ghee**
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sweet curry
1/4 teaspoon hot curry
2 medium zucchini (1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper to taste

* If you do not use a purple potato, increase the Yukon golds to 1 1/4 pounds.
** ghee is clarified butter and is well tolerated by those allergic to dairy protein and/or those who are lactose intolerant. 

Directions
Peel the kabocha squash, remove seeds, and slice. Usually I don't peel kabocha squash, but in this soup, I think the texture is smoother without the skin. Set aside.

Peeled and sliced kabocha squash.

Peel the potatoes and dice the Yukon golds. The purple potato will be removed before the soup is blended, so just cut that one in half.

Heat the oil and Earth Balance or ghee in a soup pot or Dutch oven on medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for several minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the curry seasoning and stir to coat the onions. 

Stir the onions and garlic with the curry seasoning.

Add the broth, kabocha squash, potatoes, and zucchini. Cook until the vegetables are firm.

Remove a few slices of zucchini, kabocha, and the purple potato halves. The purple potatoes may take a little longer since they are not diced or sliced as small as the other vegetables. But do not overcook them.

Dice the removed vegetables and set aside. (If you want a totally blended soup without little chunks of veggies, omit this step). 

Remove a few slices of zucchini and kabocha as well as the purple potato. 

Continue to simmer the rest of the soup until the ingredients are very soft and start to fall apart, about 20 to 30 minutes. Blend the soup with a hand immersion blender or place in a blender and process until smooth.

Blending with an immersion blender is much faster
and easier than using a blender. Cleanup is easier too.

Stir in the chopped vegetables, simmer a minute or so until they are heated, and serve.

Instant Pot Zucchini And MushroomsLess Than 100 Calories Per Serving

A quick and easy zucchini recipe for your Instant Pot.

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And Here They Come!

The first zucchini of the season

Last year I grew way too many summer squash so I only planted 2 zucchini this year. I devoted most of the "squash real estate" to those that don't need to be eaten immediately. I planted delicata, kabocha, and butternut that have taken up a lot of space but at least I don't have the stress that zucchini brings of making sure they don't grow into baseball bats overnight or having to constantly place them into good homes.

My kabocha squash has taken up half the yard!

Yet, even with only 2 zucchini plants, I've already got a dozen in my refrigerator!

Zucchini and Instant Pots

Today's recipe uses an Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker but I have to warn you, zucchini cook very quickly so you have to pay careful attention to release pressure the moment it is done.

You can also make this recipe in a 5-quart Dutch oven, on top of the stove (recipe to follow.)

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Zucchini and Mushrooms

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

[6 to 8 servings]

Requirements

Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker

or 5-quart Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cup diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 to 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced or separated depending on type of mushroom

1 large sprig fresh basil, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

4 medium zucchini, 1/2" slices (8 cups)

1 (15 ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes with juice

Directions for Instant Pot

Hit the Sauté button of the Instant Pot and heat the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and the mushrooms begin to lose their moisture. 

Add the basil and stir in the salt and pepper.

Saute until mushrooms and onions soften, about 5 minutes.

Add zucchini to the pot and stir.

Pour tomatoes, with their juices, over the zucchini. Do not stir.

Leave tomatoes on top, do not stir

Hit the MANUAL button and set to LOW pressure for 1 minute.  When it is done, release the pressure immediately and remove the cover. If they are still a bit undercooked, just let the cover rest on the pot for another minute. They will soften quickly.

Serve as is or over a starch

Serve as is or over cooked rice, pasta, polenta, or baked potatoes. For a heartier meal, you can stir in a can of white beans.

Stove Top Directions

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat and cook the onions until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic for a minute and then the mushrooms. Stirring frequently, cook the mushrooms until they release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add the basil, salt, and pepper.

Stir in the zucchini and the tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally,  until the zucchini are the desired texture, 5 to 10 minutes. Add a little water if needed.

Serve as above.

Nutrition

Per serving (6): 95 calories, 3 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 102 mg omega-3 and 398 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 5 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 222 mg sodium.

Zucchini Tomato Casserole With Garlic And BasilEasy To Make - Vegan And Gluten Free

Makes a great side dish for the 4th of July!

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Garden Goodies
My tomatoes are starting to come in. I'm buried in zucchini. I just harvested and cured more than 40 heads of garlic and I have some lovely fresh basil too. It all ended up in this simple and super tasty casserole. I honestly think it's one of the yummiest things you can do with these ingredients.

Like a Lasagna but without the Carbs and Cheese
This dish is like making a lasagna but so much easier because you don't precook noodles or have 3 different cheeses to mess with. But the pesto-like sauce gives it so much flavor, it doesn't need anything else.

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Zucchini Tomato Casserole with Garlic and Fresh Basil
Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

Requires 9" x 11" casserole dish with cover. If you do not have a cover, you can tent with aluminum foil but make sure not to allow the foil to touch the tomatoes.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus some for the pan
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 medium (fat) zucchini (2 lbs)
2 to 3 large tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Make the pesto-like sauce by mixing 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the basil, pressed garlic, and broth. Stir until well combined and set aside.

For the nicest presentation and easy serving, use zucchini that is the width of the pan. So if you are using a 9 by 11 inch pan, use a zucchini that, once cleaned and trimmed, will be 9 inches long.

Slice the zucchini in 1/4 inch slices. Slice the tomatoes thin also.

Coat the bottom of the pan with a little olive oil. Place a layer of zucchini on the bottom of the pan. Spread about 1/3rd of the basil garlic mixture over the zucchini.  Cover with a layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the tomatoes (not too much because there will be other layers.)

Repeat with another layer of zucchini, another 1/3rd of the basil garlic mixture, another layer of tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Repeat with the last layer of zucchini, some but not all of the remaining basil garlic mixture, and the rest of the tomatoes. Spoon the rest of the basil garlic mixture over the top layer of tomatoes. Salt and pepper the tomatoes if needed.

Ready to bake.

Cover and place in the preheated oven until the zucchini is fork tender, about 35 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or over a grain as a light meal.

Zucchini Miso Soup With Mushrooms And KaleLess Than 150 CaloriesMiso - A Good Source Of Microbes

You can add microbe-rich miso to any brothy soup.

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Today is our Anniversary 
Twenty six years ago today my wonderful husband and I went on our first date and 25 years ago today we were married! I am the luckiest woman in the world to find a man who has provided love and kindness to me and the children, gave me endless encouragement in my many ambitious endeavors, and shared my obsession for living a healthy lifestyle. We worked well together as engineers in Silicon Valley and now we work just as well together as organic farmers, bloggers, and wine makers. 

Today is our 25th Wedding Anniversary

So yesterday when I felt like my allergies were getting the best of me and were possibly turning into a cold, it was time to make a pot of soup despite the warm temperature outside. We have big plans for our anniversary dinner and I want to feel my best. 

Goals for this Soup
This soup will hopefully accomplish three important goals.
#1 - Help me feel better for my anniversary.
#2 - Give me a source of more microbes from the fermented, unpasteurized miso.
#3 - Help me use up the zucchini in my garden!

Romanesco zucchini are taking over my yard!

Powerful and Delicious Ingredients
Whenever I feel like a cold is coming on, I rely on garlic, onions, ginger, mushrooms and fermented foods to build up my immune system. This soup has it all. But to get the most out of these ingredients remember two things:
#1 - Let the garlic sit for 10 minutes after mincing it to enhance its health-promoting properties.
#2 - Don't boil the miso or it will kill the live beneficial bacteria. Once it's added to the soup, warm it gently over a low flame.

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Zucchini Miso Soup with Mushrooms and Kale
Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 4 first-course servings or 2 meal-size servings]

Ingredients
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 ounces brown clamshell or other mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds small to medium-size zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups low sodium veggie broth
1 packed cup thinly sliced kale
2 tablespoons (or more) unpasteurized white miso 
Black pepper to taste

For my veggie broth, I like to use a large low sodium vegetable bouillon cube with 4 cups of boiling water. 

Directions
Finely mince the garlic and set aside while you are preparing the remaining ingredients. Let the garlic rest for at least 10 minutes so that it develops its health-promoting properties.

Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven. Cook the onion for 5 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring until fragrant, about one minute. 

Separate the clamshell mushrooms. If you are using shiitake mushrooms, remove their stems and slice. Add the mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid, about 3 minutes.

Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until it cooks down a bit and gets a little starchy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the soup thickens and the zucchini begins to soften. 

Throw in the kale and cook another 5 or so minutes until all the veggies are cooked. I like the zucchini soft in a soup like this but you may prefer them to be a bit firmer.  

Remove a cup of broth from the pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in the miso paste until all the lumps are gone. 

Stir the miso broth mixture back into the pot. Simmer for a few minutes but DO NOT BOIL as excessive heat will kill the beneficial microbes. 

Add freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve immediately.

This soup is less than 150 calories per serving

Nutrition
Per serving (4): 148 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 105 mg omega-3 and 661 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g protein, 21 carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, and 394 mg sodium.