If, like me, you have bumper crops of garden grown zucchini, here are three recipes that might help you enjoy this wonderful vegetable.

Zucchinis are part of the squash family and are also known by the name courgette.  Growth in the summer vegetable patch is vigorous and while small young zucchinis are great to steam or panfry the occasional one is missed for a day or two and becomes squash like and more suited to the recipes below. 

Nutritionally zucchinis are low in kilojoules, high in dietary fibre and can provide a filling, low energy base to meals and supply fibre for a healthy gut.  Zucchinis also contain water soluble vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to enhance your health. 

Enjoy ! Carole Richards – Dietitian | Diabetes Educator

Curried Zucchini Soup

Serves 4-6

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large saucepan and add:

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Cook over gentle heat for 3-4 minutes

 Add

500gm zucchini, roughly chopped

Cook for 5 minutes, covered, until zucchini begins to soften.

Pour in

2 cups vegetable stock

Simmer for 10 minutes, until zucchini is cooked.  Remove from heat and cool a little.

Blend until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

 Add

150mls lite evaporated milk

 Serve chilled or heated with sprigs of coriander and a dollop of yoghurt

Leftovers can be frozen.

Zucchini Slice

3-4 large zucchini

1 large onion

3 rashers bacon or 100gm feta

1 cup grated reduced fat cheese

1 cup self raising flour

1 large carrot

90 mls canola oil

6 eggs

black pepper

Grate unpeeled zucchini and carrot.

Finely chop onion and bacon or feta.

Mix vegetables and bacon together and stir in grated cheese.

Add sifted flour, oil and lightly beaten eggs and stir until evenly combined.

Pour into a baking dish lined with baking sheet.

Cook at 180C  for 30-40 minutes until set and golden on top.

Serve hot or cold with salad. Great for work lunches!

Easy Oven Roasted Ratatouille

1 eggplant, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces

2 zucchini, cut in 3cm pieces

2 red capsicums, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 red onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves thinly slices

1 tablespoons olive oil

250g cherry tomatoes

250g yellow cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 200C.

Place all vegetables, except tomatoes in a large roasting dish.

Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.  Cook for about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from oven and arrange cherry tomatoes over the vegetables.

Return to oven for a further 10 minutes.

Note: cherry tomatoes can be substituted with larger tomatoes, coarsely chopped and added after 20 minutes.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves.